Learn how to use 3D-modeling software and imaging equipment as you design and print objects of your own creation. Gain experience in an essential skill for future STEAM success as you practice using technology used to create customizable projects.
Instructor: Andres Temozihui
If you crave adventure and enjoy heights, this is the course for you. Enjoy a challenge at Big Foot Ropes course, adventure down river on an Army Duck Tour, and take flight into the world of aviation while exploring the EAA Museum. Speaking of taking flight, we will visit the International Crane Foundation and hike up to Gibraltar Rock. Finally, end the week with a splash as we visit Noah’s Ark Waterpark. Set your eyes to the sky and prepare for your feet to leave the ground because this week will fly by. Participants in this course must be a swim level yellow or higher as indicated on the swim and aquatic activity permission form.
This course takes place off site. Transportation will be provided each day.
Destinations Include:
- EAA Aviation Museum
- Bigfoot Ropes Course and WI Dells Duck Boat
- International Crane Foundation
- Gibraltar Rock and Parfrey’s Glen or Devil’s Lake
- Wisconsin Dells Waterpark
Instructor: Wisconsin Youth Company Adventure Trip Leaders
Discover urban landscapes and diverse habitats with hands-on experiments at Aldo Leopold Nature Center. We will dig deep to investigate the hidden gems within the wetland, prairie, and woodland communities. Find out how ecosystems coexist and rely on each other to create unique habitats for different types of wildlife. Whether you’re doing a pond dip or digging in the mud, this course will uncover new knowledge and a greater understanding of the world around you.
This course takes place off site. Transportation is provided to Aldo Leopold Nature Center each day.
Presented by: Aldo Leopold Nature Center
Explore anime from the past to the present and learn to create your own authentic manga art throughout the week. You will learn and practice figure drawing in the manga style, and gain an understanding of how to draw and develop various facial compositions and expressions. Discover different types of manga and Japanese stories while you develop and personalize your own manga drawing style. No experience is necessary, and all artists are welcome.
Instructor: Victoria Hoff
Practice focus, patience, and goal setting in a fun, safe, and engaging environment. This course will cover all the basics of stance, notching an arrow, proper grip, techniques for drawing, and variations of aim. It doesn’t matter if you’ve never picked up a bow or if you’re an experienced archer, challenge yourself and try your hand at this awesome activity.
Instructor:Andres Temozihui
Prepare yourself for the many responsibilities associated with caring for infants, toddlers, and young children. Learn to make informed decisions regarding the health, safety, and engagement of young children. Put your skills to the test as you work with children at one of our area day camps on the final day. Participants who complete the course satisfactorily and pass an exam will be Red Cross certified in babysitting and pediatric first aid and CPR.
Instructor: TBD
Prepare yourself for the many responsibilities associated with caring for infants, toddlers, and young children. Learn to make informed decisions regarding the health, safety, and engagement of young children. Put your skills to the test as you work with children at one of our area day camps on the final day. Participants who complete the course satisfactorily and pass an exam will be Red Cross certified in babysitting and pediatric first aid and CPR.
Instructor: TBD
It is recommended, but not required, that students take this course in combination with Cake Decorating.
The first half of this suggested two-part course focuses on developing delicious and unique flavors of cupcakes and cakes. Learn classic flavor combinations and get creative with your original creations. Gain confidence in the world of baking as you learn terminology, understand correct measuring and blending techniques, and learn the proper way to mix ingredients. Impress your friends and family with your skills in filling cupcakes, making multitiered cakes, and using various colors. Take the Cake Decorating course in the afternoon to decorate these tasty masterpieces with amazing frosting tricks and edible décor that will wow them all.
Instructor: TBD
Learn about the incredible life, science, and importance of honey bees as you observe and practice the role a beekeeper plays to preserve a hive. Get out to different locations to gain a better understanding of this hobby and grow your reverence for these amazing pollinators.
This course takes place off site. Transportation will be provided each day.
Instructor: Celeste Huff
This half-day course for beginner bikers will help you learn the basics of bike safety, proper use, and city riding. Become more independent, active, and environmentally friendly as you learn to make your way safely and confidently around this bike-friendly city. You will need a multi–gear bike in good-working condition, bike lock, bike helmet, and water bottle.
Instructor:Andres Temozihui
Get ready for unplugged gaming fun. Challenge your mind and enjoy friendly competition. Play old favorites and discover new and unusual games. Learn traditional and not-so-traditional card games while using strategy and your imagination. Participate in a round-robin game tournament or use the uninterrupted time to play longer, more complex versions of your favorite games.
