Creative Works (Art, Sewing, Movie Making, Theatre)

 

New! Art Potpourri III (rotates each year)- Gr. 2-5

Drawing, Painting, and Sculpture! No theme, just great fun creating wonderful pieces of artwork while using a mixture of artist quality materials including clay, watercolor, paint, soft pastels, oil pastels, Art Stix, illustration markers, AquaStics, and more!  Try your hand at Zentangle patterns, printmaking, sewing, and collage to create mixed media and 3D designs. As students work in these different media components, they will culminate in self-discovery and creation of original art projects with a distinctive flair!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – Gr. 2-5

Grab your suitcase, catch the train, and join the hunt to find the fantastic beasts who await your arrival! Explore our guide to Mythical Creatures and learn where to find them. In this special wizard camp away from the muggles of the world, you will design your own suitcase, construct a Bowtruckle, paint an Occamy egg and Merpeople, draw a Phoenix and Doxy, sew a loveable Niffler, make a Deathly Hallows necklace, sculpt the wild Erumpent, and invent your own incredible creature! Throughout the week, take notes, create a map and draw sketches in your special journal. When our travels come to an end, take home your suitcase of beasts and note-worthy journal.

New! Famous Art Around the World Gr. 1-5 

Grab your passport and explore your way through the world of ART that spans the globe! Using clay, watercolor, acrylics, charcoal, oil pastels, scratchboard, illustrator markers, and soft pastels, we will draw, paint, sculpt, photomontage, and construct 2D and 3D masterpieces. From the Grand Canyon and the Golden Gate bridge to Mayan Temples, Hawaii, and South American Llamas, we will travel through time and location as we create artwork in the style of famous artists like Magritte, O’ Keefe, Banksy, and Aaron Douglass! Inspired by work from North America, South America, Oceania, Africa, Asia, and Europe, campers create exciting projects that bring together artists and places from around the world!

New! Minecraft Dungeons & Stop Motion Animation Gr 1-4.  

Direct your own Minecraft movies using Minecraft Stop Motion Movie Creator kits. Stop motion animation is a fun filming technique in which objects (such as mini figures) are photographed in a series of slightly different positions so that the objects seem to move. Campers in groups will gather movie inspiration from their team fights in Minecraft Dungeons, an all-new action-adventures game where players must brave through dungeons in flight or fight. Then using ZU3D software and webcams, campers will create their own Minecraft Adventurevideo full of action and suspense, learn storyboard techniques, character development, film angles, lighting, special effects, and methods to add titles and rolling credits!

Mini-Figures are: Steve, Alex, Creeper, Charged Creeper, and Enderman

Take home ZU3D Stop Motion Animation Kit: software licenses, webcam, green screen, modeling clay, mini-set background, and handbook. A flash drive for camper’s video creations is also included.

Art Expedition I – Gr. 2-5

Grab your passport and head out on a bold art adventure! Using clay, watercolor, acrylics, charcoal, oil pastels, sand art, scratch art, foil and metal, wood and paper, we will draw, paint, sculpt, and construct 2D and 3D art projects that span the globe. Inspired by prehistoric cave drawings as well as Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Pre-Columbian, African, North American and Australian cultures, campers create fun and exciting projects that bring together art and history from around the world!

Some examples include: Stonehenge sculpture, Inuit wood burning, Aboriginal animal paintings, Mayan metal masks, Egyptian Scarabs and lots more!

Art Expedition II  – Gr. 2-5

Grab your passport and head out on a bold art adventure! Using clay, watercolor, acrylics, charcoal, oil pastels, sand art, scratch art, foil and metal, wood and paper, we will draw, paint, sculpt, and construct 2D and 3D art projects. Inspired by the cultures of Tahiti, New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Philippines, India, Japan, and Korea, campers create fun and exciting projects that bring together art and history from around the world!

Some examples include: Maori masks, Koi windsock designs, Taiko drummers and Poi/Hula dancer paintings, Origami, sculpture, Batik creations, Gauguin landscape, and lots more.

