Summer Discovery Academy
Calling all future scientists, engineers, games designers and animators&The YLC Summer Discovery Academy is back and ready to provide an exciting summer of exploration! It is time to replace your textbooks with fun, hands-on learning experiences that will challenge your creativity and problem solving skills. The Academy is designed to help keep students academically sharp for their upcoming school year while providing skills that they can use in the real world.
Our unique six-week experience, for students entering second through eighth grade, combines innovative curriculum, state-of-the-art technology, and a qualified and caring staff.
From lessons in robotics to creating an animated short film, students will experience project-based activities in the STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). A blend of exciting camping activities, math and literacy instruction, and project-related field experiences will provide students with a balanced summer of fun and learning.
Students entering grades 6 - 8 can select from the following Discovery Groups:
Engineering and Robotics Discovery Group
Individual Project: Improve and existing invention, design a robot to clean your room, or just let your imagination run wild! Using Intel Design and Discovery, students will explore engineering by engaging in hands-on, design activities. This Discovery Group provides an environment where science and engineering concepts and skills are applied in ways that make them meaningful to students. The end project will require students to model and build their project prototype.
Group Project: Utilizing the Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio and the Lynxmotion Johnny 5 Robot, engineering teams will compete against their peers to build and program their Johnny 5 to complete a series of task.
Engineering and Robotics Discovery Group
2D Animation Discovery Group
Individual Project: This is not your school’s art class! Utilizing the latest version of ToonBoom Animate, students will develop the skills of animation production. ToonBoom Animate, currently being used by the Cartoon Network for pre-production work on Chowder, will provide students with the knowledge to produce industry-standard projects. The end project will require students to complete a single scene animation.
Group Project: Using the skills learned during their individual projects, students will join classmates to produce an animated short film, or “short.” Parents, students, and guests will decide the winning animation project at the end of the program.
2D Animation Discovery Group
Game Design & Coding Discovery Group
Individual Project: Tired of your children playing video games&teach them to make their own. Utilizing Multimedia Fusion 2 and Spore Creature Creator, students will develop single level arcade and platform style video games like Donkey Kong and Mario Brothers. As a bonus, students will also be introduced to coding using the C# programming language.
Group Project: No one likes a single level game, so the students in the Game Design Discovery Group will team up to create a multi-level video game. Guests, other students, and parents will judge the final video games to determine the best game design team.
Game Design & Coding Discovery Group
Students entering grades 2 - 5 can select from the following Discovery Groups:
Grades 4-5 Discovery Group
Individual Project: The 4th and 5th Grades Discovery Group will explore different areas of science, engineering, and technology over the course of the summer academy. The Mad Science team will lead students on an exploration of chemistry through their Crazy Chemworks Program. Students will also learn the basics of 2-D computer animation, web site design, and video game design.
Group Project: Teamed up with a classmate, students will participate in building and programming their own robot using the Lego Mindstorm Robotics Program. After perfecting their design and programming skills, they will prepare to compete against other teams in a mini-robotics competition.
Grades 4-5 Discovery Group
Grades 2-3 Discovery Group
Individual Project: Not to be left out, the 2nd and 3rd Grade Discovery Group will also receive instruction in the areas of science, engineering, and technology. This group will learn the basics of engineering through building and exploring simple machines. The Mad Science team will lead students on an exploration of chemistry through their Crazy Chemworks Program. To make sure that our youngest students build a strong computer literacy foundation, they will take the Easytech Computer Basics class.
Group Project: Since a little paint never hurt anyone, our youngest Discovery Group will team up to complete a large canvas mural to be featured at the Youth Learning Center facilities. Each student will take home a personalized mini-canvas created by his or her own little hands.
Grades 2-3 Discovery Group
Program Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:30am - 3:30pm (before and after-care available)
Important Dates
Start Date: Monday, June 6, 2011
Close Date: Friday, July 15, 2011
Applications Due: Friday, April 29, 2011
