Design a city you would actually want to call home. In this 5-day maker camp, campers step into the roles of architect, engineer, and community planner as they collaborate to build a miniature neighborhood complete with buildings, parks, transit systems, and clean-energy features.
Using cardboard, craft materials, and simple mechanisms, students will construct structures with moving components, including doors, bridges, elevators, and signs, then add "smart city" details like streetlights, wind and solar energy demonstrations, and community services. Along the way, campers explore the fundamentals of sustainability, covering energy, water, waste, and green space, and practice real-world skills: planning, prototyping, testing, and working as a team.
The week closes with an Eco-City Pop-Up Showcase, where families and visitors can tour the neighborhood, interact with the structures, spin the turbines, and see how each camper's contribution helps create a city that works for everyone.
Notes:
- We teach proper tool usage and expect all campers to use the tools we provide. We use real hammers, nails, screws, and screwdrivers, as well as real HOT glue guns. We do not use cool-touch or low-heat guns, and we do not use protective hand-wear with our tools. Occasionally, campers get small burns or little bruises. This is part of the learning and making process.
What To Know Before Registering:
- We are a small, process art and STEM studio without outdoor space, though we incorporate movement, stretching, and dance during the camp day. Our studio layout shapes our scheduling, which is why camp hours differ from a full school day and why extended care is offered within a limited window. Because we do not have separate rooms, students of all ages work together on the same projects. As veteran classroom teachers with more than 30 years of combined experience, we see real value in this cross-age model. If it does not sound right for your child, please consider that carefully before registering, as we do not issue refunds for camps.
What You Will Learn:
- This camp combines project-based work with exploratory activities spanning art, craft, engineering, and technology.
Sample Daily Schedule (subject to change):
- 10:00 to 10:30 STEAM Project Workshop
- 10:30 to 10:45 Snack and Break
- 10:45 to 11:30 Process Art Activity
- 11:30 to 12:30 Outdoor Lunch Break and Movement
- 12:30 to 1:00 STEAM Workshop (continued)
- 1:00 to 2:00 Engineering and Exploration
- 2:00 to 2:30 Pick Up
