9:15-10:30am
Project #1

We dive into the theme of the week with hands-on projects.

10:30-10:45am
Snack Break

All innovators bring nut-free snacks and water bottle.

10:45-12:00pm
Project #2

Our innovators design and build another project while solve problems in a collaborative and creative way.

8:45-9:15am
Drop-off

Early Drop off: 8:15am-8:45am

12:00-1:00pm
Lunch & Recess

Please pack nut-free lunch for your child :-)

1:00-2:00pm
PM 1 Activity

If weather permits, we go outside for active activities such as rocket launch and group games. When it's too cold (Nov-Feb) or rainy, we work on active activities inside the campus building.

2:00-2:45pm
Specialty Activities

Each day has a specialty activity including team projects and creative projects that support the weekly theme.

3:00-3:15pm
Pick-up

Extended care: 
3:oo-5:00pm

3-5 Y.O. Explorers

Welcome to the NORY Wormy Racecourse, where campers will come together to ask questions, learn about empathy and kindness, and build a racing worm!  Today’s camp will start with a story of a lonely stuffed worm, who is feeling a little sad and looking for some friends.  Our campers will embark on a hands-on mission to build their very own motorized stuffy companion to befriend our lonely NORY worm and then compete in the big race!  We can’t wait to see what our campers can bring to life with a little engineering magic and creative design! 

3-4 Y.O. Explorers, 5-7 Y.O. Inventors: Design Thinking Process

Six years ago, we embarked on an innovative journey by partnering with Loopkin, a leader in design thinking education. Our goal? To weave the principles of design thinking into the fabric of our STEM curriculum. Why? Because it is a mindset that nurtures empathetic problem-solving, collaborative skills, effective idea presentation, and the ability to prototype solutions. This holistic approach has upgraded how our learners tackle challenges, making them proactive and creative problem solvers – exactly what Generation Alpha needs.

This Monday, our Explorers and Inventors will delve deeper into this methodology. We have crafted a design thinking project, complemented by two additional science experiments, tailored for our Explorers and Inventors groups. We warmly invite your future changemakers to an opportunity to engage in process-driven, open-ended design solutions.

8-12 Y.O. Masters: Coder's Reinvention of Class Video Game

For our Masters, we’re spicing up classic arcade nostalgia by reimagining the game, Galaga, with a creative coding twist. Our coders will work on creative coding and sensor manipulation, as they build their own “PlayStation game controller” featuring three different sensor buttons, and programming each button to control their personalized version of Galaga. Join us for this special coding and game design session, that’s bound to inspire and captivate our young learners.

Creating a Figure Skating Robot : Physics Modeling and Parallel Circuits
What if your child could bring home their own figure skater inspired by champions like Alysa Liu? Campers will use this project to discover the science behind a scratch spin, the figure skating technique where pulling the arms inward helps the body spin faster. As they build a spinning figure skating robot, they will see how changing the skater’s arm positions affects speed, stability, and motion in action, which is something figure skaters, engineers, and robot designers all think about. Through this experience, campers will also learn how one battery pack can power three motors at the same time by using a parallel circuit, helping them see how multiple moving parts can work together in one machine. As their skaters spin faster, wobble, recover, and race into the bowling-pin challenge, campers will watch the room come alive with movement, strategy, and the thrill of engineering in action.

Explorers & Inventors: 3-7 Year Olds

Masters: 8-12 Year Olds

Behavioral Algorithms: Hack the NPC & Engineer the Ultimate Boss Fight (+Figure Skating Robot)
Ever notice how some video game bosses are too easy to beat once you memorize their pattern? That is because their underlying algorithm is limited and predictable. Campers will step into the role of game hackers to decode the basic logic loops of an NPC (Non-Player Character). Once they understand how the "robotic" boss works, they will rewrite its brain. Using Behavioral Algorithms and conditional logic, they will upgrade their boss to react dynamically to player movements, creating a smarter, much harder opponent. They will see firsthand that "game difficulty" is simply an engineered algorithm. They will leave understanding how to identify weak, predictable logic and rewrite it into a highly intelligent system - with the ultimate bragging right of watching their friends try (and fail!) to beat the smart boss they coded.
Masters will also get hands-on experience building their own figure skating robot that spins, balances, and races, discovering the physics and circuits that make movement come alive.