Sew For Fun! – Gr. 2-4

Campers will learn to translate an idea to a design on paper, sew by hand and on a machine under carefully managed sewing machine time. They will learn basic pattern making skills, safety skills and how to create patterns for their designs.  Once patterns are made campers will construct their designs using hand-sewing techniques and simple sewing machine stitches (straight and zig-zag). At the end of the week they will create a custom project from start to finish.  Examples of projects include: plush toy, tote bag, house shoes, apron, play cape and mask, pillowcase, and more! Sewing machines, fabric, and all sewing tools are provided. Students will take home their own personal sewing kit. Maximum of 10 students per camp.

New! Spectacular Superheroes! Art Camp- Gr. 3-6

Do you love superheroes and comic books? Do you imagine what it’s like to be in an Ironman suit, flying through Metropolis like Superman, or using the Lasso of Truth like Wonder Women? With this camp, we combine all of your favorite heroes (and villains!) into a week full of drawing, painting, sculpting, and more! Make a diorama of the Bat Cave, construct a glove with claws like Wolverine, paint a mask to keep your identity a secret, create magic weaponry, and even learn how to pencil and ink like professional comic book artists! Whether you’re an amazing avenger or an uncanny mutant, this camp is sure to be a lot of fun.

New! Pokémon & Stop Motion Movie Making – Grades 3-6

Welcome Trainers! Do you love the world of Pokémon and animation? Learn to draw, paint, and create your favorite Pokémon characters, sculpt them to life from clay, and make your own Pokémon stop motion video. Stop motion animation is a fun filming technique in which objects (such as clay figures) are photographed in a series of slightly different positions so that the objects seem to move. Using ZU3D software and webcams, campers create their own video full of action and suspense, learn storyboard techniques, character development, film angles, lighting, special effects, and methods to add titles and rolling credits!

Pokémon Characters you create in this camp include: Lugia, Alolan Vulpix, Poké Ball, Leafeon, Ditto, Squirtle, Charmander, Bulbasaur and Pikachu.  For extra fun, we encourage you to bring your own Pokémon cards and battle with other trainers at break or lunch times.

Take home ZU3D Stop Motion Animation Kit: software licenses, webcam, green screen, modeling clay, mini-set background, and handbook. A flash drive for camper’s video creations is also included.

All Things (Harry Potter) Magical – Gr. 4-8

Let your imagination run wild! From hippogriffs, dragons, house elves, basilisk, and owls, to sorting hats, dementors, potions, spells…and all things magical, come join us for the time of your life! Search for Horcruxes throughout the week, team up for our Harry Potter Trivia Game, and design a broom. Paint Hogwarts castle, sculpt Dobby or Kreacher house elf, draw mythical creatures, make a Marauder’s map, brew up Butter Beer, create your own wand and Death Eater’s mask, patronus, chocolate frogs, and lots, lots more! Bring your favorite HP book(s) to camp to freshen up on spells, characters, and discuss analogies to the muggle world today. So much magic to do!

EXTREME Art! – Gr. 4-6           

Take art to a new level! Whether you are an accomplished young artist or someone who thinks they can’t do any art, we promise you are in for a hands-on 3D fun experience with wood burning, tie-dyeing, drawing, printmaking, weaving, sewing, and clay sculpting that is truly EXTREME! Use charcoal to draw on aqua-board creating unique mixed media designs. Learn to use a special pyrography (wood burning) tool to “draw” designs, patterns and texture into wood and dried gourds. The ancient Greeks called it “writing with fire”. After the design is burned in, shading and coloring can be added. Discover the art of printmaking, how to carve linoleum blocks into stamps, create a masterpiece using natural items, and a collagraph abstract print. Dye fibers using natural indigo and tie-die your camp t-shirt to the EXTREME! Design and sew your own creature and sculpt 3D projects with clay. Create faux vase using a heat embossing tool and weave your own tapestry with card or hand looms from simple to complex. So much to experience…too little time!

Special Effects – Gr. 4-6

Campers learn the science behind Hollywood’s special effects and movie making. Learn various special effects make-up techniques working with the same materials used by professional make-up artists. These will simulate cuts, bruises, artificial blood, and old age. Activities will demonstrate concepts related to light, sound, perception, illusion, theatrical make-up and model building. One of the great features of this camp is that all campers will create (and take home!) a movie using techniques in Claymation and Stop-Motion Animation. Lessons include plot development, storyboarding, set building, filming, and sound effects. Is there a future movie director living in your house? This is a camp your child won’t want to miss! They will take home their very own special effects kit!
A flash drive will be provided to take your project home!

