Step into the world of creativity and technology with our Introduction to 3D Printing course! In this hands-on class, you will learn the basics of 3D design and printing, turning their imaginative ideas into real, physical objects. Whether it’s creating a custom keychain, designing a mini figurine, or making a useful tool, you’ll explore how to bring digital designs to life using a 3D printer. Throughout the course, students will learn how to use 3D modeling software to create their own designs, understand the different types of 3D printing materials, and see how printers work to layer materials into 3D shapes. By the end of the course, students will have the skills to create their own 3D projects, from concept to finished product, while discovering how this technology is changing the world in fields like engineering, healthcare, and entertainment. Get ready to design, print, and create — your ideas are about to go from screen to reality!
Instructor: Erica Phillips
Discover the fun and creative world of amigurumi — Japanese-inspired crochet art where you create adorable, stuffed animals, characters, and creatures! In this hands-on course, you will learn the basics of crochet, including how to make basic stitches and work in the round, to create your own amigurumi creations. Learn about yarn types, crochet hooks, and how to bring your characters to life by adding facial features, clothing, and accessories. Whether you want to make a tiny cat, a mythical creature, or a custom design of your own, the possibilities are endless! By the end of the course, you’ll have a collection of your own handmade amigurumi creations to show off, along with the skills to continue crocheting at home. Whether you’re new to crochet or looking to improve your skills, this class will spark your creativity and give you a fun way to make charming, one-of-a-kind creations!
Instructor: Nicole Sudhoff
Get ready to take aim and learn the fundamentals of archery in this exciting, hands-on course! Led by a National Archery in the Schools Program-trained instructor, this course will focus on developing archery skills while prioritizing safety, technique, and precision. Throughout the course, you’ll learn the basics of archery, including how to properly handle a bow, nock an arrow, aim, and release with accuracy. Emphasis will be placed on safety practices and proper form. You’ll also have the opportunity to practice shooting in a controlled, supportive environment as you improve your aim and build confidence. By the end of the course, you’ll have a solid foundation in archery, a deeper understanding of the sport, and the skills to safely and effectively use a bow and arrow. This course is the perfect way to explore the thrilling sport of archery for beginners and skilled practitioners alike.
Instructor: Josh Ludke
Ready to roll up your sleeves and dive into the world of baking? Mix up fun and 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. Discover how ingredients work together to create the perfect texture and taste as you practice time-honored recipes and explore new combinations and ingredients. Learn the basics of decorating to present your baked goods like pros as you make batches to share with friends and family. Gain a lifelong skill that is fun, rewarding, and delicious!
It is recommended students take this course prior to Baker’s Budget Challenge.
Instructor: Nicole Sudhoff
Get ready for a week of 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. Get ready to roll the dice and shuffle the cards whether you’re a game night pro or a newcomer. This course has something for everyone who loves a good challenge!
Presented by Deeplight
Are you a dessert-loving book worm? If so, this is the course for you! Enjoy a laid-back combo of baking some delicious treats with the group and then getting lost in a story. Share favorite books and recipes while you enjoy discussing plot lines and protagonists. Turn the page to this awesome week of delicious literature.
Instructor: Erica Phillips
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. Possible destinations include disc golf courses, arcades, hiking trails, State Street, museums, and pools. The course fee includes admission fees to all destinations and a Madison Metro city bus pass 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 green as indicated on the swim and aquatic activity permission form.
Instructor: Josh Ludke
Get ready to put your culinary skills to the test in this exciting and hands-on cooking challenge! Practice a technique or cuisine each day, then take on a daily challenge where you will work in teams to come up with a creative recipe, plan a shopping list, and cook your dish from scratch—all within a limited time frame and budget. Learn how to stretch a dollar as you plan a meal and shop for ingredients. Then, navigate the grocery aisles and buy what you need to create a delicious plate that shows off your skills, creativity, and understanding of food. After preparing your dishes, present your culinary creations to a panel of judges, who will taste and evaluate based on creativity, flavor, presentation, and teamwork. This course combines the thrill of a cooking competition with the opportunity to learn important kitchen skills, such as ingredient selection, meal planning, budgeting, cooking techniques, and kitchen safety. This is the perfect chance to challenge yourself, have fun with friends, and discover the joy of cooking under pressure. Who will be crowned the ultimate cooking champion? Join us to find out!
It is recommended that students in this course take Cooking Basics to ensure they have a good understanding of cooking safety, terminology, and technique.
Some components of this course take place off-site. Transportation is provided.
Instructor: Erica Phillips
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?
Presented by Deeplight
Get ready for a fun-filled, creative experience in this hands-on class where cookies and crafts come together! Learn the art of baking delicious cookies while also creating fun, themed crafts to complement your sweet treats. Work on independent crafting projects with supplies for crochet, collage, and jewelry making and create themed crafts such as cookie cutters or gift boxes. Whatever you choose, there will be no shortage of creativity when it comes to cookies and crafting.
Instructor: Erica Phillips
Step into the kitchen and learn the essentials of cooking in this fun, hands-on course! This week will focus on key skills like kitchen safety, proper techniques, and ingredient preparation while you learn to cook delicious dishes you can share with your family. From chopping vegetables to mastering the art of sautéing and baking, you’ll gain the skills needed to cook confidently in the kitchen.Safety comes first, so you’ll learn the proper technique to handle knives, appliances, and hot surfaces safely. Once you’ve got the basics down, you’ll dive into a variety of tasty recipes like pastas, dumplings, and curries. Gain the confidence to cook for yourself and your family while building a strong foundation in kitchen safety and technique.
