Students in this class will learn to present hot-button issues in a concise, clear, persuasive way through mock debates. They will learn how to organize ideas, write speeches, and present a line of reasoning. Have fun getting into friendly yet lively arguments about real-life issues!

Drawing is the foundation of all art. Students will explore a number of techniques while drawing from real life as well as creating from their own imaginations. Students will use a variety of media such as pencil, pen, watercolor, and paper and will complete several projects that will be incorporated into a final project for the week, promoting confidence and success. All levels of experience are welcome.

Ever want to be a DJ? Do you find yourself dreaming up tunes and beats? In this class, you will learn the basics of music production and editing using Audacity, a digital audio workstation. Our week will culminate with a class party (dancing optional), in which we share our musical creations.

Did you know that avocado pits can dye yarn or fabric brown? Or that onion peels can dye things purple? In this course we will learn about and explore the various fiber arts including knitting, crocheting, macrame, embroidery and many more. We will also explore the ways in which fibers and fabrics can be dyed using the nature that surrounds us. Join us to learn more and create beautifully dyed items with flowers, vegetables and more!

 

From microscopic copepods to underwater forests and massive sharks, the marine environment is teeming with impressive organisms, ecosystems, and phenomena to investigate. During this introductory marine biology course, we will learn about the diversity of marine ecosystems on Earth and then take a deeper dive into the organisms we’re most likely to encounter here on our beaches in the Puget Sound. We’ll use microscopes to take a close look at live plankton samples and we will also investigate some of the conservation issues that most impact our waters. At the end of the week we will visit the intertidal to observe and actually meet some of our favorite local marine species!

Are you interested in health, medicine, or physiology?  If so, this is the class for you!  Throughout the week, you will do hands-on investigations focusing on different body systems.  Each day you get to explore different organs, conduct labs to see how they work, attempt to build working models, and put your problem-solving skills to the test to diagnose patients with mystery ailments.  Get ready to grab your clipboard and put on your doctor's coat!  

The course introduces the basic full stack skills (including database and API) necessary to develop mobile applications. Students will make amazing front-end interfaces, connecting to backend while learning how to code in JavaScript with either blocks or text. 

Take your learning to new heights by exploring the science behind flight. Learn the elementary principles of flight such as lift, weight, thrust, drag, and Bernoulli’s Principle. Then apply your knowledge to hands-on experiments involving rocketry and drones. The week culminates in designing and building your own flying machine!

Do you have an interest in other worlds and technologies? Do you enjoy fiction that makes you ponder, "What if ...?" In this course, students will read works of science fiction and fantasy to understand how the two genres differ and where they overlap. Using these texts as models, students will create a fantastical realm, develop the characters that inhabit these unique worlds, and consider plot lines that invite the reader on an adventure propelled by the question: What if ...?

You may think of a professional mathematician as a pensive individual seated at their desk or standing over a board covered in complex mathematical symbols. In reality, everyone can think like a mathematician, as long as they are open to conjecture, exploration, ambiguity, and the formation of new ideas and connections.  Thinking like a Mathematician revisits elementary mathematical ideas through a new lens, not as formulas to remember but as naturally occurring truths which are all around us in the world.  This inquiry-based course will explore puzzling pictures, perplexing patterns, and powerful propositions. Come join us for some mathematical fun and discovery!

Who is drumming on your chimney? Who is making that high-pitched song before the sun rises each morning? Why do we only notice it during certain times of the year? During this introductory birding course, we will enjoy time out in the field with binoculars and field guides to learn how to use both sight and sound to identify the birds we are most likely to find in our own neighborhoods and parks. We’ll not only learn who’s calling, but also what they’re talking about! By the end of this course, you will know a lot more about your feathered neighbors and how to make our homes and communities more welcoming to native wild birds. 

Do you enjoy playing chess and want to learn some of the game’s fundamental strategies and tactics? In this course, students will learn several strategies and tactics, including opening gambits, forks, skewers, and endgame tactics. Students will study games played by past Grandmasters, learn some of the history of chess, and have the chance to play live games with classmates. Your move!

In this course, you will delve into the world of comics, cartoons, and visual storytelling. We will explore a wide variety of illustration styles through various reading selections, including classic comic strips, political cartoons, and excerpts from manga and graphic novels. We will then create our own cartoons and comics, practicing how to express character and emotion by combining words and pictures. No artistic skills are required for this course, though a passion for doodling is strongly encouraged!

Students in this class will learn to present hot-button issues in a concise, clear, persuasive way through mock debates. They will learn how to organize ideas, write speeches, and present a line of reasoning. Have fun getting into friendly yet lively arguments about real-life issues!

Where do diseases come from? How does the first person get them? How do they spread? Get ready to dive into the mysteries of biology and explore some big questions. From molecules to worldwide populations, be prepared to investigate the big-picture and microscopic aspects of biology in a completely hands-on and interactive way.

Following the path of Greek mathematicians and Middle Eastern scholars, students in this class will create original works of geometric art while exploring the artistic concepts of pattern, motion, and movement. Topics for research and learning may include: history of the circle, mandalas, parabolic curves, working with a compass, solar symmetry, using a stencil, rotation along a point, and optical illusions. Socratic discussion and reflective critique will conclude each day.

What makes a product fly off the shelf? How do internet “influencers” successfully market products? Why do people love slime videos so much? What is an “elevator pitch”? If you have wondered about the answers to these questions, this is the course for you! Using the design- thinking process, learn to create a product, build a marketing strategy, and pitch it to a panel of judges in a “Shark Tank”-like competition at the end of the week.