Superpower Engineering: Build a Hydraulic Press That Crushes Everything
You've seen those viral videos where a press crushes everything in its path. But what gives it such super power? Campers will discover the answer by building their own working hydraulic press, learning how the combined force of hydraulics and levers can turn a simple push from your bare hands into enough pressure to flatten almost anything. But crushing is just the beginning: campers will flip their press into a precision mold, shaping original artistic creations and running hands-on material experiments to see how different substances respond under pressure. It's part engineering, part chemistry, part creative design, and 100% the kind of superpower your child will want to demonstrate at home.

Explorers & Inventors: 3-7 Year Olds

Masters: 8-12 Year Olds

Branching Algorithms and Decision Trees: Smart Guard Dog (+ Superpower Hydraulic Press Engineering)
Security cameras stay in one place, recording only a single spot. Campers will go further by building a smart guard dog that detects movement, tracks position, and chooses different behaviors based on what it senses. The key: they will learn how branching algorithms work by mapping out a logic tree where each condition they code changes what the guard dog does next. First, they will build and visualize their decision tree on a flowchart. Then, they will bring it to life by programming the guard dog to observe, interpret, and respond in real time. They will leave with a clear understanding that smart systems are built from decisions, not just steps, and the excitement of watching their creation outsmart an intruder on its own.
Masters will also get hands-on experience with additional engineering challenges. They will build a hydraulic press that flattens objects and molds creative shapes, discovering how hydraulics and levers turn simple pushes into superpowered results.

Reverse-Engineering Steering Wheels: Rebuild an F1 Racer
What makes a steering wheel turn a car left or right? Campers will chase that question by reverse-engineering the steering system behind their own F1-inspired racer, turning an everyday mystery into a hands-on engineering challenge. As they build a vehicle that drives forward automatically and responds to a giant steering wheel, they will see how a driver’s motion is translated into precise wheel movement for the car to change direction. Through testing, adjusting, and trying again, campers will develop a concrete understanding of how steering control really works and why engineers think carefully about every moving part in a system. Then, as racers speed across the track in a lively relay challenge, campers will watch their engineering decisions play out in real time through sharp turns, quick corrections, and the thrill of seeing a machine follow the path they designed.

Explorers & Inventors: 3-7 Year Olds

Masters: 8-12 Year Olds

Program a DoorDash-Style Delivery App: Smart Pathfinding Algorithms (+F1 Racer Steering Wheels Engineering)
What if you could create your own DoorDash-style delivery system and figure out how to send drivers on the most optimized route? Every day, apps like DoorDash, Google Maps, and delivery robots rely on pathfinding technology to answer this exact question, and now, campers will learn in depth about pathfinding algorithms by building a coded replica of that challenge. Instead of simply getting their character to the destination, they will code logic that compares movement choices and works toward a more optimized result. As they test and revise their programs, campers will experience how algorithms improve through trial and error, debugging, and careful decision-making. This gives them a clear window into the same kind of thinking behind GPS navigation, delivery apps, robotics, and other smart systems that depend on route optimization. They will leave with a concrete understanding that algorithms are the decision-making engine of modern technology, and that strong coding means refining logic until it finds the smartest path.
Masters will also get hands-on engineering experience by building a miniature F1-inspired racer that drives and steers based on their own mechanical designs, seeing in action how motion, control, and optimization work together.

