STEP INTO SUMMER AT MKA
STEM+ Explorers
JULY 6 - JULY 31 | GRADES 6 - 9
Every day at STEM+ Explorers is carefully designed to balance structure, creativity, and fun.
Registration for STEM+ Explorers opens for the public at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday, February 1, 2026.
experimental techniques + fabrication + engineering + computational thinking + podcasting + architecture + filmmaking/stop motion/animation + audio engineering/music making
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM: Morning Session
Morning Core Courses
Core summer school courses are divided into four strands: experimental techniques, fabrication, engineering, and computational thinking. While every strand will run for the entire four weeks, the weeks are designed to be modular and introduce a new unit each week. Students have the option to take all four weeks in one strand or mix and match strands. All courses will be conducted at two levels - one for lower house students (rising 6th and 7th graders) and one for upper house students (rising 8th and 9th graders).
Morning Practice Labs
As a complement to their core courses, students have the option to sign up for a lab in each of the four strands. While the lab will be staffed by a teacher and one or more teaching assistants, students enrolled in the lab will be able to work on a project of their choosing at their own pace. Teachers and teaching assistants are available to provide guidance and answer questions.
Morning Electives
In addition to courses, students also have the opportunity to sign-up for arts based electives that are designed to complement the core courses. These electives are designed to be stand alone, one-week courses. Students who are registered for multiple weeks of summer school should choose a different elective each week. These classes will be multi-age learning environments with all grade levels learning together.
Art elective options are:
- Audio Engineering and Music Making
- Podcasting
- Architecture
- Filmmaking, Stopaction Photography, and Animation
12:30 PM- 1:30 PM: Lunch
Explorers will have an hour lunch for socializing, quiet time, or recess.
1:30 PM- 3:30 PM: Afternoon Design Challenge Questions
Each week students will be faced with a new question and will spend the week working collaboratively to develop a solution. The week will begin with an afternoon field trip that introduces the week’s question and will end with a community celebration of all of the students' work. Morning classes will develop the knowledge and skills the students will need to address the afternoon challenge. Students will be placed in groups that span all grade levels.
Week 1: Your community is built on the shore of a river that floods every season. How can you help your community adapt to the rising water levels?
Week 2: Your community doesn't have a clean water supply. The only water available is polluted. How can you make this water safe to drink?
Week 3: Your community experiences long periods of extremely cold weather. What adjustments can you make to keep everyone alive?
Week 4: You are part of the first landing party on Mars. How can you make the planet a place where people can live and thrive?
READY TO EXPLORE?
STEM+ Explorers summer program empowers young thinkers to explore the world through the lens of innovation. With hands-on STEM activities led by passionate instructors, campers build skills, confidence, and a love of discovery that lasts long after summer ends.
Each week students will be faced with a new question and will spend the week working collaboratively to develop a solution. The week will begin with an afternoon field trip that introduces the week’s question and will end with a community celebration of all of the students' work. Morning classes will develop the knowledge and skills the students will need to address the afternoon challenge. Students will be placed in groups that span all grade levels.
July 6 - July 10
Core Strand Course Descriptions
Experimental Techniques Strand
This strand will expose students to several key concepts and laboratory techniques from each of the major scientific disciplines; physics, chemistry, environmental science, and biology. Each week students will become real life scientists. They will follow the scientific method, asking testable questions, designing experiments, making careful measurements, and analyzing data to draw conclusions. Students will learn safety precautions that are appropriate to each discipline.
- Week 1: Techniques in Physics
Students will develop the skills needed to make quantitative observations and collect precise data. They will use a variety of sensors such as timers, motion detectors, force sensors to investigate fundamental concepts of motion, forces, and energy.
Fabrication Strand
In this strand, students will have the opportunity to design, build, and construct.
They will learn how to modify materials and structures by cutting, bending, and assembling using a variety of analog and digital skills, techniques and tools. They will test their designs and iterate to improve them. Each week will focus on a different branch of fabrication. Measurement, precision, accuracy.
- Week 1: Modular construction
Students explore principles of building and measurement using modular building materials such as Legos, K’Nex, and straw connectors, and scaffolded building tools
Engineering Strand
This strand provides students with experiences in various disciplines of Engineering. Using each week’s theme as a guide, students will explore Environmental, Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering as they devise solutions to authentic problems.
- Week 1: Environmental Engineering
Students become environmental engineers as they explore how water moves, how it can be diverted, and how it is distributed. They’ll investigate the effects of flooding on topsoil, groundwater, and human made structures, and they’ll identify ways to mitigate flooding.