In describing mathematics, Richard Feynman once wrote, “If you want to learn about nature, to appreciate nature, it is necessary to understand the language that she speaks in.” In this course we will unpack some of the visual patterns to be found in mathematics and nature and use these to create two- and three-dimensional artwork. From Celtic Knots to Escher’s famous tessellations we will use patterns and designs to create eye-pleasing artwork as well as explore two- and three-point perspectives to imitate the illusion of the third dimension on paper.  We will turn post-it notes and playing cards into platonic solids and explore the delicate art of origami. We will also look at the Fibonacci Sequence as it applies to the fundamental rules of nature.

Learn how to code animations, interactive art, and games! Start with simple shapes and build up to more sophisticated sprite-based games, using the same programming concepts and the design process computer scientists use daily. You will complete a personalized, interactive program that you can share on the Internet.

Students in this class will learn to present hot-button issues in a concise, clear, persuasive way through mock debates. They will learn how to organize ideas, write speeches, and present a line of reasoning. Have fun getting into friendly yet lively arguments about real-life issues!

Ever want to be a DJ? Do you find yourself dreaming up tunes and beats? In this class, you will learn the basics of music production and editing using Audacity, a digital audio workstation. Our week will culminate with a class party (dancing optional), in which we share our musical creations.

Did you know that avocado pits can dye yarn or fabric brown? Or that onion peels can dye things purple? In this course we will learn about and explore the various fiber arts including knitting, crocheting, macrame, embroidery and many more. We will also explore the ways in which fibers and fabrics can be dyed using the nature that surrounds us. Join us to learn more and create beautifully dyed items with flowers, vegetables and more!

From microscopic copepods to underwater forests and massive sharks, the marine environment is teeming with impressive organisms, ecosystems, and phenomena to investigate. During this introductory marine biology course, we will learn about the diversity of marine ecosystems on Earth and then take a deeper dive into the organisms we’re most likely to encounter here on our beaches in the Puget Sound. We’ll use microscopes to take a close look at live plankton samples and we will also investigate some of the conservation issues that most impact our waters. At the end of the week we will visit the intertidal to observe and actually meet some of our favorite local marine species!

Are you interested in health, medicine, or physiology?  If so, this is the class for you!  Throughout the week, you will do hands-on investigations focusing on different body systems.  Each day you get to explore different organs, conduct labs to see how they work, attempt to build working models, and put your problem-solving skills to the test to diagnose patients with mystery ailments.  Get ready to grab your clipboard and put on your doctor's coat!  

If you can dream it, you can make it! In this week of sculpture making and skill building, students will be introduced to a number of materials and techniques. They will learn to turn basic forms into imaginative 3Dl creatures, animals, food, abstracts and much more. Materials may include wire, foam, wood, paper clay, air-dry clay, found objects and acrylic paints and paper.

The course introduces the basic full stack skills (including database and API) necessary to develop mobile applications. Students will make amazing front-end interfaces, connecting to backend while learning how to code in JavaScript with either blocks or text. 

Do you have an interest in other worlds and technologies? Do you enjoy fiction that makes you ponder, "What if ...?" In this course, students will read works of science fiction and fantasy to understand how the two genres differ and where they overlap. Using these texts as models, students will create a fantastical realm, develop the characters that inhabit these unique worlds, and consider plot lines that invite the reader on an adventure propelled by the question: What if ...?

The course will teach computer science fundamentals while empowering students to build 3D Games and VR apps. Students will sharpen their skills in spatial geometry, mathematics, and coding to become some of the youngest-ever Metaverse creators!

Who is drumming on your chimney? Who is making that high-pitched song before the sun rises each morning? Why do we only notice it during certain times of the year? During this introductory birding course, we will enjoy time out in the field with binoculars and field guides to learn how to use both sight and sound to identify the birds we are most likely to find in our own neighborhoods and parks. We’ll not only learn who’s calling, but also what they’re talking about! By the end of this course, you will know a lot more about your feathered neighbors and how to make our homes and communities more welcoming to native wild birds. 

Do you enjoy playing chess and want to learn some of the game’s fundamental strategies and tactics? In this course, students will learn several strategies and tactics, including opening gambits, forks, skewers, and endgame tactics. Students will study games played by past Grandmasters, learn some of the history of chess, and have the chance to play live games with classmates. Your move!

In this course, you will delve into the world of comics, cartoons, and visual storytelling. We will explore a wide variety of illustration styles through various reading selections, including classic comic strips, political cartoons, and excerpts from manga and graphic novels. We will then create our own cartoons and comics, practicing how to express character and emotion by combining words and pictures. No artistic skills are required for this course, though a passion for doodling is strongly encouraged!

Learn how to use computer science to analyze data and solve real-world problems! Starting with the basics of computer programming, we’ll learn how to gather real data, find patterns, and draw conclusions like a data engineer!

Where do diseases come from? How does the first person get them? How do they spread? Get ready to dive into the mysteries of biology and explore some big questions. From molecules to worldwide populations, be prepared to investigate the big-picture and microscopic aspects of biology in a completely hands-on and interactive way.

This interactive class takes campers through the process of creating motion graphics by introducing students to the principles and elements of motion design. Topics include title overlays, motion title sequencing, dynamic backgrounds, and 3D movement. No experience is necessary, simply a creative mind and an interest in media production!

What makes a product fly off the shelf? How do internet “influencers” successfully market products? Why do people love slime videos so much? What is an “elevator pitch”? If you have wondered about the answers to these questions, this is the course for you! Using the design- thinking process, learn to create a product, build a marketing strategy, and pitch it to a panel of judges in a “Shark Tank”-like competition at the end of the week.

Color is such a fun and exciting way to explore one’s creativity! This week, students will learn the basics of acrylic paint color mixing, brush techniques, and how painting can be incorporated into all kinds of artistic creations! Completed projects will include canvas paintings, integration with collage, and beautiful free-form marbled papers. All levels of experience are welcome.