Manga Maker Comics – Gr. 4-8

Make your own high-quality comics and manga using ComiPo manga software!  Campers can easily create their own unique stories and situations using the library of 3D character models! Throughout the week, you will also learn real world Manga drawing techniques and look at examples of Japanese manga. Create stories full of action and suspense by building a story arc with a beginning, middle, and end. Explore narrative elements, such as point of view, character expressions, and environments. Once you have learned the basics, you will have the opportunity to expand your creativity level and teamwork skills by developing a group comic series. With over 100 unique body poses and facial expressions to choose from, along with many background images, items, sound effects, word balloons… you have everything needed to make a visually impressive and professional looking comic come to life. You will learn about:

• Developing a story line
• Drawing manga characters
• Posing 3D character models and camera angles
• Creating Background Images
• Using Comic Marks and Sound Effects
• Customizing Your 3D Character
• Working as a team to develop ideas and create a group comic to address world issues such as environment, social justice, etc.

Intro to Sketching – Gr. 5-8

Sketching is something you can do anywhere anytime with just a pad and pencil. Sketching is freehand drawing that focuses on capturing the essence rather than going into details and it takes patience to learn! Students will explore proportion, perspective, light and shadow as they sketch basic shapes in life drawing. Learning to draw the cube, the cylinder and the sphere are fundamental shapes artists need to know. Discover different mark making methods and how to use soft and hard graphite pencils and a blending stick. Each student will take home their sketch book with their showcase of sketches as well as their drawing pencils.

New! Mini-Theatre Stop Motion Movie Making – Gr. 5-8

Explore the world of theatre as you build a mini theatre, light up the stage, design background scenes, create your own plays, develop animal characters full of action and suspense, and film your own animation movie using ZU3D software and webcams! Learn storyboard techniques, point of view, film angles, lighting, special effects, and discover the many career-related roles in the world of theatre. Bring your imagination and love of creating stories to camp!

• As an Engineer, build a model Proscenium Arch theatreand learn about different types of theatres.
• As a Lighting Designer, create a light boxto control colors, location, brightness of lights, and set mood.
• As a Playwriter, create acts for your plays with the characters and scenes. Cut out the charming animal characters, sloth, frog, mouse, alien bean and develop roles to play in the Western, Superheroes and Medieval background scenes.
• As a Scenic Designer, envision the stage with the three background scenesto carry out plays.
• As a Scenic Artist, complete the Medieval Sceneas it would be done on a large backdrop in a theatre, draw and color the
• As a Movie Director, make your own stop motion film of this engaging theatre and cast of characters using ZU3D animation software.

Take Home: Mini-Theatre model, a light box, background scenes, characters, and the ZU3D Stop Motion Animation Kit with software licenses, webcam, green screen, modeling clay, mini-set background, and handbook. A flash drive for camper’s film is included.

Couturier: Sewing & Pattern Making- Gr. 4-8

Sewing is design thinking at its finest, both artist and engineer!  Our young couturiers will learn to translate an idea to a design on paper, sew by hand and on a machine as they convert 2D ideas to 3D projects. As they draft patterns, construct with different fabrics, and learn sewing techniques, campers will increase their math, spatial cognition, and engineering skills. Using hand-sewing techniques and various sewing machine stitches, campers create custom projects throughout the week: beanie, tunic, costume, house shoes, Chef’s Apron, tote bag, oven mitt, zipper bag, pillow with applique and more! Sewing machines, fabric, and all sewing tools are provided. Our young couturiers will take home their fashion creations and their sewing kit! Maximum of 10 students per camp.me their fashion creations and their sewing kit! Maximum of 10 students per camp.

Engineering, Robotics & Technology

 

New! Space Engineer – Gr. 2-4

Five, four, three, two, one…Blast Off! Have you ever wondered how rockets get into outer space? Or maybe you’re curious about how rovers and robots are used on Mars and in space exploration? Then this is the camp for you! Throughout the week campers will be tracking the International Space Station while learning about the Solar System, design and launch stomp rockets as they learn about propulsion, friction, force, gravity, and aerodynamics, and build two beginner-level Estes model rockets that they get to take home! Using Lego WeDo2, they will create brick models of a Satellite, Mars Rover, Lunar Lander, Spaceship, and lots more! Campers will also make their own “space gloves” and investigate how space suits are made safe from the environments astronaut’s encounter. Make way for the final frontier… this is a camp your child will not want to miss!

