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The Staff and Guests
Staph member Elijah Goodwin leads a directed study group as they seek to record and analyze birdsong. |
The NYSC program is built up on the backbone of its staff. The "Staph" (so called because their enthusiasm is infectious) is hand-picked to provide a combination of insight, support, humor, talent, and experience. Many have spent years studying overseas, many are themselves alumni of the National Youth Science Camp, and many have been or are currently science, engineering, or medical students. By encouraging an informal, friendly, open atmosphere, the staph foster inclusiveness and make possible the close friendships that delegates form at the camp.
Each Staph member brings more than just warm fuzzy openness to the table. Throughout the program, staph members offer directed studies and seminars themselves to share their deep knowledge of science, skill in art and music, and their dedication to knowledge and learning. Each staph member is a role model, a teacher, a counselor, a leader, and a friend... and their other talents can range from juggling to multilingualism.
Presenter Peter Mulvey dedicates an afternoon to lounging on The Green (the central area of camp) answering any questions delegates may have for him. |
Our guests also bring a strong pallette of qualities, both in their professional backgrounds and their personalities. Distinguished guests such as John Nash, West Viriginia's only Nobel Prize laureate, sometimes spend days at the camp, participating in activities, dining with the delegates, and conducting long discussions about both deeper matters and lighter ones. Many other guests are themselves past delegates or staph members, and return to re-experience the enthusiasm and positive energy that infuses the camp. Delegates may find themselves playing volleyball with their directed study presenter or sitting on the green trading book recommendations with a lecturer.
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