Computational Thinking Strand
This strand allows students to engage with a variety of problem-solving methods that involve expressing problems and their solutions in ways that a computer could execute. Students will employ algorithmic and computational thinking and techniques to overcome modern challenges.
- Week 1: Statistics/Data Collection, Analysis, & Visualization
Students encounter data related to rising seas and use analytic and algorithmic strategies to make meaning. They will code programs to automate analysis and generate visualizations to help communicate their findings.
Elective Course Descriptions
Explorers participating in multiple weeks should select a different elective each week.
Podcasting
This one week elective course will introduce students to the basics of podcasting. They’ll explore the key elements of creating an engaging podcast from understanding the audience to telling a compelling story. Students will get hands-on experience writing a script and recording and editing their product.
Architecture
Students will develop an understanding of the art and science of architecture and they will explore basic design principles. They will gain experience with perspective drawing and three-dimensional thinking. Students will use the design thinking process to create and build models using materials such as cardboard and balsa wood.
Filmmaking/Stop Motion/Animation
This course provides students with experience using image capture devices from iPads to DSLRs. They’ll learn narrative and documentation strategies to communicate through video and moving pictures, and they’ll gain editing and mastering skills using Adobe Express and Premier.
Audio Engineering/Music Making
Whether you consider yourself a musician or not, you can make incredible audio worlds using only an iPad. Armed with GarageBand and Sound Trap students will learn to capture and create audio and edit them into brand new works of art.
Afternoon Challenge Lab Description
Design Challenge Lab
Each week students will be faced with a new question and will spend the week working collaboratively to develop a solution. The week will begin with an afternoon field trip that introduces the week’s question and will end with a community celebration of all of the students' work. Morning classes will develop the knowledge and skills the students will need to address the afternoon challenge. Students will be placed in groups that span all grade levels.
Week 1: Your community is built on the shore of a river that floods every season. How can you help your community adapt to the rising water levels?
July 13 - July 17
Core Strand Course Descriptions
Experimental Techniques Strand
This strand will expose students to several key concepts and laboratory techniques from each of the major scientific disciplines; physics, chemistry, environmental science, and biology. Each week students will become real life scientists. They will follow the scientific method, asking testable questions, designing experiments, making careful measurements, and analyzing data to draw conclusions. Students will learn safety precautions that are appropriate to each discipline.
- Week 2: Techniques in Chemistry
Students will explore states of matter and they will measure physical properties of matter. They will define mixtures, investigate their characteristics and experiment with various separation techniques.
Fabrication Strand
In this strand, students will have the opportunity to design, build, and construct.
They will learn how to modify materials and structures by cutting, bending, and assembling using a variety of analog and digital skills, techniques and tools. They will test their designs and iterate to improve them. Each week will focus on a different branch of fabrication. Measurement, precision, accuracy.
- Week 2: Construction with wood and metal.
Students start week two learning to make accurate engineering drawings for wood and metal construction. Using precise measurements and hand and power tools students bring their drawings to reality.
Engineering Strand
This strand provides students with experiences in various disciplines of Engineering. Using each week’s theme as a guide, students will explore Environmental, Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering as they devise solutions to authentic problems.
- Week 2: Civil Engineering
Among the most essential roles of civil engineers is securing clean drinking water. From filtering rainwater and natural sources, to reclaiming used water, students will explore methods of making water potable.
Computational Thinking Strand
This strand allows students to engage with a variety of problem-solving methods that involve expressing problems and their solutions in ways that a computer could execute. Students will employ algorithmic and computational thinking and techniques to overcome modern challenges.
- Week 2: Storyboarding, Digital Storytelling
Exploring the parallels between programming sequence and syntax and the arc of a story, students will use coding platforms to represent data visualizations.
Elective Course Descriptions
Explorers participating in multiple weeks should select a different elective each week.
Podcasting
This one week elective course will introduce students to the basics of podcasting. They’ll explore the key elements of creating an engaging podcast from understanding the audience to telling a compelling story. Students will get hands-on experience writing a script and recording and editing their product.
Architecture
Students will develop an understanding of the art and science of architecture and they will explore basic design principles. They will gain experience with perspective drawing and three-dimensional thinking. Students will use the design thinking process to create and build models using materials such as cardboard and balsa wood.
