Eighty-four students from across eastern Australia are descending on Armidale this weekend to solve murders, crack fraud cases and analyse crime scenes at one of the country’s most unusual school camps, now in its fourth decade.
The Armidale School’s annual Forensic Science Camp runs from Saturday, 27 June to Wednesday, 1 July, bringing Year 8 students from 18 independent, government and Catholic schools in New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT together to work through hypothetical crimes using real laboratory techniques, critical thinking and teamwork.
Schools attending this year’s camp include Abbotsleigh, Barker College, Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College, Brisbane Girls’ Grammar School, Canberra Grammar School, Knox Grammar School, Merewether High School, Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College, Newcastle Grammar School, Newtown High School of the Performing Arts, San Clemente High School, SCEGGS Darlinghurst, Shore School, St Scholastica’s College, St Ives High School, St Paul’s Catholic College Booragul and Sydney Grammar School.
What makes the camp genuinely distinctive is who runs it. The entire operation, from recruitment and catering through to logistics, accommodation and entertainment, is managed not by teachers but by 11 TAS students from Years 9 and 10. Five adult staff are present purely to supervise and provide laboratory support.
The 84 visiting students, divided into 23 Crime Task Force teams, will each tackle one of five crime scenarios developed and road-tested by 10 student camp controllers as part of a semester-long TAS elective. On the final day, teams will present their findings to Detective Inspector Kingsley Chapman, Crime Manager at New England Police District, at a formal committal hearing.
Megan Varvari, a Year 10 student stepping into the role of Camp Director for her third year, said the experience offered something most students would never encounter elsewhere.
“It’s a really niche opportunity that not everyone gets to do in such a hands-on way, simulating the techniques and processes used to solve a crime.
“It’s big on team work, developing different skills in lab work and logical thinking, and meeting new people from across Australia.”
Ms Varvari said the camp’s final day was always something to look forward to.
“It’s just such a fun way of getting a real insight into forensic work and we can’t wait to watch the progress of the campers as they try to solve their crimes.”
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