Learning Standards:

PK.AL.1 (Approaches to Learning - Initiative and Curiosity): Campers will engineer robotic assistants equipped with gesture sensors that respond to commands, fostering initiative and curiosity as they explore how technology can be used to create magical effects.
 
PK.AL.3 (Approaches to Learning - Engagement and Persistence): Campers will learn and practice fun magic tricks, integrating their robotic assistants seamlessly, demonstrating engagement and persistence as they refine their tricks and work towards perfecting their performance.
 
PK.CLL.1 (Communication, Language, and Literacy - Speaking and Listening): Campers will perform an enchanting magic show for family and friends, developing their public speaking and listening skills as they present their tricks and respond to audience reactions.
 
PK.CKW.2 (Cognition and Knowledge of the World - Science Concepts): Campers will understand the basics of how gesture sensors work and how they can be integrated into robotic assistants, enhancing their scientific knowledge by exploring cause and effect relationships in technology.
 
PK.CA.1 (Creative Arts - Drama): Campers will express their creativity by performing magic tricks, incorporating their robotic assistants, which helps them engage in imaginative play and develop their dramatic expression.
 
PK.SED.1 (Social and Emotional Development - Self-Concept and Self-Efficacy): Campers will build confidence and self-efficacy by successfully creating and performing with their robotic assistants, reinforcing their belief in their ability to achieve their goals through effort and creativity.
 
PK.PDH.1 (Physical Development and Health - Fine Motor Skills): Campers will enhance their fine motor skills by assembling robotic components and manipulating their assistants during their magic tricks.

Hack the System: Design, Decode, and Rebuild!

What if “hacking” wasn’t about breaking things, but about understanding them so well that you could make them work better? Hackers aren’t people hiding behind screens, they’re the ones who look at rules, systems, and everyday frustrations and ask, “Why does it have to work this way?” You’ll step into the role of a modern-day Hacker, someone who questions the status quo, challenges defaults, and redesigns systems to work smarter, faster, or in entirely new ways. Whether you’re reworking a mechanical system, decoding a game’s logic, or experimenting with physics to gain an edge, you’ll discover that hacking is driven by curiosity, creativity, and deep systems thinking. There is no single right answer here, only the solution you design, and the challenge is proving it works.

Campers Will:

  • Hack their daily lives by rethinking mechanical design and robotics to create clever, time-saving solutions that eliminate tedious tasks and improve everyday efficiency.
  • Deconstruct digital systems to uncover hidden logic, shortcuts, and optimizations, redesigning workflows and games to perform smarter and faster.
  • Practice ethical hacking by stress-testing their own digital creations, identifying vulnerabilities, and strengthening systems through responsible “white-hat” problem solving.

6/12-6/16