Filmmaking/Stop Motion/Animation
This course provides students with experience using image capture devices from iPads to DSLRs. They’ll learn narrative and documentation strategies to communicate through video and moving pictures, and they’ll gain editing and mastering skills using Adobe Express and Premier.
Audio Engineering/Music Making
Whether you consider yourself a musician or not, you can make incredible audio worlds using only an iPad. Armed with GarageBand and Sound Trap students will learn to capture and create audio and edit them into brand new works of art.
Afternoon Challenge Lab Description
Design Challenge Lab
Each week students will be faced with a new question and will spend the week working collaboratively to develop a solution. The week will begin with an afternoon field trip that introduces the week’s question and will end with a community celebration of all of the students' work. Morning classes will develop the knowledge and skills the students will need to address the afternoon challenge. Students will be placed in groups that span all grade levels.
Week 2: Your community doesn't have a clean water supply. The only water available is polluted. How can you make this water safe to drink?
July 20 - July 24
Core Strand Course Descriptions
Experimental Techniques Strand
This strand will expose students to several key concepts and laboratory techniques from each of the major scientific disciplines; physics, chemistry, environmental science, and biology. Each week students will become real life scientists. They will follow the scientific method, asking testable questions, designing experiments, making careful measurements, and analyzing data to draw conclusions. Students will learn safety precautions that are appropriate to each discipline.
- Week 3: Techniques in Environmental Science
Students will investigate and model complex environmental systems. They will practice sample collection and make field measurements to gather data.
Fabrication Strand
In this strand, students will have the opportunity to design, build, and construct.
They will learn how to modify materials and structures by cutting, bending, and assembling using a variety of analog and digital skills, techniques and tools. They will test their designs and iterate to improve them. Each week will focus on a different branch of fabrication. Measurement, precision, accuracy.
- Week 3: Additive Fabrication- 3D Printing
Using Tinkercad as their platform, students explore 3D modeling and design. Starting with basic shapes, they’ll modify dimensions, position, and rotation, and they’ll combine their shapes to make complex objects to be 3D printed, evaluated, and improved.
Engineering Strand
This strand provides students with experiences in various disciplines of Engineering. Using each week’s theme as a guide, students will explore Environmental, Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering as they devise solutions to authentic problems.
- Week 3: Electrical Engineering
Understanding fundamentals of electricity creates a foundation for innovation. Students will use switches, motors, lights, and other electrical elements to invent new devices and solutions to problems connected to low temperature.
Computational Thinking Strand
This strand allows students to engage with a variety of problem-solving methods that involve expressing problems and their solutions in ways that a computer could execute. Students will employ algorithmic and computational thinking and techniques to overcome modern challenges.
- Week 3: Physical Computing (MaKey MaKey/Raspberry Pi)
Extending programming interfaces to the physical world allows students to develop innovations that are meaningful and specific. During this week students will write programs to operate physical computing devices using MaKey MaKey and Raspberry Pi.
Elective Course Descriptions
Explorers participating in multiple weeks should select a different elective each week.
Podcasting
This one week elective course will introduce students to the basics of podcasting. They’ll explore the key elements of creating an engaging podcast from understanding the audience to telling a compelling story. Students will get hands-on experience writing a script and recording and editing their product.
Architecture
Students will develop an understanding of the art and science of architecture and they will explore basic design principles. They will gain experience with perspective drawing and three-dimensional thinking. Students will use the design thinking process to create and build models using materials such as cardboard and balsa wood.
Filmmaking/Stop Motion/Animation
This course provides students with experience using image capture devices from iPads to DSLRs. They’ll learn narrative and documentation strategies to communicate through video and moving pictures, and they’ll gain editing and mastering skills using Adobe Express and Premier.
Audio Engineering/Music Making
Whether you consider yourself a musician or not, you can make incredible audio worlds using only an iPad. Armed with GarageBand and Sound Trap students will learn to capture and create audio and edit them into brand new works of art.
Afternoon Challenge Lab Description
Design Challenge Lab
Each week students will be faced with a new question and will spend the week working collaboratively to develop a solution. The week will begin with an afternoon field trip that introduces the week’s question and will end with a community celebration of all of the students' work. Morning classes will develop the knowledge and skills the students will need to address the afternoon challenge. Students will be placed in groups that span all grade levels.
Week 3: Your community experiences long periods of extremely cold weather. What adjustments can you make to keep everyone alive?