Industrial Design: The Ultimate Reading Station
What if a book stand could adjust to the perfect angle with a single smooth turn, hold your page hands-free, and light up for late-night reading? Your budding inventors will design and build exactly that: a sturdy wooden book stand with a worm gear mechanism that creates smooth, continuous adjustment for height and angle, the same precision system found in professional camera mounts and adjustable desk hardware. As they construct the frame, wire the built-in reading light, and fine-tune the controls, they'll learn that great engineering means designing something that works exactly the way you need it to. The finished product goes home as a real, functional piece of furniture your child built and will use throughout the school year.

Explorers & Inventors: 3-7 Year Olds

Masters: 8-12 Year Olds

How Music Apps Learn Your Taste: Recommendation Algorithms & App Development (+ Reading Station Industrial Design)
How do apps like Apple Music and Spotify seem to know exactly what you want to hear next? Campers will take on that question by designing their own music recommendation app, using vibe coding, product planning, and real data tools to understand how technology turns personal taste into a system that can actually make smart suggestions. As they build in Replit and work with the iTunes API, they will learn how computers translate human input into data, then sort, filter, and organize that information into playlists shaped around a user’s identity and preferences. That makes this project much more than a music app, because campers are uncovering the algorithmic logic behind some of the most familiar digital experiences in their lives. By pairing PRD creation with coding, they will also see how strong technology begins with both thoughtful design and clear logic. They will leave with a concrete understanding of how recommendation systems are built to turn data into something personal, useful, and enjoyable.
Masters will also get hands-on engineering experience by designing and building their own adjustable reading station, discovering how gears, angles, and lighting work together to create a functional, real-world invention. 

Turning Physics into Invention: Smart Spin-Activated Lamp
What makes your body feel pushed outward on a fast ride, or sends water flying off a spinning umbrella? This force is called centrifugal force. As campers develop an understanding of this physics concept, they will create a special switch mechanism that detects when something is spinning fast enough to trigger a response, turning an abstract force into a working invention they can see in action. In the second physics lab session, they will connect that same spinning physics to other machines that use the spinning motion like helicopters! They will launch their own spinning flywheels across the room, watching the physics they engineered play out in a flying, whirring, room-filling celebration. As switches trigger, lights glow, and spinning inventions come alive across the room, the classroom will feel like a buzzing physics lab where motion itself becomes invention.

Explorers & Inventors: 3-7 Year Olds

Masters: 8-12 Year Olds

Adaptive Algorithms: Type Racer App Development (+ Smart Spin-Activated Lamp)

How do apps like Duolingo or Quizlet know when to challenge you more and when to slow down? Campers will uncover the algorithmic logic behind adaptive technology by building a Type Racer game that responds to each player's skill level. As they code when the game speeds up, eases difficulty, and reacts to performance, they will see how algorithms can shape fairness, engagement, and progress. This connects directly to the learning tools and digital systems many families already use every day. They will leave understanding that strong algorithms do more than automate actions: they can make technology more personalized, supportive, and human-centered. Masters campers will also join Explorers and Inventors to control a giant robot using only mechanical energy and build a take-home robotic fish powered by smart design thinking.
Masters will also get hands-on engineering experience by  building a switch that activates when things spin fast enough, turning physics into a working invention. They’ll launch spinning flywheels, light up circuits, and connect motion to machines like helicopters, turning the classroom into a buzzing, hands-on physics lab.

Creating a Figure Skating Robot : Physics Modeling and Parallel Circuits
What if your child could bring home their own figure skater inspired by champions like Alysa Liu? Campers will use this project to discover the science behind a scratch spin, the figure skating technique where pulling the arms inward helps the body spin faster. As they build a spinning figure skating robot, they will see how changing the skater’s arm positions affects speed, stability, and motion in action, which is something figure skaters, engineers, and robot designers all think about. Through this experience, campers will also learn how one battery pack can power three motors at the same time by using a parallel circuit, helping them see how multiple moving parts can work together in one machine. As their skaters spin faster, wobble, recover, and race into the bowling-pin challenge, campers will watch the room come alive with movement, strategy, and the thrill of engineering in action.

