Middle School Session 2 (Grades 7th-9th; $2000)
Tuition: $2000 for the 4-week session ($100 nonrefundable deposit)
Dates: Monday - Friday, July 18 - August 13 (4 weeks)
Time: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm
Location: Ideaventions, 12340 Pinecrest Rd, Reston, VA
Grades: rising 7th - 9th (must be at least rising 7th grade; younger students' registrations will automatically be cancelled)
Session 1 Description:
Join us for a fun, lab-based adventure in science and engineering. In the first week, Modeling and Design: Computer-Aided Design with Fusion 360 get hands-on with software that can take your ideas and turn them into designs and ultimately objects. In the workshop, learn how to use the Fusion 360 software and how to manufacture your design with 3D printing and CNC technology. Explore how to move from simple shapes to more complex designs and tips for saving time and improving your designs. In week 2’s 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? In our third week, Naturalist & Survival Skills, learn about the natural world and techniques for wilderness survival. Through outdoor hikes and labs, grow your naturalist skills such as identifying local plants and animals, as well as survival skills such as engineering a survival shelter and making cordage from bark or plant fibers. We will explore nearby forests and streams while appreciating and learning about the natural world around us. In week 4, 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.
For our book club session, we will read (we will select 4): The Whipping Boy, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Miracles on Maple Hill, and Love that Dog
FAQs
- Can’t I just sign up for 1-week? No, unfortunately, to reduce risk, we are holding extended sessions so the same students come each week and we avoid introducing new students each week. We want to be able to offer in-person programs and we feel this could help minimize risk to students and teachers.
- What happens if my child gets sick and can't attend for 2 weeks? If your child gets sick and is not able to attend camp for an extended period of time (more than 1 week), please provide a doctor's note, and we will refund the prorated amount based on the time attended.
- What happens if my child needs to be quarantined for two weeks? If your child needs to quarantine and is not able to attend camp for an extended period of time (more than 1 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 info@ideaventions.com 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.