Instructor: Joe Monarski
The city bus is your ticket to a week of adventure. Learn a valuable life skill and gain independence as you decide where you want to go and then navigate your way by learning how to use the city bus system. Plan your day with destinations decided by the group. Options include: disc golf courses, arcades, escape rooms, disc golf courses, museums, and pools. The course fee includes admission fees to all destinations and a Madison Metro city bus pass that you can use for the rest of the summer. Participants may go on a field trip that includes swimming and must be a swim level yellow or higher as indicated on the swim and aquatic activity permission form.
Instructor: Josh Ludke
It is recommended, but not required, that students take this course in combination with Cooking on a Budget.
In the second half of this suggested two-part course, you will be challenged daily to put your newly acquired knowledge from Cooking on a Budget to the test to create flavorful forkfuls that are sure to wow the judges. Each day, your team will be provided with new mystery ingredients that you must use to create a dish that shows off your skills, creativity, and understanding of food.
Instructor: Victoria Hoff
Attack a rook, defend your queen, and avoid the checkmate. Discover the game that is an exciting battle of wits. Learn how to move the pieces and problem solve new challenges when playing opponents. Develop strategy from the opening phase right up to the end game. It doesn’t matter if you win or lose; it’s all about how you play the game. Focus your skills, knowledge, and creativity in a different way each game. How will you decide your next move?
Instructor: Joe Monarski
Tap into the incredible art of stop-motion as you learn techniques to make your own short films. Design and mold your own characters, build your own sets, write your own scripts, and combine this with a bit of movie magic to create an experience and short film to remember.
Instructor: Josh Ludke
Comic books, manga, and graphic novels use art, literature, and imagination to transport us on fantastic journeys. Learn how to use words and pictures together to tell a story, and create comics of your own. All artists are welcome, advanced skills are not required.
Instructor: Victoria Hoff
Community Cooking- It is recommended, but not required, that students take this course in combination with Cooking 101.
Learn how to cook delicious meals for families in our community. From lasagna to stuffed peppers and meatballs to falafel, you will follow recipes and cook delicious food that will then be given to families in need through the Elver Park Neighborhood Center Food Pantry. Learn skills, have fun, and give back with community cooking.
Instructor: TBD
Cooking 101 – It is recommended, but not required, that students take this course in combination with Community Cooking.
The first half of this suggested two-part course focuses on basics like knife skills, terminology, different cooking methods, flavor profiles, and the dos and don’ts of cooking. Observe multiple demonstrations of cooking techniques, develop a well-rounded understanding of kitchen techniques, and gain the confidence you’ll need to take on creating your own dishes at home or in later in Community Cooking.
Instructor: TBD
Cooking on a Budget- It is recommended, but not required, that students take this course in combination with Chef’s Challenge.
Understand and practice how to stretch a dollar as you plan a meal and shop for ingredients. Learn how to make nutritious, cost-effective substitutions to create delicious food from scratch while you navigate the grocery aisles and build important life skills.
Some of this course takes place off-site. Transportation is provided.
Instructor: Victoria Hoff
It is recommended, but not required, that students take this course in combination with Baking Cakes & Cupcakes.
In the second half of this suggested two-part class, you will frost and decorate your own delicious works of art. Learn to layer the cakes and cupcakes baked in Baking Cakes & Cupcakes and explore various methods for making fun shapes. Learn piping techniques and discover the amazing things you can do with chocolate and sugar. Sculpt fondant and whip up new frosting recipes. Enjoy the challenge of thematic decorating competitions and create original masterpieces with things that you can find at home.
Instructor: TBD
Madison is home to some of the finest disc golf courses in the state. Hone your skills by trying out different discs and learning their tricks. Practice your accuracy, and try to beat your personal best. The week is sure to soar by with this fun outdoor activity!
Some days of this course will take place off site. Transportation will be provided to disc golf parks.
Instructor:Andres Temozihui
Work independently and with teams to defeat puzzle rooms in which you must discover clues, solve problems, and accomplish tasks. Groups gather in a themed room where they are given a clue to get started. Participants have one hour to find clues and solve escape–room puzzle games before time is up. Players describe the experience as stepping into a live video game.
This course takes place off site. Transportation will be provided each day.
