Summer Academic Enrichment Eligible Programs

Goals

The goal of The Works Museum’s Engineering and Design summer camps is for students to engage in enriching science and engineering content that builds STEM knowledge and confidence, and awareness of STEM career possibilities. This is accomplished through the following objectives: * Students will learn and practice skills in science and engineering * Students will use real tools and materials * Students will identify as scientists/engineers

Activities

Engineering and Design Camps at The Works Museum engage kids in science, technology, engineering, and math and make learning memorable and fun.

We encourage learning by doing; campers use real tools and materials to solve open-ended challenges and explore the engineering design process. They also practice the six engineering habits of mind: creativity, optimism, persistence, systems thinking, conscientiousness, and collaboration.

Each week offers different camps by topic. Camps explore themes such as carpentry, robotics, architecture, coding, and more. During a week of camp, students learn about the particular topic(s) and complete related design challenges. For example, in Junior Robotics, students learn and practice the basics of wiring a circuit, then are challenged to build a small robot that can wiggle or vibrate using a hobby motor. Campers work as a group, in pairs, and individually, completing small projects or activities each day, as well as a larger project that spans several days. Each day ends with reflection where students are encouraged to think about specific traits or actions they demonstrated that day, such as problem solving, perseverance, investigating, or data collecting. Identifying these traits helps campers view themselves as scientists/engineers.

Program Dates

Summer camps in 2023 run from 6/12 through 8/31. We offer half-day camps, Monday - Thursday, and full day camps on Fridays. Our camps are offered at our location in Bloomington and select camps at the Minnesota Children's Museum in St. Paul.

Can students reside on campus? No

Can students commute to campus? Yes

Can students take online classes? No