Curiodyssey Summer Camp

Hello!
This summer, I joined the LIT (Leader in Training) program at the camp hosted by CuriOdyssey, a science museum located at Coyote Point. If you haven’t heard of it, CuriOdyssey is home to some pretty amazing exhibits and animals—like Gunner the river otter, Caro the bobcat, and Poppy the porcupine.

The camp offers six themed programs:

• Junior Keepers, where you help care for the animals

• Ocean Adventures, which explores marine life in the nearby bay

• Nature Quest, which dives into the ecosystems of Coyote Point’s forests and beaches

• Art Inventors, where campers create awesome art projects

• Gadgets and Gizmos, focused on engineering and invention
• Museum Medley, which gives campers a taste of all the above

As an LIT, I’m part of a team learning how to lead these camps. But before jumping into slime, solar panels, and science-filled fun, we started with a full week of training.

To be honest, I didn’t expect much from training. I thought it would just be sitting in a room, listening to people talk about rules and responsibilities (which, yes, we did do some of). But by the end of the week, I was surprised by how much I had learned—not just about the camp, but about myself.

I picked up real leadership skills: how to guide a group without letting things spiral into chaos, how to make sure everyone feels included, and how to stay calm when something unexpected happens. I might not have learned a ton of STEM content this week, but I did learn how to keep a room full of energetic campers focused while still leading a meaningful conversation.

More importantly, I started to understand what it really means to be a leader—not just someone who gives orders, but someone who listens, adapts, and helps everyone work as a team. I even learned how to manage stress and build consensus when opinions differ.

In short, the week I thought would be boring turned out to be one of the most valuable experiences I’ve had. I’m excited to work with the campers, share what I know, and keep learning even more—especially when it comes to STEM.