Instructor: TBD
As an Olympic sport and a time-honored symbol of nobility, the sport of fencing represents one of the most exciting and challenging athletic events. This introduction to the sport will allow you to experience that excitement as well as the tradition and self-discipline that marks fencing as a unique martial art. Necessary equipment and protective clothing is provided.
Instructor: Joe Monarski
This enjoyable past time is one of the best ways to spend a summer’s day. Visit some of Madison’s hottest fishing spots, spend time in beautiful natural areas learning about different types of fish, and how to successfully catch and release them. Practice how to cast and use fishing equipment properly. Learn knot tying, fishing safety, and fish identification. Get hooked for a week of angling fun and adventure. Please bring water shoes.
This course will take place off site. Transportation will be provided to all off site locations.
Instructor: TBD
Experience some of the most beautiful trails and waterways in Southern Wisconsin. Spend three days on the water kayaking, canoeing, and swimming. Take to the land for two days of hiking through geologic history at Devil’s Lake State Park, build up your boating skills, and end the week on a trip down the Wisconsin River. Good hiking shoes, water shoes, and stamina for sustained hiking are necessary. Participants in this course must be a swim level yellow or higher as indicated on the swim and aquatic activity permission form.
Destinations Include:
- Rutabaga Paddlesports Trip
- Devil’s Lake State Park
- Brittingham Boats/Picnic Point
- Wingra Boats/Beach
- Wisconsin Dells Waterpark
This course takes place off site. Transportation will be provided each day.
Instructor: Wisconsin Youth Company Adventure Trip Leaders
Bring the fantasy world to life with live action role playing. This combines elements of improvisational acting, pervasive gaming, and cosplay. Create and portray a character, interact with others, and figure out how to solve problems as you act out scenarios and pursue game goals.
Instructor: TBD
Whether you’re interested in aviation or just like to watch things explode, this course is for you. Throughout the week, you will have the opportunity to build, decorate, and safely test your own models. Learn about some basic science and physics involved in rocketry and participate in fun challenges to build your knowledge.
Instructor: TBD
Explore the beauty of the world around you as you use different natural elements to create beautiful art. From sand mandalas to flower resin pendants to watercolors to prints, get outdoors and find inspiration in nature.
Instructor: Victoria Hoff
Run wild with a week of outdoor sports. Develop your critical thinking, hand-eye coordination, teamwork, agility, and speed as you compete in a wide range of activities. Play some well-known sports like soccer, kickball, and flag football and learn new games while making friends and staying active.
Instructor: Andres Temozihui
Run wild with a week of outdoor sports. Develop your critical thinking, hand-eye coordination, teamwork, agility, and speed as you compete in a wide range of activities. Play some well-known sports like soccer, kickball, and flag football and learn new games while making friends and staying active.
Instructor: Andres Temozihui
Take a closer look at the world around you and develop an eye for all things beautiful and bizarre. Explore aesthetic principles as they relate to composition, perspective, space, exposure, light, and color. Alter your pictures digitally and play with your prints to create fun, unique, and thoughtful art pieces.
Instructor: Victoria Hoff
Mold, throw, and sculpt your way through clay. Gain hands-on experience with professional quality pottery wheels and learn pottery wheel throwing techniques from a trained artist. You won’t know what your creativity will bring until you turn on your imagination and spin out something great.
Instructor: Josh Ludke
Check out one of the hottest sports around: rock climbing. This course will cover all the basic skills that are needed to climb safely indoors. You will progress through the week learning knots, belaying skills, climbing technique, and proper stretching for healthy, injury-free exercise. There will be plenty of challenging climbing as well. Upon successful completion of the course, students will become certified Boulders Belayers.
Transportation is provided each day to Boulders Climbing Gym, 3964 Commercial Ave., Madison.
Presented by: Boulders Climbing Gym
Through a process of structured decision making, students will act out roles within a narrative to contribute to collaborative storytelling and imaginative exploration. If you have enjoyed table-top role playing games, this course will help you find new ways to plan adventures, build a character, and play these social group games. Add and enjoy a dramatic flair as you draw upon your creativity and critical thinking skills. You will learn about new resources and tried and true tricks of the trade from an instructor who first started gaming in 1978.
Instructor: Joe Monarski
Through a process of structured decision making, students will act out roles within a narrative to contribute to collaborative storytelling and imaginative exploration. If you have enjoyed table-top role playing games, this course will help you find new ways to plan adventures, build a character, and play these social group games. Add and enjoy a dramatic flair as you draw upon your creativity and critical thinking skills. You will learn about new resources and tried and true tricks of the trade from an instructor who first started gaming in 1978.
