Expert teachers, small groups, hands-on, and in person! 
Keep learning and interacting with teachers and peers.

​We are offering full-day, 1-week summer camps. Each camp week consists of our award-winning STEM camps and is a different theme or focus. Each day consists of a fun, well-rounded day of activities including:

• ​Two hands-on science or engineering labs based on that week’s focus
• Daily outdoor time in the form of nature hikes or outdoor play
• Daily book and game club
• Lunch and a 30-min science or engineering film (e.g. TED talk, documentary)

Camp times (Monday - Friday)

• Regular camp day is from 8:30 am - 3:30 pm 
• Before Care available from 8 - 8:30 am for Morning Explorers ($40 per week)
• Aftercare available from 3:30 - 6:00 pm ($140 per week)​

Method and Location: In person at 12340 Pinecrest Road, #100, Reston, Virginia 20191
​
Notes

• If a camp week is full, please email [email protected] with the name and grade of your child this fall to be added to the waiting list. 
• Individual pre-packaged lunches may be ordered through Schoolhouse Grill for individual days. We will provide the link for ordering with the welcome email the week before the start of each camp week. The cost for lunches is not included in the camp cost. ​​​

Best STEM Camp

Register

Sample Schedule
​Each day consists of two science or engineering labs, a book club, a STEM or computing lab, and outdoor time. 

If your plans change and you need to register for extended care after the initial camp registration, please do so here:

