Think summer camp is boring? Think again! The MTV Camp at the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (SMCDSB) is not about music videos or reality TV shows; it involves teamwork, creativity, and problem solving through the form of a Mouse Trap Vehicle Challenge.

From July 9 - 20, students in Grade 6-8 attended the MTV Camp at St. Joan of Arc Catholic High School in Barrie. Not only did they develop their academic and artistic skills - they had lots of fun along the way. Each day, campers studied English, Math, Science and Technology with the goal of building an effective vehicle out of a mouse trap.

In English, students expanded their vocabularies, wrote scientific reports, and presented their projects. Math class utilized hands-on techniques and math skills to help with the car building process. In order to build a steady vehicle, students tapped into their science and technology knowledge of forces, machines and elementary physics; key factors in the construction of their Mouse Trap Vehicles. Last but not least, we know that the look of any vehicle is important. Physical education, visual arts and MTV marketing helped hone students’ creativity to decorate and advertise their vehicles.

With the skills developed in these classes, MTV campers were well equipped to succeed in the Mouse Trap Vehicle Challenge! The results are below:

Winners of the distance challenge:

First Place: Victoria Brozina-Ramos & Kristina Buyukakarsu

Second Place: Sarah Duong

Winners of the speed challenge:

First Place: Vanessa Mafra & Sofia Valenzuela

Second Place: 2nd Kayleigh Marshall

Winners of the most creative challenge:

Leila Arcieri & Rylee Howe

It was a fantastic two weeks at MTV Camp. Thank you to everyone who participated in the fun! We look forward to a new group of campers next summer.