Instructor: Joe Monarski
Enjoy an introductory course that allows you to explore and experiment with principles of science, technology, engineering, art, and math by completing a series of challenges. Create your design and use simple provided materials to construct your vision. Work collaboratively to solve problems, test your theories, and discuss ideas for improvement. Develop your strategic problem-solving skills through trial and error in a fun, investigative atmosphere. Delve into new concepts and share your knowledge with others while participating in some friendly competitions.
Instructor: TBD
Enjoy an introductory course that allows you to explore and experiment with principles of science, technology, engineering, art, and math by completing a series of challenges. Create your design and use simple provided materials to construct your vision. Work collaboratively to solve problems, test your theories, and discuss ideas for improvement. Develop your strategic problem-solving skills through trial and error in a fun, investigative atmosphere. Delve into new concepts and share your knowledge with others while participating in some friendly competitions.
Instructor: TBD
Get ready for unplugged gaming fun. Challenge your mind and activate your imagination as you enjoy friendly competition. Play old favorites and discover new games while uncovering new strategies and helpful gaming tips. Learn traditional and not-so-traditional card games while using strategy and creativity. Participate in a round-robin game tournament or use the uninterrupted time to play longer, more complex versions of your favorite games.
Instructor: Joe Monarski
We’re saying so long to summer with an adventure-packed week with MSU. We’ll be joined by our Elementary Explorers from Wander Wisconsin as we visit wildlife at the Milwaukee Zoo, see strange and new sights at House on the Rock, explore underground marvels at Cave of the Mounds, and learn all about our fantastic world at the Milwaukee Public Museum. For our final day, campers will send off summer with a fun-filled day at Noah’s Ark Waterpark!
Destinations Include:
- Milwaukee Zoo
- Cave of the Mounds/Blue Mound State Park
- Milwaukee Public Museum
- House on the Rock
- Noah’s Ark
This course will run from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Participants in this course must be a swim level yellow or higher as indicated on the swim and aquatic activity permission form.
Instructor: Wisconsin Youth Company Adventure Trip Leaders
Get into the Internet’s hottest trends as you spend the week learning new TikTok dances! Break down some of your favorite moves that you see online and practice them solo or as a group. Perfect your movement and style, timing and rhythm, and collaboration and cooperation with this awesome week of dance and laughter.
*Note: Having the TikTok app or an account is not required or needed. The instructor will choose from a few appropriate trends and students will vote on which ones they want to master.
Instructor: TBD
Dive into summer with three days of pools, slides, and sun. Slather on the sunscreen and jump in. We will transport you to three different pools in the area as you enjoy the best of summer with your peers. Participants in this course must be a swim level yellow or higher as indicated on the swim and aquatic activity permission form.
This course takes place off-site. Transportation is provided each day.
Instructor: Andres Temozihui
It doesn’t matter if you’ve been painting since you were 2-years-old or have never touched a brush, this watercolor painting course will help you learn the tools, techniques, skills, and strategies to create original abstracts, quirky cartoons, or realistic watercolor paintings.
Instructor: Victoria Hoff
Get out and enjoy the amazing geological gems this area has to offer. Explore the rock formations at Devil’s Lake and Witch’s Gulch, trek through Parfrey’s Glen, waltz through Devil’s Doorway, and Chapel Gorge trail. Take in the views on Gibraltar Rock, and descend into the Cave of the Mounds, before learning from a real geologist at UW-Madison. Finally, we will cap off our week with a short hike to Picnic Point and a relaxing day at the pool.
Destinations Include:
- Cave of the Mounds/Blue Mounds State Park
- UW Geology Museum
- Gibraltar Rock and Parfrey’s Glen
- Devil’s Lake State Park
- Picnic Point/Goodman Community Pool
This course takes place off-site. Transportation is provided each day.
Instructor: Adventure Trip Leaders
Express yourself with this fun and creative art form. Learn new techniques using various woodburning tools as well as basics of woodburning safety. Choose between using stencils or free-hand drawing as you create burnt patterns using provided tools and wood.
Instructor: Victoria Hoff
Get an introduction to a life-long hobby and skill as you learn fundamentals of woodcarving, efficient grips, and cutting techniques. Draw and cut your own designs while you practice chip carving, low relief carving, and 3D carving.
Instructor: Victoria Hoff