July 27 - July 31
Core Strand Course Descriptions
Experimental Techniques Strand
This strand will expose students to several key concepts and laboratory techniques from each of the major scientific disciplines; physics, chemistry, environmental science, and biology. Each week students will become real life scientists. They will follow the scientific method, asking testable questions, designing experiments, making careful measurements, and analyzing data to draw conclusions. Students will learn safety precautions that are appropriate to each discipline.
- Week 4: Techniques in Biology
Students will discuss the importance of experimental design, emphasizing the importance of developing testable questions with clearly defined variables. They will become comfortable using a variety of tools including a scale and microscope.
Fabrication Strand
In this strand, students will have the opportunity to design, build, and construct.
They will learn how to modify materials and structures by cutting, bending, and assembling using a variety of analog and digital skills, techniques and tools. They will test their designs and iterate to improve them. Each week will focus on a different branch of fabrication. Measurement, precision, accuracy.
- Week 4: Subtractive Fabrication- Laser Cutting
Students use Cuttle and Adobe Illustrator to create vector images and 2D objects. They’ll design interlocking/interconnected elements within a single item, and use the laser cutter to fabricate their designs.
Engineering Strand
This strand provides students with experiences in various disciplines of Engineering. Using each week’s theme as a guide, students will explore Environmental, Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering as they devise solutions to authentic problems.
- Week 4: Mechanical
From simple to complex, students explore machines and how we leverage mechanical advantage. They’ll investigate the ways engineers use materials and machines to make work easier.
Computational Thinking Strand
This strand allows students to engage with a variety of problem-solving methods that involve expressing problems and their solutions in ways that a computer could execute. Students will employ algorithmic and computational thinking and techniques to overcome modern challenges.
- Week 4- Robotics- Dash/Lego/MicroBit
At the nexus of programming and engineering lies robotics. Students will learn to program robots to achieve tasks, and they will design and construct robots to help humans colonize Mars.
Elective Course Descriptions
Explorers participating in multiple weeks should select a different elective each week.
Podcasting
This one week elective course will introduce students to the basics of podcasting. They’ll explore the key elements of creating an engaging podcast from understanding the audience to telling a compelling story. Students will get hands-on experience writing a script and recording and editing their product.
Architecture
Students will develop an understanding of the art and science of architecture and they will explore basic design principles. They will gain experience with perspective drawing and three-dimensional thinking. Students will use the design thinking process to create and build models using materials such as cardboard and balsa wood.
Filmmaking/Stop Motion/Animation
This course provides students with experience using image capture devices from iPads to DSLRs. They’ll learn narrative and documentation strategies to communicate through video and moving pictures, and they’ll gain editing and mastering skills using Adobe Express and Premier.
Audio Engineering/Music Making
Whether you consider yourself a musician or not, you can make incredible audio worlds using only an iPad. Armed with GarageBand and Sound Trap students will learn to capture and create audio and edit them into brand new works of art.
Afternoon Challenge Lab Description
Design Challenge Lab
Each week students will be faced with a new question and will spend the week working collaboratively to develop a solution. The week will begin with an afternoon field trip that introduces the week’s question and will end with a community celebration of all of the students' work. Morning classes will develop the knowledge and skills the students will need to address the afternoon challenge. Students will be placed in groups that span all grade levels.
Week 4: You are part of the first landing party on Mars. How can you make the planet a place where people can live and thrive?
MEET OUR TEAM
Petra Sauer, Ph.D., Director of STEM+ Programming (9-12), Upper School Science Faculty
Chris McLaughlin, Director of STEM+ Programming (Jr-K–8)
Monica Masterson, Director of Summer Operations, (4-8)
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Interested in a summer opportunity? Contact Monica Masterson.
FAQ
Questions? For general questions, please email mkasummer@mka.org or read more on our FAQ page.
STAYING A FULL DAY?
Stay for the Design Challenge.
Each week, students registered for full day programming will be faced with a new question and will spend the week working collaboratively to develop a solution.
Week 1: Rising Sea Levels
Week 1: Rising Sea Levels
Your community is built on the shore of a river that floods every season. How can you help your community adapt to the rising water levels?
Week 2: Water Scarcity
Week 2: Water Scarcity
Your community doesn't have a clean water supply. The only water available is polluted. How can you make this water safe to drink?
Week 3: Extreme Weather Events
Week 3: Extreme Weather Events
Your community experiences long periods of extremely cold weather. What adjustments can you make to keep everyone alive?
Week 4: Colonizing Mars
Week 4: Colonizing Mars
You are part of the first landing party on Mars. How can you make the planet a place where people can live and thrive?
