This June, high school students from California to Maine will experience a unique summer camp hosted by Missouri University of Science and Technology. The main draw for the students, apparently, is that they get to blow stuff up.

Dr. Paul Worsey, professor of mining engineering at S&T, started Explosives Camp in 2004. There are three sessions this year for high school juniors and seniors: June 3-9, June 10-16 and June 17-23. The sessions, which typically fill early, are limited to approximately 20 campers.

Worsey, an explosives expert, has been known to blow up watermelons and other objects for fun, but he also teaches the students about the science behind the craft and about career possibilities in the industry. The campers get hands-on experience, but safety is always a priority.

Students help generate a 150-foot water spout, blow up boulders, shoot explosives underground and prepare a fireworks display. They also take field trips to quarries and to a pyrotechnics business.

Except for the field trips, most activities take place on the property of S&T’s Experimental Mine. Missouri S&T became the first university in the nation to offer a minor in explosives engineering (through its mining engineering program) in 2005. The university now offers a master’s degree in explosives engineering as well.

More information is available at explosives.mst.edu.