New! Toy Inventor! Gr. 4-6

Immerse yourself in our Toy Inventor’s Workshop as you create or build different projects like a plushie mascot, a pinball machine, musical instruments, Chinese checkers, Peeps boat, Kokeshi and wire figures, and a clay sculpture to take home. Learn about engineering and design thinking as you build structures from Keva planks, discover clever skill and chance games of yore and basket weaving, explore mag-lev systems, and create toys with magnets! No need for Mattel, Hasbro, or video games here!

Take Home: Pinball machine, musical instruments, plushie, sculptures, wire figures, checkers, all projects !

New! Engineering Robots, Gadgets & Gizmos Gr. 4-6

In this camp, girls and boys learn about the intersection of art, engineering, and technology. Campers construct DIY projects, build a music machine, learn a robot’s mechanical movement and programming, and fashion soft circuits and wire sculptures. The skills learned such as crafting, tinkering, assembly, wire shaping, programming, and circuitry will allow campers to go on to build more sophisticated creations and discover the concepts of design, engineering, and technology.

• Cybercrawler – assemble a smart coding robotics kit with 76 assembly pieces and programming key­pad that entertains and teaches programming skills to inquisitive campers. Program for basic movement and advanced movement through obstacles or maze courses.
• Music Machine– build your own wooden mechanical xylophone. Learn about the concepts of gear mechanics, vibrations, and musical notes along the way. Campers can compose their own tunes, too!
• Create DIY projects:

• 1. Shape wire sculptures and configure a homopolar motor that “dances”.
  2. Create a Drawing Bot. 
  3. Build structures with load distribution.
  4. Design a robot.
  5. Build machines and electronic projects with Cublets, Makey Makey, and Simple Machines.

Take Home: Cybercrawler, Music Machine, and DIY projects!

 

 

VEX IQ Robotics – Gr. 5-8

Discover VEX IQ (uniquely different than Lego EV3) as you build a robot with snap-based rods, beams, and planks; then drive it with a remote controller or program it by computer. Throughout the week, campers are tasked with designing, building, and programming a robot to compete against other teams in game-based engineering challenges:

• Navigate mazes.
• Code a Soccer Bot to score the most goals in a soccer competition.
• Play Robot Freeze Tag.
• Undertake a Battle Bot competition.
• Engage in Slapshot Competition, the grand finale, where campers create alliances with another team and design a robot to dispense and move disks around a game field to score as many points as possible in 60 seconds.

VEX IQ allows for more creative freedom and encourages teamwork, leadership, passion, and problem-solving among students. YOU can be a coder, a coach, a designer, and a creative thinker Let’s Learn. Let’s Build. Let’s Compete!

 

Game Design & Programming

 

Minecraft Supreme – Gr. 3-6

This camp is for both the novice and experienced camper who have been playing Minecraft.
Minecraft™ has taken the world by storm with its block-building, digital game design that allows players to build, explore, create, collaborate, and even survive. With no set rules, you can build anything you can possibly imagine. During this week’s adventure, campers will learn different modes of playing. They will use cool mods as they escape monsters, build amazing structures, create maps, mine the world under their feet, climb the tallest mountains, and utilize robotic “turtles” to manipulate the vast world around them. They will learn real coding techniques to program their turtles to accomplish tasks while working as a team with other campers to unleash their creativity! Campers take on the real-world jobs of programmer, game designer, artist, and architect.

NO Minecraft account is needed for THIS CAMP as we have licenses ready for in-class use. With our licenses, campers can work in groups and interact with each other in their game.

Ultimate Minecraft Modding – Gr. 4-8

Required: Experienced with Minecraft and interested in programming.  Campers will be divided into 2 age groups: Gr. 2-4 and Gr. 5-8. This MODDING camp can be taken repeatedly! Kids NEVER reach the end. When taken multiple times, campers are challenged to write more complex code and build more mods, all NEW.

