SPI Camps 2024
SPI will offer some fun summer day camp options for kids entering 1st though 6th grades in the next school year (2024/2025). Descriptions and dates for these are outlined below. Registration is online only, beginning May 23 at 6 p.m. Before enrolling kids in camps, parents/legal guardians will need to create an account at https://spi.jumbula.com/. This will allow you to build profiles with basic info about your campers which will autofill to expedite registration.
JUNE 24 - JUNE 28
Flight Crew (completed grades 4-6 in 2023/2024 school year, rising into grades 5-7)
9 a.m. to noon
Zooming, floating, flapping—these are just a few of the ways we’ll explore aviation. 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, get hands-on with some building and payload tasks, and check out a variety of airplanes up close. The week will culminate with a flight in a small engine aircraft! Take pride in aviation's Ohio roots, while reaching for the sky with us. Locations for drop off and/or pick up may vary on certain days this week to enable activities but we will work to keep the distance within a reasonable range. Locations from drop off and/or pick up may vary on certain days this week to enable the various activities (This camp has many recurring activities and experiences from its last offering in 2022 and is not open to repeat campers).
JULY 15 - JULY 19
Champ Camp (completed grades k-2 in 2023/2024 school year, rising into grades 1-3)
9 a.m. to noon
Campers will complete a variety of service projects and challenges in different categories in an effort to earn the SPIrit of SPI award. They may be tasked with anything from community cleanup, to caring for animals, to contributing to scientific research, to stretching outside their comfort zone in athletic or artistic endeavors. They’ll also have the opportunity to engage with a variety of fellow citizens whose backgrounds and abilities may differ from their own. This camp is also timed on the heels of Ohio’s Special Olympic Games and just ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris - both of which showcase the perseverance of athletes who work to achieve their goals. ocations for drop off and/or pick up may vary on certain days this week to enable certain projects or outlings, but we will work to keep the distance in within close proximity to central Mount Vernon.
Blow Off STEAM (completed grades 3-5 IN THE 2023/2024 school year, rising into grades 4-6)
9 a.m. to noon
Let loose and enjoy being outside with new friends who are just as silly, curious, and smart as you! There will be time for both active play and at least one structured exploration each day focusing on the components that make up the acronym STEAM:
Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. We plan to include an introduction to HAM Radio as a special element of the week.
JULY 22 - JULY 26
Full STEAM Ahead session 1 (completed grades k-2 in 2023/2024 school year, rising into grades 1-3)
9 a.m. to noon
Play outside and make new friends! Enjoy classic camp games, crafts, and silly songs. Our staff will lead at least one structured - and often messy - exploration each day focusing on the components that make up the acronym STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Parents should register their kids for either session 1 or session 2 of this camp, not both.
Robotic Adventures in Engineering Session 1 (completed grades 3-5 in 2023/2024 school year, rising into grades 4-6)
9 a.m. to noon
Campers will construct robots, add electronic components to give them mobility, and code their creations to navigate specific conditions or achieve a goal. Kid engineers in this session will need to sit at a table for extended periods while building their robots according to pictorial instructions (similar to what you'd find with LEGO). They will also spend time on a computer using simple "drag and drop" software to arrange code which controls their robots' movements. Campers will share our Vex robotics kits to do work in pairs. Consider your child’s ability to manage these expectations. This camp occurs mostly indoors, with some short outdoor brain breaks built into the agenda. Parents should register their kids for either session 1 or session 2, not both.
JULY 29 - AUGUST 2
Robotic Adventures in Engineering session 2 (completed grades 3-5 in 2023/2024 school year, rising into grades 4-6)
9 a.m. to noon
Campers will construct robots, add electronic components to give them mobility, and code their creations to navigate specific conditions or achieve a goal. Kid engineers in this session will need to sit at a table for extended periods while building their robots according to pictorial instructions (similar to what you'd find with LEGO). They will also spend time on a computer using simple "drag and drop" software to arrange code which controls their robots' movements. Campers will share our Vex robotics kits to do work in pairs. Consider your child’s ability to manage these expectations. This camp occurs mostly indoors, with some short outdoor brain breaks built into the agenda. Parents should register their kids for either session 1 or session 2 of this camp, not both.
AUGUST 5 - AUGUST 9
Full STEAM Ahead session 2 (completed grades k-2 in 2023/2024 school year, rising into grades 1-3)
9 a.m. to noon
Let’s play outside and make new friends! Enjoy classic camp games, crafts, and silly songs. Our staff will lead at least one structured - and often messy - exploration each day focusing on the components that make up the acronym STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Parents should register their kids for either session 1 or session 2 of this camp, not both.
Dig In to Archaeology (completed grades 3-5 in 2023/2024 school year, rising into grades 4-6)
9 a.m. to noon
Get down and dirty while exploring the field of archaeology. This fascinating discipline merges history, biology, culture, and art en route to telling stories about society! This session will include a field trip requiring an additional fee to be collected later.
What to expect if you this is your first year registering for SPI camps: These weeklong, half-day camp sessions occur at various outdoor partner venues in our community. These include the Brown Family Environmental Center (Gambier), Ariel-Foundation Park (Mount Vernon), Columbia Elementary (Mount Vernon), and the Knox County Airport. Some sessions may involve field trips. Camps are led by certified teachers , assisted by our teenage STEAM Team volunteers and/or SPI staff. As each session approaches, you will get confirmation of the particular venue and other details related to the camp(s) for which your child is registered. Families should expect that their SPI campers will be outdoors for the duration of camp (with few exceptions) and that kids with phones or tablets are asked to leave them at home or to keep them in a backpack.
Most sessions cost $60 for the entire week. We offer need-based scholarships for qualifying families.
