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Summer Camp Academy Features STEAM Activities

06/01/2017

JONESBORO – For children looking for fun activities to do throughout the summer months, parents can look to Arkansas State University’s “Summer of STEAM.”

The theme for the Summer Camp Academy for 2017 is STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics). Different camps focus on parts of STEAM, and all camps include some aspect. For example, the arts include music, drama, and visual and performing arts.

To enroll, complete the application at AState.edu/youth. Payment must be made prior to the beginning of each camp, and can be made by phone (debit or credit card) 870-972-3847, check/mail, to the Treasurer’s Office, P.O. Box 2640, State University, AR 72467, or in person in the Carl R. Reng Student Union on the A-State campus. There is a 20 percent discount for Arkansas State University faculty and staff.

Scholarships are available based on need.

For additional information, contact ca@AState.edu or call Beverly Boals Gilbert, professor of teacher education, at (870) 680-8358 or (917) 902-1957.

All pre-kindergarten through third grade camps are held at Jonesboro Public Schools Pre-K Center North, 210 East Johnson Avenue.

The camp schedule offers:

JUNE 5-9

“Kid’s Cook Café,” PK – 3rd grade, 8:30 a.m.-noon, $75. — Learn to cook scrumptious food for family and friends. Kids will receive a chief’s apron.

“Afternoon Tea Party,” PK – 3rd grade, 1:30-5 p.m., $75. — Boys and girls will participate in a tea party with afternoon tea, scones and pastries along with marmalade and jams. The afternoon includes a variety of indoor and outdoor events that focus on dress up and pretend play, games and other activities. Different tea sets, some from other countries, will be used.

“Harry Potter at Hogwarts,” grades 3-6, 8:30 a.m.-noon, $100. — Come donned in your cloaks and robes to board platform 9 3/4 and head to Harry Potter's summer camp at Hogwarts! Get sorted by the sorting hat into a Hogwarts’s House each day and compete with the other houses for the House Cup.

“Medical Minds,” grades 3-6, 1:30-5 p.m., $100. — A highly stimulating and challenging intellectual environment will allow students to have fun and to form lasting friendships. Students will gain experience by participating in this accelerated course. A different concept will be explored daily, followed by hands-on construction and activities. Peer sharing and teamwork will be incorporated into the intensive one week full-day summer program for talented rising 3rd – 6th grade students.

JUNE 12-16

“Mrs. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus,” PK-3rd grade, 1:30-5 p.m., $75. — Where is Mrs. Frizzle? Travel with Mrs. Frizzle and explore worlds unknown.

“Young Chef’s Academy I,” grades 3-6, 8:30 a.m.-noon, $100. — This Young Chef's Academy is for 3rd - 6th graders and will be led by an experienced chef. A different theme each day will allow for fun prepping, cooking and enjoying. New recipes and food experiences are planned for this year.

“Robotics,” grades 3-6, 1:30-5 p.m., $175. — For first-time robotic campers. This summer’s robotics camp will offer students the opportunity to learn how to construct robotic devices and then program them to carry out tasks. The camp will introduce students to the topic of computer science through its relation to robotics.

“Young Chef’s Academy II, grades 7-12, 1:30-5 p.m., $100. — This Young Chef's Academy is for 7-12 graders and will be led by an experienced chef.

JUNE 19-23

“Fashionista Fun,” PK-3rd grade, 8:30 a.m.-noon, $75. — Create own fashion board, design own styles, sketch plans, and create with a variety of fabrics. Participants may even want to walk down the runway or create a design for a website display.

“Legos and Lots More I,” PK-3rd grade, 1:30-5 p.m., $120. — Tabitha Ballard will lead campers through a week of creations and constructions to create and design robots, program robots and design structures to withstand a variety of forces and pressures. This camp will enhance engineering and computer science skills.

“Legos and Lots More II,” grades 4-9, 8:30 a.m.-noon, $120. — Advanced Legos and construction are planned for older students. Tabitha Ballard will lead a week of creations and constructions. 

“Photography Camp,” grades 5-12 (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday only), grades 5-12, 1:30-5 p.m., $75. — Bring own cell phone or more advanced and sophisticated type of camera. Kim Boyd Vickery is a fantastic artist – check out her Facebook page and posts. One of her focus areas is horses. Campers will have a chance to photograph horses, people, animals, scenery, the local environment and more. Work in a computer lab to edit pictures and learn techniques such as how to “style” a photograph, the type of environment needed, the importance of light, and the choice of certain textures, shades, fabrics and colors to enhance specific subjects in a picture.

“Robotics,” grades 7-12, 1:30-5 p.m., $175. — This advanced robotics camp will offer students the opportunity to learn how to construct robotic devices and program them to carry out tasks. The camp will take each student at his or her level of skill development and allow each to utilize computer science in the creation and programming of robotics.