Did you know that Minecraft^TM was built using Java^TM code? In this camp, campers will build their own Minecraft servers in Java.  If your camper aspires to be the greatest Minecraft warrior of all time, this camp is for them.  While building a variety of “games within the game” using a code editor that supports both drag-and-drop and text-based programming in a single environment, campers will learn valuable real-world programming skills.  This camp is a brilliant way for kids to explore their creativity through real computing and have a blast sharing their mods with their friends in and out of camp! Kids are challenged to progress from drag-and-drop to text-based programming, and the unique code editor allows campers to learn at their own pace while participating in a group. This camp provides a foundation in fundamental concepts like algorithms, data types, variables and loops. 

Campers may use their own Minecraft account if they bring their login credentials with them. OR we will provide Minecraft and Modding accounts for in-class use. To purchase your own Minecraft™ account use this link: minecraft.net/store  Purchase a JAVA edition for desktop version of Minecraft™ ($26.95.

Jr. Program Engineer – Gr. 2-4

Making coding a snap! Using Blockly and Wonder coding apps, kids learn drag-and-drop visual block-based coding to program robots to dance, talk, and more as they follow the programs that you make for them. Create exciting coding adventures and characters for Dash & Dot using light, sound, sensors and movement in games and stories. With KEVA Planks, build obstacle courses, create mazes, and 3D models for robots to cruise through and learn about structural, mechanical and electronics engineering. Blockly teaches programming concepts like, loops, conditions, variables, and events. Wonder is a programming tool where kids create traceable paths of code, to see and understand what their robot will do—as well as when and why—and can program the robot to do multiple tasks in parallel. Kids increase their logical thinking, visual processing, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities by learning to code.

Code, Design & Animate with SCRATCH- Gr. 1-4

Love coding? Kids discover the basics using SCRATCH, a coding language designed for young kids, while creating animated stories, interactive movies, games, and artwork. Using colorful programming blocks, quirky graphics, and fun sounds that appeal to kids, they drag and “snap” together the blocks to make a character (sprite) walk, speak, play music, or interact with other sprites. Block based programming is grouped into categories according to what they do, such as “Motion,” “Looks,” and “Sensing.” With a rich library of built-in features for interactive applications, create 2D and 3D animations and movies. Use the art block to create images, illustrations, and sculptures. Kids develop problem solving skills and learn fundamental coding concepts such as sequences, loops, conditionals, variables, and functions as they learn to think creatively and reason logically.
Scratch never ends, students can take it continually and develop more skill and sophisticated projects! 

New! Spore Digital Game + Alien Crafts – Gr. 4-8

Discover the wonders of SPORE, a real-time life simulation, digital science game, where you as the player create and nurture your own alien species. From microscopic to macrocosmic life, mold your species through five stages of life: Cell Stage, Creature Stage, Tribal Stage, Civilization Stage, and Space Stage. The fate of your creatures lies in your hands as your actions in each stage will affect the conditions of the next. A secret to the game: Happiness matters! Cooperative actions will form strong allyships while fighting triggers conflict. Learn how cultures develop by interacting with foreign civilizations while developing your own. How will you navigate YOUR galactic adventure?

Projects to add to the fun: Let your imagination run wild as you venture into other worlds and draw, paint and sculpt Baby Kepzoo, Saskwan Fighter, the Phylorm Villain and Che-F droid. So much fantasy to enjoy! Create some favorite aliens to take home!

JavaScript Programming for Grades 4-8

In this class/camp, students will begin learning to program in JavaScript with a focus on creativity and confidence! Utilizing a self-paced video coding platform aimed primarily at tweens & teens who want to learn to code, students create videos, games, graphics, animation, filters and their own “meme”. Through these activities, students will learn about the core programming concepts of sequence, functions, variables and objects. These concepts will be introduced in the tutorial sections and reinforced with practice activities. As they create, students see a thumbnail of the project and code behind it side-by-side. As they make changes to the code, they can see the effect in the thumbnail. Students’ build their first programs with a real web programming language including AR games, memes, human computer interaction and motion graphics. Through​ ​completing​ ​various creative​ ​projects,​ ​students​ ​gain​ ​mastery​ ​of​ ​programming​ ​and​ ​problem-solving​ ​skills​ ​applicable across​ ​disciplines. A very exciting and fun way to learn to program!