Register for Extended Care

Descriptions

Dates	Name	Description	Cost	Registration
6/17 - 6/21* ​no camp on 6/19	Naturalist & Engineering Survival Skills	​Learn about the natural world and what it takes to survive in the wilderness. Through outdoor hikes and labs, grow your naturalist skills such as identifying plants and tracking animals, as well as survival skills such as starting and building a fire, engineering a survival shelter, and discover new ways to use the resources around you to help you survive. We will travel by van to Lake Fairfax to practice our fire lighting skills.	$400	FULL Please email [email protected] to be added to the waitlist
6/24 - 6/28	Aerospace Engineering: Rocketry	​​For thousands of years, humans have looked up to the sky and wondered about the cosmos.  A few exceptionally curious people have dedicated their lives to finding more about the what lies above us. This course will focus on learning about the innovative technologies that have made these breakthroughs possible and rocket building science and techniques.  As we learn about these advances, we'll engineer and launch basic and advanced model rockets to complete various missions of their choosing (e.g. carrying an egg as cargo to target altitudes and ensuring safe recovery). Additionally, we'll use the flight simulation program Kerbal Space Program to design, construct, and test virtual rockets and planes. We will travel by van to test our rockets at a local park (Lake Fairfax). Topics include fluid mechanics, aerodynamics, propulsion, projectiles, craft structure, and materials science. This class looks to inspire the next generation aerospace engineers to help develop technologies to drive mankind forward not only here on Earth, but also in the cosmos. It’s only rocket science! The experience will conclude with a launch day to test and evaluate our rockets.	$500	FULL Please email [email protected] to be added to the waitlist
​7/1 - 7/3* ​no camp on 7/4 and 7/5	Biodiversity: Survey and Identification	Spend time outdoors in local ecosystems, exploring, observing, collecting data, and build your knowledge of biology and ecology while helping advance biodiversity research and conservation. Each day we will explore different forest and stream valley ecosystems in the local area and conduct biodiversity surveys, identifying animals (including mammals, birds, amphibians, and insects), plants (trees and wildflowers), and fungi. We will travel by van each day to locations such as Lake Fairfax Park, Seneca Regional Park, and Difficult Run Stream Valley. Using identification guidebooks and the iNaturalist app and its AI-driven tools, we will identify our finds and share them with other naturalists and researchers. Students should bring a phone with the iNaturalist app installed and create an account.	$300	FULL Please email [email protected] to be added to the waitlist.
7/8 - 7/12	Chemical Contraptions	Working in small teams, build a deviously and comically complex contraption - a Rube Goldberg machine - composed of a series of simple devices that are set up in a chain reaction with one device activating the next device in a sequence. The trick is that our devices will incorporate chemical reactions and physics phenomenon as part of their design. Examples of chemical components that may trigger chain reactions might include metal dissolving as part of a reduction reaction or a balloon expanding due to gas being produced in a chemical reaction. Alongside science, use your engineering skills to design and build the components of your Rube Goldberg machine.	$500	FULL Please email [email protected] to be added to the waitlist.
​7/22 - 7/26	Raspberry Pi & Python: Physical Computing	In this makerlab experience, learn the Python programming language by writing programs for a small, powerful computer the size of a deck of cards - the Raspberry Pi or "Pi." After learning Python basics, you will learn some introductory electronics in order to connect sensors, lights, and speakers so that you can light up LEDs, command your Pi to play sounds when a motion sensor is triggered, or make your Pi talk to someone if the come close enough. Students may purchase the Raspberry Pis to keep (~$100). In this fun, creative collaborative environment, after we gain confidence, we will use our imaginations to create our own interactive projects. What will you create? No programming experience is necessary!	$500	FULL Please email [email protected] to be added to the waitlist.
7/29 - 8/2	Woodworking Workshop	Enjoy making creations with wood in this weeklong woodworking workshop experience. We will learn about the properties of different types of wood and how to shape and join wood to make useful creations. We will learn to use tools such as a bandsaw, planer, joiner, measuring/marking tools, and belt/handheld sanders. We'll start with making a small wooden box or cutting board made from different types of wood, then move to working in small teams to create a bookshelf using pieces cut on a CNC machine. Student woodworkers will take home their cutting board or wooden box project.	$500	FULL ​Please email [email protected] to be added to the waitlist
8/5 - 8/9	Battlebots: Combat Robotics	Your life won't be the same once you've built and battled robots! Learn how to build a combat robot from scratch, then battle it in our custom arena. In our workshop, you will build Ant Weight Class (1 lb) robots to battle. Come up with your strategy, design it, and then build it. Will you design a bot with a weapon, or will you choose to make a more defensive-minded "wedge" bot? ​ Note, there is a $120 supply fee for the materials to build their bot and students can take home their bot. Bots may be heavily damaged or destroyed during battles. A battery and controller will be provided for battles during camp. However, students would need to supply or purchase a rechargeable battery (~$35) and remote control (cost varies based on quality; $75-$300) to use at home	$620 (includes $120 supply fee)	Register 1 spot remaining
​8/12 - 8/16	​Rocket Cars	​Rocket Cars (yes, you read that right!)- design your own rocket-powered model car as you explore concepts in design, aerodynamics, and chemical reactions. Build your skills with tools in our workshop as you move from your design to building, your dream car. End the week with a blast by putting on your safety goggles and testing your rocket car on our specially-designed outdoor test track.	$500	FULL Please email [email protected] to be added to the waitlist.

FAQs ​
​
What happens if my child needs to be quarantined for the camp session? If your child needs to quarantine and is not able to attend camp for an extended period of time (the full week), please provide a doctor's note, and we will refund the prorated amount based on the time attended/missed. Due to the very hands-on nature of the program, we won't be able to have a concurrent virtual access to camp. Note: we will not be able to refund tuition for non-COVID illness, vacation, or other events. Of course, if there is a serious family issue, please call and speak with Mr. Ryan (co-founder). 

Withdrawals and Refunds:
If you need to withdraw from a course, please send an email to [email protected] requesting the withdrawal. We will not process withdrawals from voicemails. Refunds minus the $100 non-refundable fee can be processed prior to June 1. After June 1, refunds minus the $100 non-refundable fee can be processed if we are able to fill the spot in the course. We appreciate your understanding, as this is a small program, and we make commitments to our faculty for their summer. ​