The University of Delaware’s Taking an Interest in Delaware’s Estuary (TIDE) Camp is a special opportunity for high school students with a keen interest in coastal science and a passion for scientific investigation.

The 13-day instructional camp offers hands-on field experience and overnight immersion into marine science for incoming 10-12th grade students.

Hosted by UD’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment (CEOE) and supported by the Delaware Sea Grant college program, this summer’s program will focus on the atmospheric, oceanic and biogeochemical processes at work in the Delaware Bay.

Applications are available online and the deadline to apply is Friday, April 7.

Camp combines classroom learning, hands-on fieldwork

TIDE Camp participants will spend time at both UD’s Newark Campus and the Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes, combining classroom learning with hands-on fieldwork.

In Newark, students will live in residence halls while participating in instructive lectures and discussions. In addition, students will work in teams to build a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and then compete with their ROVs in a series of tasks. Outside of the class, they will explore the C-Shel Lab, visit the National Aquarium and the Stroud Water Resource Center, and more.

In Lewes, students will live in the beautiful Virden Center Conference Housing and will visit the Cannon and Smith Marine Bioscience Labs and the Air-Sea Interaction Lab.  Campers will also participate in fieldwork in local marshes, inland bays and aboard the R/V Joanne Daiber.

Students will leave with a greater understanding of a variety of topics including sea breeze, tides, habitat loss, species adaptation, salt-water marsh filtration, sediment transport, regional and local climate change, and alternative energy.

“TIDE Camp is a great way to explore the breadth of coastal marine science, participate in a college experience and make some lifelong friends. The benefits are long-lasting, as many former campers have gone on to careers in marine and environmental science,” said TIDE program coordinator Dana Veron, associate professor in the Department of Geography and director of Environmental Science and Studies. Veron also is affiliated with CEOE’s School of Marine Science and Policy.

In addition, participants will have an opportunity to meet students outside their high school, while gaining experience living in a college setting and working with professors in both classroom and laboratory settings.

High school students interested in coastal marine science or with a strong knack for science or math are strongly encouraged to apply. Applications are available on the program’s website and include the completion of a form and submission of a grade transcript and a letter of recommendation, preferably from a science teacher. 

Tuition is $2,000 and includes room and board, lab and class materials, field excursions as well as other activities. Scholarships are available to students who qualify.

For more information about the camp, application process or how to sponsor a TIDE camper, visit the TIDE website or contact Dana Veron, TIDE Camp coordinator, at dveron@udel.edu.