JUNE 26-30

“World Tour International Culture Camp,” ages 8-13, 8:30 a.m.-noon, $110. — Children will enjoy a world of fun, as global culture will come to life through hands-on projects, stories, songs, games and outdoor fun with the native staff from each destination on the world tour.  Language, food, fashion, holidays, sports, art and music from each country will be shared and experienced. Monday – Access to Asia; Tuesday – Identify with India; Wednesday – Jaunt to Jordan; Thursday – Experience Europe; Friday – Life in Latin America.

JULY 10-28

“A-State Global Youth Academy,” A-State Global Youth Academy offers students, ages 14-18, intense activities with university professors, leaders in the community, and business professionals as well as classmates from around the world. A-State will be hosting students from Peru, Vietnam, Japan and more in a residential program that offers English classes in the mornings and program-specific courses in the afternoon. The program areas offered in the afternoon are available to local students. Each session concludes with an integrated presentation by all Global Youth Academy participants in Riceland Hall at the Fowler Center. The Global Youth Academy is a three-week program. Each Academy will meet from 1:30 – 4:45 p.m. For additional information, visit https://www.astate.edu/college/education/departments/school-of-teacher-education-and-leadership/summer-camp-academy/docs/2017/GY%20Domestic[6].pdf.

JULY 10-14

“Legos and Lots More,” PK-3rd grade, 8:30 a.m.-noon, $120. — Tabitha Ballard will lead a week of creations and constructions. 

“Super Hero Training,” grades 4-9, 8:30 a.m.-noon, $75. — Boys and girls will train and work on super hero powers and develop super hero names, make costumes, and maybe even visit with a special super hero. Learn about real life heroes as well.

“Legos and Lots More,” grades 4-9, 1:30-5 p.m., $120. — Advanced Legos and construction is planned for older students. Tabitha Ballard will lead a week of creations and constructions. 

“Super Hero Training,” grades 4-9, 8:30 a.m.-noon, $75.

“Minecraft and Technology Exploration,” ages 7-12, 1:30-5 p.m., $100. — Master Minecraft by creating new worlds, strategizing, and learning to build and construct from the ground up. Technology skills will be increased and creativity will be utilized every day. Problem-solving and cognitive challenges are a part of this camp.

JULY 17-21

Mrs. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus,” PK-3rd grade, 8:30 a.m.-noon, $75.

“Splish, Splash, Science, PK-3rd grades, 1:30-5 p.m., $75. — Splish and splash while exploring science in a fun and "messy" way. Campers will have protective gear to keep safe and dry with these fun and age appropriate experiments and explosions. Also, learn why the chemical and physical reactions take place.

“Fashionista Fun,” grades 3-6, 8:30 a.m.-noon, $75.00.

“Hour of Code,” grades 3-6, 1:30-5 p.m., $100. — The campers will use various coding apps and websites to learn to code. Coders will use Frozen characters, Angry Birds, Flappy, Disney Infinity and others to learn how to create apps, computer codes and games. Bring own tablet or laptop if you want. Technology and a computer lab are also available for work and creations. Campers need no coding experience to join this camp. This camp will be self-paced for various skill and ability levels. Participants will begin at the level they feel comfortable and progress at own rate.

“CSI Investigation,” grades 7-12, 1:30-5 p.m., $75. — CSI Camp is an experience where students will engage in inquiry-based activities to solve cases. Students will work in small groups and learn different scientific techniques. Most of the time will be spent in the laboratory, analyzing “evidence” from different “crimes.” Science teachers and university faculty will be the instructors.

JULY 17-28

“Summer Reading Program,” grades 1-3, 8:30 a.m.-noon, two weeks, $200. — Students have fun with hands-on activities while focusing on improving and enhancing reading skills. Trained individuals lead this two-week summer camp with experiences tutoring early readers with oversight provided by an Arkansas State reading professor.  Students will receive small group and large group literacy instruction and will leave with a plan for improvement that can be implemented in the home by parents.

JULY 24-28

“Kid’s Cook Café,” PK-3rd grade, 8:30 a.m.-noon, $75.

“To the Moon and Back,” PK-3rd grades, 1:30-5 p.m., $75. — Campers will use rockets to explore all aspects of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics.) They will learn about quadrants and chemical reactions at the same time, as well as about flight, maximum height, speed of the rockets and make projections and determine the best rockets based in distance and height. 

“Photo Safari,” grades 3-6, 8:30 a.m.-noon, $100. — Uncover basic camera skills and go on daily photo adventures. Use own cell phone or digital camera.

“Young Chef’s Academy I,” grades 3-6, 1:30-5 p.m., $100.

“Star Wars Science,” grades 7-12, 1:30-5 p.m., $75. —  Campers will learn some of the strategies used to create the Star Wars characters and movie scenes. Learn about pseudo-science, how to choreograph movie scenes and challenges of the “Force.” This is the perfect summer camp for anyone who loves Star Wars and who wants to learn about the STEM areas.

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