Reported by Elissa Song
From the 21st of June to the 27th of June, 2026, AYLUS Lake Washington branch members Elissa Song and Anthony Cao (TA) hosted a week-long AP/Honors Biology Summer Camp for middle and high school students. The camp offered an enriching educational experience, helping students explore advanced concepts in biology and introductory concepts to chemistry based off of the typical Advanced Placement curriculum. During each session of the camp our team members served as instructors, provided homework support, answered student questions, dedicated time to reviewing and correcting assignments, and corresponded with parents about camp information or sending them slides and videos. Over the course of seven sessions, participants engaged with core topics that are essential for scoring well on the AP exam, and also learned how to answer AP-style biology practice problems.
Day 7: Natural Selection & Ecology, Course Wrap-Up ( June 27)
Students learned about the mechanisms of natural selection, evolution, and ecology. We covered the different types of selection, biological fitness, adaptation, population genetics, evidence for evolution, proof of a single origin of life, speciation (isolating mechanisms), phylogenetic trees, behavior in response to environment (predation, altruism, eusociality), food chains/webs (trophic levels, 10% rule, keystone species), population growth, competition, symbiosis, Simpson’s diversity index, and human impacts on the environment. We also did some case studies on the Galapagos finches to better explain mechanisms of natural selection, speciation, and niches. We did some AP practice problems at the end.
Volunteer hours:
Elissa Song: 3.5 hrs
Anthony Cao: 2.5 hrs
