Forensic Detectives

Forensic Detectives

Forensic Detectives is a hands-on forensic science summer camp for students entering grades 9 and 10. As the popularity of the true crime genre continues to grow across TV, podcasts and novels, the real science behind the crime scene tape often goes under-appreciated. This engaging STEM camp teaches the real science behind criminal investigation, from DNA analysis, to crime scene processing, to forensic pathology. Campers work through a series of labs that mirror real investigative science, building skills in evidence collection, laboratory analysis, and critical thinking.

Students will:

• Examine and process a mock crime scene.
• Use a microscope to analyze hair and fiber samples.
• Study blood spatter patterns.
• Collect and match fingerprints from the crime scene.
• Perform DNA analysis and interpret the results.

This is the entry point for the Forensics Track, and is the prerequisite for Forensic Crime Lab.

This camp is a great fit for:

Future pathologists, doctors, and detectives, true-crime enthusiasts, and any student who wants to see the real science behind forensic investigation.

On-Demand Forensic Detectives

With the popularity of shows such as Crime Scene Investigation (CSI), the true nature of forensic science is often misconstrued. Although DNA fingerprinting is a useful technique for forensic scientists, it certainly isn’t the only method used to solve crimes! Through a series of at-home forensic labs and activities, participants will experience forensics in a more realistic fashion than conveyed during prime time. Campers will:

• use techniques employed by experts to analyze a "crime scene" and process evidence;
• examine fingerprint minutiae and microscopic hair and fiber samples;
• perform a mock blood spatter analysis; and
• observe how to conduct a DNA analysis and learn how to interpret gel electrophoresis results.