New camp explores alternative energy

Wayne Community College is offering a summer camp about conserving energy.

“Camp Kill-A-Watt,” a week-long day camp, gives high school students the opportunity to explore green energy options. It is set for July 13-17 on the college’s main campus in Goldsboro.

“Hands-on experiments in solar, wind, fuel cell and biomass technologies will be conducted on a competitive basis,” WCC instructor Angela Wall said in a statement. “For example, campers will build solar boats and fuel cell cars and race them on campus. Winners will be able to choose from prizes such as T-shirts, solar phone chargers, and other cool science gadgets.”

Campers will also build working wind mills that pump water and solar ovens in which they will cook some food items. They will also hear from representatives of Progress Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas.

Attendance will be limited to 30 campers due to the hands-on nature of the camp and to allow one-on-one work with “counselors.”

Camp Kill-A-Watt is open to rising ninth through 12th grades from public, private, and home schools. It will run 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Monday through Thursday and 8:30 a.m.-noon on Friday.

Sponsors for the camp were Progress Energy, Piedmont Natural Gas and Ralph Wall Electric. The National Science Foundation and Tech Prep also gave grant money.

For registration information, contact Wall at 919-735-5151 or awall@waynecc.edu.