MOUNT VERNON – This year’s roster of Science & Play Intersect! (SPI) summer sessions will provide a balance of structured explorations, active group play and time for kids to just connect and hang out.
All programs operate at various outdoor locations in Knox County. The locations of these summer sessions are still being finalized in conversation with partner organizations; they will occur at various Knox County venues and parks. Past sites have included the Brown Family Environmental Center, Ariel-Foundation Park, Columbia Elementary and Gambier Community Center.
Most sessions are $60 for the week. We will offer need-based scholarships for qualifying families.
Register at spi.jumbula.com while spots are still available.
Programs include:
Medieval Mayhem, for completed grades 3–5, will have two sessions: June 7–11 and June 14–18. During this program, you’ll find out that the “Dark Ages” aren’t that dark! Learn about alchemy and practice longbows, write with runes, build catapults and storm the castle. Test your skills in a jousting tournament and show off your know-how by completing a quest!
Blow off STEAM!, for completed grades K–2 and completed grades 3–5, will have two sessions each: June 7–11 and 21–25 for the younger grades and June 28–July 2 and July 19–23 for the older grades. Kids will play together outside just blowing off steam and making new friends, but we will also feature ONE structured exploration each day focusing on the components that make up the acronym STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. Kids will have opportunities to experiment, test, observe, build and have fun! NOTE: You’ll register each child for just one of the two sessions available to their age group.
Farmyard Fun, for completed grades 3–5, will have one session: June 14–18. You often drive by — or live near — a farm, but do you know what it takes to run one? See animals up close, try your hand at a chore or two, and learn about the science and technology that helps feed the world. You’ll also meet some local “dirt divas” who have used their brain power to solve soil puzzles.
Summertime Squeeze, for completed grades K–2, will have one session: June 14–18. We’ll squeeze the best of summer fun into one great week! We’ll focus on one classic seasonal activity each day such as spending time along a river, bike riding, fort building, running a lemonade stand and playing games. We’ll even have an afternoon playing with squirt guns, sponges and Slip ’N Slides.
Flight Crew, for completed grades 3–5, will have one session: June 21–25. Zooming, floating, flapping — these are just a few of the ways we’ll explore flight. You’ll learn how both animals and machines take to the skies, follow the path of a local woman who made history flying around the world, talk with pilots and have an up-close encounter with airplanes. Reach for the sky with us!
Yuck Camp: The Science of (not so) Gross Things, for completed grades K–2, has one session: June 28–July 2. Do you think gross stuff is cool? This program is for you! Skin blisters, boogers, bacteria and barf are just a few of the things we'll explore and make into models. Plenty of relaxed playtime is built into the daily schedule too (even aspiring microbiologists need an “ick break”).
Trash to Treasure, for completed grades 3–5, has one session: June 28–July 2. Calling all scientists, gardeners and those who want to be a positive force in the world. Are you curious about what happens when you throw food waste in the trash can? Wonder why bats matter to the earth? Through a variety of experiments, experts and experiences, you will get answers to those questions as well as make new discoveries. You’ll also get to advocate for solutions to community challenges. Let’s turn our trash into treasures together!
Go “Wild” with Art, for completed grades K–2, has one session: July 12–16. Use nature observation as the springboard to create drawings, paintings, weavings and collages. We’ll look at animal habitats and study reptiles and bugs as our source of inspiration. Campers will create several projects while trying their hand at different art techniques.
Crypto Critters, for completed grades 3–5, has one program: July 12–16. In this program, we’ll investigate cryptozoology — creatures which may or may not exist. Is there evidence for Bigfoot? What about the Loch Ness Monster? How about Ohio’s own Mothman? Use your science skills to search for evidence of these cryptids... then take a day trip to see the REAL animals who’ve inspired tales of awe.
Offbeat OH-lympics, for completed grades K–2, has two sessions: July 19–23 and July 26–30. You and your team will create a fictional country and design its flag and imagine its customs. Then the “countries” will compete against each other in SPI’s central-Ohio version of the “OH-lympics,” using a combo of brains, brawn and off-the-wall goofy talents!
ARTventures, for completed grades 3–5, has one session: July 19–23. Discover different painting techniques while mixing in some cool science as our source of inspiration. Kids will create paintings based on lab equipment, geodes, insects, cells and anatomy. Each day, campers will create a new project and be inspired to create at home too!
Galapagos Explorer, for grades 3–5, has one session: July 26–30. Have you ever wanted to help professional scientists with their work? In this camp, we’ll conduct “citizen science” here in our own biome and compare how different it is from the environment of Ecuador. Follow along as Miss Bonnie does the same thing from the Galapagos Islands and shares her adventures with you.
An additional option for families looking for summer enrichment is Mount Vernon Nazarene University’s Summer Quest program. For more information, visit summerquest.mvnu.edu.