ROBLOX Modding – Gr. 4-8

Become a coding Ninja! Learn to make your own Roblox games first using drag and drop programming. Then learn to write real Lua code to create more advanced games and 3D worlds. Publish, share and play online with friends and the world on any platform from console to mobile. Coding for curious minds! Campers will learn more advanced coding and programming while using Roblox. They will be creating more advanced games in the Roblox Studio using Lua, learning to use loops and the random math function to develop a full Roblox game!

RPG Game Maker – Gr. 4-8

This never ending game, RPG, shows campers how to create their very own epic role-playing game in the classic 2D game style like Zelda, Pokemon, Final Fanasy, and Dragon Quest! Create your fantasy adventure with playable zones and maps, develop characters with interactions and dialogue to fill your world, create allies and implement enemy encounters…all to achieve your ultimate quest! RPG Maker focuses on developing a story and creative worlds instead of mechanics and game physics, so that campers jump into creating their adventure immediately. Campers learn what RPG is, the history of RPG, all the basics, the character, and all aspects of the game. Make your role-playing games come to life! We use RPG Maker VXAce which features:

•  A drag-drop interface
• Library of characters
• Tile-based environments
• Enhanced map editor
• Built-in character generator with custom sprites and faces
• Custom items and weapons
• Full inventory of weapons and armor

Once you have finished your world you can export your game to a portable EXE file that can be played on any Windows system. You can share it with your friends, your family, or even the Internet.

Video Game Maker with Multimedia Fusion – Gr. 5-8

This is the camp to take for those that want their creativity to run wild and create a video game that others want to play. Terrific Scientific uses Fusion 2.5 from Clickteam to teach campers how to build two-dimensional video games. This software provides an easy-to-use game-authoring environment that allows campers to create many types of computer games, screen savers, and other applications. Campers will get started with a Space Shooter Game where they learn how to create moving backgrounds, add scores and lives, design instructions and titles, create waves of enemies, and transition screens. Later in the week, campers will learn how to create Maze and Platform Games.

Science

 

Secret Agent – Gr. 2-4

Everybody loves a good mystery. Mysteries can take us out of ourselves and lead us to explore the far reaches of our imagination. But mysteries don’t just happen in books or movies, “Who Dunnit” investigations happen in real life as well. Our young detectives will collect evidence and facts to find the culprit of a devious plot. Through hands-on projects, we will learn about forensic science and how detectives and forensic scientists use science and critical thinking to do their job. We will search for clues, collect and analyze evidence, draw reasonable conclusions and leave no stone unturned! In no time at all, you will be thinking like a detective.

Sample Projects include: spy decoder and missions, maze obstacle course, footprints, invisible ink, DNA, special agent badges and disguises, fingerprinting, and lots more!

New! Pokémon & Stop Motion Movie Making – Grades 3-5

Do you love the world of Pokemon and animation? Learn to draw, paint, and create your favorite Pokémoncharacters, sculpt them to life from clay, and make your own Pokemon film. Create stories full of action and suspense by building a story arc with a beginning, middle, and end. Explore narrative elements, such as point of view, character expressions, climax, environments and conclusion. Stop motion animation using ZU3D software is an incredibly fun, hands-on way to make amazing films, using clay and armature-based figures, Pokemon mini-characters and other everyday materials. We provide campers with storyboard techniques, script writing, set design ideas, character development, film angles, lighting, special effects, and methods to add titles and rolling credits. This camp is the perfect mixture of art & technology for aspiring artist and movie makers.

For extra fun, we encourage you to bring your own Pokemon cards and battle with other trainers at break or lunch times.

New! Future M.D. or R.N. Gr. 4-6

Want to be a doctor or nurse? In this camp, you will discover how our bodies act as a furnace, a filter and a fancy computer! Learn about surgical procedures, investigate the structures, physiology, and variations of the human body, examine causes and treatment of disease, discover bacteria, and examine pathology slides under a microscope.

Campers will learn to: use medical instruments, give a shot, suture a wound, and dissect a sheep’s heart. The hands-on approach of dissection allows students to see, touch and explore the various organs. Seeing organs and understanding how they work translates to a greater understanding of human biology for the future doctor or nurse.

Projects include:  Sheep heart dissection, suturing a wound, making squishy brains, building a lung model, learning first aid techniques and splinting, discovering bacteria, and examining pathology slides under a microscope.

