Studying Nature First Hand
The Mays Family Scout Ranch is proud to offer unique educational and recreational opportunities to the greater San Antonio community. With 140 acres situated on the banks of the Medina River, there are endless possibilities to see, investigate, study, and enjoy. Come experience hands-on STEM learning in nature’s classroom using our TEKS-based programs. We provide grade-specific field trips and camps K-8 that can be customized to your specific needs.
School Field Trips
Science is so much better when seen in person. The program director will meet with your teachers to create a program tailored to the material students are learning in the classroom. Bring theory to life in our STEM Lab, and outdoor nature classrooms where we explore topics like plant and animal adaption, biology, geology and land formations, chemistry, and physics. Highland Park Elementary has enhanced their program with ours, and credit their success to our partnership – they have had the best science scores of the 92 schools in their district for the last two years! We’re delighted to be part of their winning streak!
Home School Days
Our Instructional Team creates age-appropriate curriculum for home-schoolers on various themes throughout the year. Open to all homeschool families, our programs and equipment take learning to a whole new level, and parents are welcome to participate too!
STEM Camps
Kids of all ages get the most educational growth out of hands-on activities, and full days go fast when they are fully engaged. Stem Camps run throughout the year and are open to all. Looking for a STEM Camp for your organization? Our staff will work with you to create a camp that supports your program.
◼ Earth & Nature Day Camp (Week 1) July 4 – 8, 2022, 8am – 4pm
Registration $250/camper, after camp care 4-6pm, $50 additional
Explore the ecosystem of Mays Family Scout Ranch’s 140-acres, and the portion of the Medina River that runs through it. Discover the microscopic world through various disciplines of Earth Science. Students will perform water testing, dissect owl pellets, extract DNA, create fossils in the rock lab, and much more!
Also included: Archery, learning, games, and crafts
REGISTER HERE
◼ Science & Technology Day Camp (Week 2) July 11 – 15, 2022, 8am – 4pm
Registration $250/camper, after camp care 4-6pm, $50 additional
Science and Technology abound at Mays Family Scout Ranch in our state-of-the-art lab. Students will perform chemical experiments, build circuits and robots before taking it outside for solar cooking, catapults, and geocaching. Put those skills to work and see science in action!
Includes: Archery, learning, games, and crafts
REGISTER HERE
Field Days
Bring your group to Mays Family Scout Ranch for a field day to remember! Our Outdoor Team has everything your kids need for a fun-filled day of activities. Participants shine in individual competitive activities as well as cooperative teambuilding challenges – all designed to build confidence and smiles.
Set up a tour or schedule your experience today!
Contact Chris Payne, Outdoor Adventure Director
(210) 296-7583 or email mays@alamoareabsa.org
Reviews
“My students were very excited about everything they learned! The activities according to all of them were very engaging. Next year, I would like to book two trips for the third and 5th graders.”
Dr. Engelbrecht, SAISD Principal
“We absolutely loved the field trip, and we know that our students did benefit from it as well. All of the speakers were very knowledgeable. All of the activities were TEKS aligned and very well with the same vocabulary that we use in the classroom. The outdoors was perfect because we are unable to show them these examples outside our classroom.”
Highland Park Elementary, Fifth Grade Teacher
“I just wanted to let you know that not only did our students love the STEM field trip, the teachers did, as well. We did a journal writing today, and the students’ responses were positive and they discussed all 4 classes, with detail. They wrote about soil, instead of dirt…lol, they talked about matter, landforms and observing nature, using the anemometer device and digging in soil and seeing beetles, etc. The most responses were that they loved hiking. They said it was beautiful. Nature is beautiful. Our students don’t experience nature. One of my students never touched sand before, let alone wet sand. So, the Landform class helped us because our Science Lab has few supplies. They were able to better understand weathering, erosion and deposition. Thank you! We had a spectacular day and we will be back. We loved all of your staff. Frisbees too! Thank you!”
Carillo Elementary, Fifth Grade Teacher