Explorers & Inventors: 3-7 Year Olds

Masters: 8-12 Year Olds

Behavioral Algorithms: Hack the NPC & Engineer the Ultimate Boss Fight (+Figure Skating Robot)
Ever notice how some video game bosses are too easy to beat once you memorize their pattern? That is because their underlying algorithm is limited and predictable. Campers will step into the role of game hackers to decode the basic logic loops of an NPC (Non-Player Character). Once they understand how the "robotic" boss works, they will rewrite its brain. Using Behavioral Algorithms and conditional logic, they will upgrade their boss to react dynamically to player movements, creating a smarter, much harder opponent. They will see firsthand that "game difficulty" is simply an engineered algorithm. They will leave understanding how to identify weak, predictable logic and rewrite it into a highly intelligent system - with the ultimate bragging right of watching their friends try (and fail!) to beat the smart boss they coded.
Masters will also get hands-on experience building their own figure skating robot that spins, balances, and races, discovering the physics and circuits that make movement come alive.

Superpower Engineering: Build a Hydraulic Press That Crushes Everything
You've seen those viral videos where a press crushes everything in its path. But what gives it such super power? Campers will discover the answer by building their own working hydraulic press, learning how the combined force of hydraulics and levers can turn a simple push from your bare hands into enough pressure to flatten almost anything. But crushing is just the beginning: campers will flip their press into a precision mold, shaping original artistic creations and running hands-on material experiments to see how different substances respond under pressure. It's part engineering, part chemistry, part creative design, and 100% the kind of superpower your child will want to demonstrate at home.

Explorers & Inventors: 3-7 Year Olds

Masters: 8-12 Year Olds

Branching Algorithms and Decision Trees: Smart Guard Dog (+ Superpower Hydraulic Press Engineering)
Security cameras stay in one place, recording only a single spot. Campers will go further by building a smart guard dog that detects movement, tracks position, and chooses different behaviors based on what it senses. The key: they will learn how branching algorithms work by mapping out a logic tree where each condition they code changes what the guard dog does next. First, they will build and visualize their decision tree on a flowchart. Then, they will bring it to life by programming the guard dog to observe, interpret, and respond in real time. They will leave with a clear understanding that smart systems are built from decisions, not just steps, and the excitement of watching their creation outsmart an intruder on its own.
Masters will also get hands-on experience with additional engineering challenges. They will build a hydraulic press that flattens objects and molds creative shapes, discovering how hydraulics and levers turn simple pushes into superpowered results.

Reverse-Engineering Steering Wheels: Rebuild an F1 Racer
What makes a steering wheel turn a car left or right? Campers will chase that question by reverse-engineering the steering system behind their own F1-inspired racer, turning an everyday mystery into a hands-on engineering challenge. As they build a vehicle that drives forward automatically and responds to a giant steering wheel, they will see how a driver’s motion is translated into precise wheel movement for the car to change direction. Through testing, adjusting, and trying again, campers will develop a concrete understanding of how steering control really works and why engineers think carefully about every moving part in a system. Then, as racers speed across the track in a lively relay challenge, campers will watch their engineering decisions play out in real time through sharp turns, quick corrections, and the thrill of seeing a machine follow the path they designed.

Explorers & Inventors: 3-7 Year Olds

Industrial Design: The Ultimate Reading Station
What if a book stand could adjust to the perfect angle with a single smooth turn, hold your page hands-free, and light up for late-night reading? Your budding inventors will design and build exactly that: a sturdy wooden book stand with a worm gear mechanism that creates smooth, continuous adjustment for height and angle, the same precision system found in professional camera mounts and adjustable desk hardware. As they construct the frame, wire the built-in reading light, and fine-tune the controls, they'll learn that great engineering means designing something that works exactly the way you need it to. The finished product goes home as a real, functional piece of furniture your child built and will use throughout the school year.