Emergency Vet Tech – Gr. 4-6

Does your child LOVE animals?  Does she or he dream of becoming a veterinarian?  Sign them up!  This camp will give campers the inside scoop on the exciting world of Veterinary Medicine. Hands-on projects and lessons will give campers the opportunity to learn what veterinary medicine is all about.  Campers will participate in a health exam, observe teeth brushing of a dog, learn about common pet infections, parasites, and injuries, examine bacteria under a microscope, learn about first aid and practice splinting a “broken” limb on their stuffed animal! Campers will explore how to use the appropriate tools and dissect a: Frog, Owl Pellet, and Crayfish. Each camper will receive their very own veterinarian kit!

New! Spore + Alien Crafts – Gr. 4-8

Discover the wonders of SPORE, a real-time life simulation, digital science game, where you as the player create and nurture your own alien species. From microscopic to macrocosmic life, mold your species through five stages of life: Cell Stage, Creature Stage, Tribal Stage, Civilization Stage, and Space Stage. The fate of your creatures lies in your hands as your actions in each stage will affect the conditions of the next. A secret to the game: Happiness matters! Cooperative actions will form strong allyships while fighting triggers conflict. Learn how cultures develop by interacting with foreign civilizations while developing your own. How will you navigate YOUR galactic adventure?

Projects to add to the fun: Let your imagination run wild as you venture into other worlds and draw, paint and sculpt Baby Kepzoo, Saskwan Fighter, the Phylorm Villain and Che-F droid. So much fantasy to enjoy! Create some favorite aliens to take home!

CSI – Forensics – Gr. 4-6

Our CSI Campers will solve crimes that would unravel any student and they only have 5 days to do it! Using several different cases, they will process mock crime scenes using “real world” techniques and equipment, and analyze evidence used in the forensic laboratory.  Campers projects include: DNA tests, finger prints and lip prints, blood typing, microscopy, hair and fiber analysis, chromatography and handwriting analysis.

Campers will use composite facial reconstruction software, as well as test out crime scene search patterns, and learn how teeth impart critical information for investigators. Our young investigators will discover, Frances Glessner Lee, known as “mother of forensic science”, who created composite crime scene models or dollhouses on a one-inch-to-one-foot scale to train law enforcement officials in forensic science. Campers will study their own miniature crime scene dollhouse as they learn to observe, classify, analyze, predict and draw conclusions based on the evidence they find to solve the crime.

New! Now We’re Cooking! Gr. 5-8

In this tasty camp, campers will design and engineer a solar oven, ice cream, a vertical farm, create Gummy candy out of seaweed, test types of honey, and learn about composting for better food and soil.

• Campers cook snacks in their solar oven, while learning how engineers use their knowledge of energy without harming the environment.
• Discover how ice cream gets to be so creamy and delicious. Process engineers carefully create and improve recipes to control the color, texture, flavor, and shelf life of a product. So will our campers!
• Use natural flavors and colors from Beet juice powder and beta-carotene, to make and mold Gummies from seaweed powder!
• Campers build a model vertical farm as a potential solution to food scarcity related to population growth and get their chance to imagine what the future could bring.
• Discover composting indoors or outdoors and make side-by-side comparisons between different materials. Composting strengthens the soil, reduces waste, and promotes healthy plant growth.
• Try out 4 different types of real honey and where it comes from. Food doesn’t grow in supermarkets! Discover the connection between the environment and the foods we eat.

Bio-Medical Engineer – Gr. 5-8

Would you like to design a prosthetic limb, fight the next virus pandemic or learn how helmets keep our brains from turning to mashed Jello? Then join us for a fun, hands-on-learning experience in biology, medicine and engineering while solving a variety of medical cases. As an engineering medical team, campers prepare for the outbreak of a highly contagious disease and plan their pandemic response by creating an antiviral to stop the unknown virus. Then as biomechanical engineers, campers discover how a prosthetic or artificial limb works as they design a model leg for an elephant, beak for an eagle and a prosthetic device for a fish. And finally, they create a helmet design for a crash-test dummy and discover how it works to protect the brain when skating, biking, boarding or playing ball. This camp teaches an inquiry-based design process and guides students through problem solving as they work through open-ended problems creatively!