SANTA CRUZ -- Twelve-year-old Max Thompson might want to be a volcanologist.
However, he is also considering a career in archaeology and paleontology, as long as it involves "digging around and finding stuff."
Max is one of seven children ages 9 to 12 who are enthusiastic about science and taking part in a Makers Factory summer camp course, where they're introduced to a world of science and technology.
Last week, the focus was on robotics, with the kids trying to program a remote control car. Other programs range from learning about programming to animation to game design.
The Makers Factory summer camp was started in November 2011 by David Britton, who saw an opportunity to establish a new type of summer camp.
"The first thing the kids learn is about collaboration," he said. "Everyone is on the same page."
Britton describes the camp as a "hybrid between education and fabrication," and seeks to educate youngsters about technology in a fun away.
One of the more recent programs added to the summer camp is on the open-world computer game "Minecraft." It's been the most popular section for many participants, including Max, who was highly enthusiastic about the game.
Britton said he feels the fun atmosphere in the programs allows the youngsters to learn about science in a rewarding, enjoyable way.
"They're very much into this," he said. "It's STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education with game front-ends," referring to the combination of work and play.
Ian Ly, 11, has been coming to Makers Factory for three years.
"A few summers ago I was kind of bored and we stumbled across this," Ian said. "I would encourage it. It's really unique and fun. Plus we're probably going to need to know about stuff in the future."
Ian said his favorite part is the computer animation section. Like Max, Ian also wants to be a paleontologist.
Joe Allington, a UC Santa Cruz graduate, helps the class with its various projects. He said the skills being taught at Makers not only give students immediate skills but long-lasting ones, as well. This was especially true with computer-oriented parts of the camp, such as game design and "Minecraft."
"It's not being taught at these grade levels," Allington said. "I remember I was taught typing. That was the extent of my computing classes."
Allington noted how interesting it was to watch the cooperation between the children develop.
"It's been really fascinating initially developing team building," he said.
Game development also encourages the kids to develop logical thinking.
"We start them off with an existing game and they're constantly being asked about what happens -- when the player hits a wall, opens a door and so on," Allington said. "It's cool to learn in that way because they're already naturally thinking like that, it's just an extra step."
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