Explorers & Inventors: 3-7 Year Olds

Masters: 8-12 Year Olds

How Music Apps Learn Your Taste: Recommendation Algorithms & App Development (+ Reading Station Industrial Design)
How do apps like Apple Music and Spotify seem to know exactly what you want to hear next? Campers will take on that question by designing their own music recommendation app, using vibe coding, product planning, and real data tools to understand how technology turns personal taste into a system that can actually make smart suggestions. As they build in Replit and work with the iTunes API, they will learn how computers translate human input into data, then sort, filter, and organize that information into playlists shaped around a user’s identity and preferences. That makes this project much more than a music app, because campers are uncovering the algorithmic logic behind some of the most familiar digital experiences in their lives. By pairing PRD creation with coding, they will also see how strong technology begins with both thoughtful design and clear logic. They will leave with a concrete understanding of how recommendation systems are built to turn data into something personal, useful, and enjoyable.
Masters will also get hands-on engineering experience by designing and building their own adjustable reading station, discovering how gears, angles, and lighting work together to create a functional, real-world invention.

Turning Physics into Invention: Smart Spin-Activated Lamp
What makes your body feel pushed outward on a fast ride, or sends water flying off a spinning umbrella? This force is called centrifugal force. As campers develop an understanding of this physics concept, they will create a special switch mechanism that detects when something is spinning fast enough to trigger a response, turning an abstract force into a working invention they can see in action. In the second physics lab session, they will connect that same spinning physics to other machines that use the spinning motion like helicopters! They will launch their own spinning flywheels across the room, watching the physics they engineered play out in a flying, whirring, room-filling celebration. As switches trigger, lights glow, and spinning inventions come alive across the room, the classroom will feel like a buzzing physics lab where motion itself becomes invention.

Explorers & Inventors: 3-7 Year Olds

Masters: 8-12 Year Olds

Adaptive Algorithms: Type Racer App Development (+ Smart Spin-Activated Lamp)
How do apps like Duolingo or Quizlet know when to challenge you more and when to slow down? Campers will uncover the algorithmic logic behind adaptive technology by building a Type Racer game that responds to each player's skill level. As they code when the game speeds up, eases difficulty, and reacts to performance, they will see how algorithms can shape fairness, engagement, and progress. This connects directly to the learning tools and digital systems many families already use every day. They will leave understanding that strong algorithms do more than automate actions: they can make technology more personalized, supportive, and human-centered. Masters campers will also join Explorers and Inventors to control a giant robot using only mechanical energy and build a take-home robotic fish powered by smart design thinking.
Masters will also get hands-on engineering experience by  building a switch that activates when things spin fast enough, turning physics into a working invention. They’ll launch spinning flywheels, light up circuits, and connect motion to machines like helicopters, turning the classroom into a buzzing, hands-on physics lab.

Masters: 8-12 Year Olds

Program a DoorDash-Style Delivery App: Smart Pathfinding Algorithms (+F1 Racer Steering Wheels Engineering)
What if you could create your own DoorDash-style delivery system and figure out how to send drivers on the most optimized route? Every day, apps like DoorDash, Google Maps, and delivery robots rely on pathfinding technology to answer this exact question, and now, campers will learn in depth about pathfinding algorithms by building a coded replica of that challenge. Instead of simply getting their character to the destination, they will code logic that compares movement choices and works toward a more optimized result. As they test and revise their programs, campers will experience how algorithms improve through trial and error, debugging, and careful decision-making. This gives them a clear window into the same kind of thinking behind GPS navigation, delivery apps, robotics, and other smart systems that depend on route optimization. They will leave with a concrete understanding that algorithms are the decision-making engine of modern technology, and that strong coding means refining logic until it finds the smartest path.
Masters will also get hands-on engineering experience by building a miniature F1-inspired racer that drives and steers based on their own mechanical designs, seeing in action how motion, control, and optimization work together.