SPI will offer some fun summer day camp options for kids entering 1st though 6th grades in the next school year (2024/2025). Descriptions and dates for these are outlined below. Registration is online only, beginning May 23 at 6 p.m. Before enrolling kids in camps, parents/legal guardians will need to create an account at https://spi.jumbula.com/. This will allow you to build profiles with basic info about your campers which will autofill to expedite registration.
JUNE 24 - JUNE 28
Flight Crew (completed grades 4-6 in 2023/2024 school year, rising into grades 5-7)
9 a.m. to noon
Zooming, floating, flapping—these are just a few of the ways we’ll explore aviation. 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, get hands-on with some building and payload tasks, and check out a variety of airplanes up close. The week will culminate with a flight in a small engine aircraft! Take pride in aviation's Ohio roots, while reaching for the sky with us. Locations for drop off and/or pick up may vary on certain days this week to enable activities but we will work to keep the distance within a reasonable range. Locations from drop off and/or pick up may vary on certain days this week to enable the various activities (This camp has many recurring activities and experiences from its last offering in 2022 and is not open to repeat campers).
JULY 15 - JULY 19
Champ Camp (completed grades k-2 in 2023/2024 school year, rising into grades 1-3)
9 a.m. to noon
Campers will complete a variety of service projects and challenges in different categories in an effort to earn the SPIrit of SPI award. They may be tasked with anything from community cleanup, to caring for animals, to contributing to scientific research, to stretching outside their comfort zone in athletic or artistic endeavors. They’ll also have the opportunity to engage with a variety of fellow citizens whose backgrounds and abilities may differ from their own. This camp is also timed on the heels of Ohio’s Special Olympic Games and just ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris - both of which showcase the perseverance of athletes who work to achieve their goals. ocations for drop off and/or pick up may vary on certain days this week to enable certain projects or outlings, but we will work to keep the distance in within close proximity to central Mount Vernon.
Blow Off STEAM (completed grades 3-5 IN THE 2023/2024 school year, rising into grades 4-6)
9 a.m. to noon
Let loose and enjoy being outside with new friends who are just as silly, curious, and smart as you! There will be time for both active play and at least one structured exploration each day focusing on the components that make up the acronym STEAM:
Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. We plan to include an introduction to HAM Radio as a special element of the week.
JULY 22 - JULY 26
Full STEAM Ahead session 1 (completed grades k-2 in 2023/2024 school year, rising into grades 1-3)
9 a.m. to noon
Play outside and make new friends! Enjoy classic camp games, crafts, and silly songs. Our staff will lead at least one structured - and often messy - exploration each day focusing on the components that make up the acronym STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Parents should register their kids for either session 1 or session 2 of this camp, not both.
Robotic Adventures in Engineering Session 1 (completed grades 3-5 in 2023/2024 school year, rising into grades 4-6)
9 a.m. to noon
Campers will construct robots, add electronic components to give them mobility, and code their creations to navigate specific conditions or achieve a goal. Kid engineers in this session will need to sit at a table for extended periods while building their robots according to pictorial instructions (similar to what you'd find with LEGO). They will also spend time on a computer using simple "drag and drop" software to arrange code which controls their robots' movements. Campers will share our Vex robotics kits to do work in pairs. Consider your child’s ability to manage these expectations. This camp occurs mostly indoors, with some short outdoor brain breaks built into the agenda. Parents should register their kids for either session 1 or session 2, not both.
JULY 29 - AUGUST 2
Robotic Adventures in Engineering session 2 (completed grades 3-5 in 2023/2024 school year, rising into grades 4-6)
9 a.m. to noon
Campers will construct robots, add electronic components to give them mobility, and code their creations to navigate specific conditions or achieve a goal. Kid engineers in this session will need to sit at a table for extended periods while building their robots according to pictorial instructions (similar to what you'd find with LEGO). They will also spend time on a computer using simple "drag and drop" software to arrange code which controls their robots' movements. Campers will share our Vex robotics kits to do work in pairs. Consider your child’s ability to manage these expectations. This camp occurs mostly indoors, with some short outdoor brain breaks built into the agenda. Parents should register their kids for either session 1 or session 2 of this camp, not both.
AUGUST 5 - AUGUST 9
Full STEAM Ahead session 2 (completed grades k-2 in 2023/2024 school year, rising into grades 1-3)
9 a.m. to noon
Let’s play outside and make new friends! Enjoy classic camp games, crafts, and silly songs. Our staff will lead at least one structured - and often messy - exploration each day focusing on the components that make up the acronym STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math. Parents should register their kids for either session 1 or session 2 of this camp, not both.
Dig In to Archaeology (completed grades 3-5 in 2023/2024 school year, rising into grades 4-6)
9 a.m. to noon
Get down and dirty while exploring the field of archaeology. This fascinating discipline merges history, biology, culture, and art en route to telling stories about society! This session will include a field trip requiring an additional fee to be collected later.
What to expect if you this is your first year registering for SPI camps: These weeklong, half-day camp sessions occur at various outdoor partner venues in our community. These include the Brown Family Environmental Center (Gambier), Ariel-Foundation Park (Mount Vernon), Columbia Elementary (Mount Vernon), and the Knox County Airport. Some sessions may involve field trips. Camps are led by certified teachers , assisted by our teenage STEAM Team volunteers and/or SPI staff. As each session approaches, you will get confirmation of the particular venue and other details related to the camp(s) for which your child is registered. Families should expect that their SPI campers will be outdoors for the duration of camp (with few exceptions) and that kids with phones or tablets are asked to leave them at home or to keep them in a backpack.
Most sessions cost $60 for the entire week. We offer need-based scholarships for qualifying families.
