Camp Infinity and STEM—Coming to Northern Kentucky!

I have a very exciting opportunity to announce for young people.  This summer Camp Infinity is offering two identical weeks of their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)  Introduction Camp for Middle School.  This is a unique opportunity for young people to learn about technology, science and the Christian  faith—all at the same time.  They will also spend time at the nearby  Creation Museum.

Space is extremely limited for these two inaugural camps here in northern Kentucky. Apply for  your child now (for students entering grades 7 through 9 later this year) to reserve your place for an unprecedented camp experience.  Here are the links to find out about the programs and also apply for the camp:

• www.campinfinity.com/programs
• www.campinfinity.com/apply

Dan Wooster is the founder of Camp Infinity, a computer science professor, cofounder of the Worthwhile Company, and a member of the board for Answers in Genesis and The Wilds camp. He lives in Greenville, South Carolina.

Here is a guest blog from Dan explaining this wonderful opportunity for students:

As Christians, we know God directs our steps for His glory. As I look back on the organizations the Lord has connected me with, it is clear to me that a place like Camp Infinity is exactly what He has been preparing me to start!

I invested 30 years as a professor of computer science at Bob Jones University. I've loved computers most of my life. The joy found in creating software is exhilarating to me. I think it's one of the most creative activities man has ever done. It’s yet another demonstration that we are image bearers of the Infinite One who created us in His image!

I've always been one to eagerly use new technologies, but I haven't always given much thought to “why we have them.” Several years ago I came across the testimony of a young man who started out his life on a clear path of Christianity. He also loved digital technologies. Then one day his life was hit with a series of severe physical trials. Through all these trials he ended up exchanging his faith in God with faith in “the Internet.” In other words, God seemingly had failed him, but people connected through the Internet had not. I was in tears after hearing his testimony. The Lord used this to motivate in me a burning passion to study Scripture and develop my own “theology of technology.” This had a huge impact on me in my later years of teaching. It helped me realize I needed to impart to my students a desire both to know why God has allowed man to develop technology and then how we are to use it.

Therefore Camp Infinity will seek to instill into the hearts and minds of young people an understanding of the role of technology in a fallen world: what is it and how can we use it to fulfill the Creation Mandate as clearly defined in the very first book of the Bible?

One of my many joys as a college professor was the few times I had the privilege to get to know the parents of one of my students. Such was the case in 1995 when I met this man who was the father of one of my freshman computer science majors. He had a very distinct face, reminding me of Abraham Lincoln. On top of that, his strange way of talking and the unusual phrases he would use arrested my attention. His name was Ken Ham. He is the CEO and founder of Answers in Genesis. God almost instantly drew our hearts together around a common purpose—how to engage the culture with the truths of the Bible using leading edge digital technologies?

Over the years of getting to know Ken, my thinking has been heavily impacted around knowing how to “make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” - 1 Peter 3:15. I have been greatly blessed by my involvement with AiG and the Creation Museum, hearing Ken and others in AiG speak hundreds of times, reading the many excellent Christian apologetics resources AiG produces, bringing more than 100 groups to tour the Creation Museum seven hours away, and serving on the AiG  board of directors. I know of no other Christian ministry which more effectively confronts the relevant issues of our culture on the major issue of biblical authority. What does the Bible teach? What does God expect? Why are we here? Why is their death, disease, and suffering?

Therefore Camp Infinity will provide our campers with a clear understanding of the relevant issues of today, especially related to science and technology. I want them to know what they believe, why they believe it, and how to formulate and articulate answers to defend what they believe.

As a young person, I attended a Bible camp a few times. It was a good experience, although I can't look back and say it was a life-changing experience. It wasn't until God intersected my life with a camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina that I realized the life-changing impact a camp, done right, could have on a person's direction in life for the Lord. The Wilds Christian Camp and Conference Center is a place where the love of Christ is seen daily by service to others. It’s a place where people are challenged to consider their Creator; to pull away from the distractions of their daily routine; to listen to that “still small voice” of the Lord. As the father of three wonderful, created-in-the-image-of-God, children, I have seen firsthand the benefits of sending them to the Wilds each summer. As the husband of a wonderful woman, I have experienced the renewal of marriage commitment at the Wilds through couples retreats. Camp can provide a great platform for spiritual growth.

Serving on the board of the Wilds has given me great insights into the philosophy, processes and people that God has used to make the Wilds such a great example of serving others in the love of Jesus Christ!

Therefore Camp Infinity will benefit from the ministry of camping as I have learned it at the Wilds to challenge young people to contemplate their life before a holy, loving Creator!

I have enjoyed combining business and technology with great people and processes to accomplish a mission. The Worthwhile Company has given me a platform to understand the need for good philosophy (why are we doing what we are doing), good people, and well-defined processes to harness the power of digital technologies in providing leadership to clients that helps them grow their business. I praise the Lord for the countless practical business lessons I've learned, which I am confident have equipped me to start a non-profit organization that will follow well-defined business principles needed to create a camp that can carry out its mission in the lives of all the young people the Lord will bring to us!

Why  in Kentucky and Why Now?

The short answer is “The Creation Museum.” Having taken hundreds of folks through this high-tech, multi-media, engaging and culture-confronting museum, I have developed a strong burden and a burning passion to use this great teaching tool to help young people develop a clear understanding of who God is, what He has done for them, what He desires of them, and how they can use science and technology to serve Him. Without close access to this museum, there would be no need for a Camp Infinity. At least not the Camp Infinity I want to build!

Why right now? Well, Bill Nye “the Science Guy,” for two reasons: (1) I like the way he makes learning science fun and engaging and I want to get kids excited about learning science as a way to discover all that the Creator has placed in His Creation; (2) I strongly disagree with his recent attacks on parents for teaching their children the truths found in the Bible. I want kids to learn that it requires the elements found in a biblical worldview to be able to do real science. The debate  last month (see  www.debatelive.org/answers) between Bill Nye and Ken Ham has generated a worldwide conversation about the Bible and science. I can think of no better time to start Camp Infinity to teach kids how to do real science!

STEM is much more than the separate disciplines of science + technology + engineering + math. It is a philosophy of problem solving that emphasizes teamwork. STEM done right allows a team of scientists, technologists, engineers, and mathematicians working together to solve problems far more complex than any one of them could solve alone. It is an in-demand job market skill for 21st century jobs.

Personally I love STEM as it allows for creativity and analytical thinking to come together and solve really cool problems. As a Christian, I believe it plays a strong role in helping mankind carry out the Creation mandate as defined in the book of Genesis. Camp Infinity will engage campers with high-energy, thought-provoking, teamwork-centered, hands-on STEM activities while teaching a strong creation apologetics message.

The two camps this summer will hopefully be the first of many such programs to help inspire more young people in regard to technology, science, and the Christian faith.

Thank you, Dan.

Again, here are the links:

• www.campinfinity.com/programs
• www.campinfinity.com/apply

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,

Ken