It is recommended that students take this course prior to Chef’s Budget Challenge.
Instructor: Erica Phillips
Enjoy a week tailoring behind the scenes as you collaborate with Wisconsin Youth Company’s Theater Immersion program to create costumes that will bring the performance to life. Learn basics of sewing and costume design while getting to know the characters and what is required to produce a show for the stage. Use creative problem solving to come up with quick costume changes and bring characters to life through design. Be a part of this theatrical success!
Instructor: Nicole Sudhoff
Welcome to the Court of Whispers: A world of imagination, adventure, and intrigue. In this week–long tabletop immersive role-playing experience, you’ll wear costumes and take on exciting roles like young royals, clever spies, brave knights, court wizards, guild leaders, or secret messengers.
Equipped with words and wit, you will uncover the secrets of this Court of Whispers. Every choice shapes the kingdom’s future. Using a mix of character-driven storytelling, dice-based decisions, and strategic challenges, players will navigate magical mysteries, manage kingdom dilemmas, lead epic quests, and fight fearsome battles. Whether forming alliances in the grand hall or uncovering secrets in the shadows, your words, ideas, and creativity decide the fate of the realm.
Dive deep into an immersive, week-long Dungeons & Dragons campaign. You and your fellow adventurers will embark on a thrilling, interconnected journey filled with mystery, danger, and heroic choices! Unlike quick one-shot adventures, this full-day course allows for a richly developed story, character growth, and deeper roleplaying experiences. Students will create unique characters, explore a detailed world, uncover secrets, solve puzzles, and make impactful decisions that shape the story. With guidance from an experienced Dungeon Master, you’ll engage in strategic combat, immersive roleplaying, and experience a full campaign arc complete with major quests, side missions, and epic battles. Whether you’re a seasoned D&D player or a newcomer ready for your first grand quest, this course offers an in-depth and unforgettable adventure — no experience necessary, just bring your imagination!
Presented by Deeplight
Embark on an action-packed journey where you become the hero or villain of your own story! Each day, you will dive into exciting new adventures where you’ll create unique characters, solve puzzles, battle monsters, and make choices that shape the story. With guidance from an experienced Dungeon Master, players will learn the basics of roleplaying, teamwork, and storytelling while exploring new worlds and facing thrilling challenges. Whether you’re a seasoned adventurer or brand new to D&D, this course is the perfect way to experience the excitement of multiple campaigns in just one week — no experience necessary, just bring your imagination!
Presented by Deeplight
Get ready to move, compete, and have a blast in this high-energy course filled with dodgeball and classic gym games! Students will play a variety of exciting games, including different styles of dodgeball, relay races, tag variations, capture the flag, and other fun team challenges. This course focuses on teamwork, strategy, sportsmanship, and friendly competition while keeping students active and engaged. Whether you’re dodging, throwing, running, or cheering on your teammates, every day brings new challenges and tons of fun. Perfect for athletes and casual players alike, this course is all about staying active, making friends, and enjoying the thrill of the game!
Instructor: TBD
Step into the world of imagination and adventure as you learn how to become a skilled Dungeon Master (DM)! This course will equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary to run a roleplaying game yourself. Learn how to create interesting narratives, manage game mechanics, develop characters, design encounters, and facilitate a fun experience for players by controlling the game world. Gain some hands-on practice to solidify your understanding of this creative life-long hobby!
Presented by Deeplight
Step into the world of imagination and adventure as you learn how to become a skilled Dungeon Master (DM)! This course will equip you with the skills and knowledge necessary to run a roleplaying game yourself. Learn how to create interesting narratives, manage game mechanics, develop characters, design encounters, and facilitate a fun experience for players by controlling the game world. Gain some hands-on practice to solidify your understanding of this creative life-long hobby!
Presented by Deeplight
Dive into the world of fabric art in this creative and colorful course! Throughout the week, you will explore the exciting techniques of fabric dyeing and ink printing to transform plain materials into stunning works of art. From learning how to tie-dye and batik to experimenting with screen printing and block printing, you’ll discover how to add unique colors and patterns to fabrics using a variety of tools and methods. Create personalized fabric pieces, and experiment with mixing colors, textures, and designs. Whether you’re dyeing a scarf, printing a custom t-shirt, or creating a one-of-a-kind art piece, this class encourages self-expression and artistic exploration.
Instructor: Josh Ludke
Step into the world of mystery, puzzles, and adventure in this exciting escape room course! Kick off the week with a visit to Escapology, where you’ll experience a real escape room and learn firsthand what makes these immersive challenges so exciting. The rest of the week will be spent working in teams to design and build your own escape room puzzles for peers and staff to solve. From crafting clever riddles to creating hidden clues and interactive challenges, students will develop critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills while bringing their escape rooms to life. There will also be opportunities to play escape room board games, adding even more thrilling puzzle-solving fun. Whether you’re a fan of mysteries or love cracking codes, this course is the perfect way to immerse yourself in the world of escape rooms!
One day of this course takes place off-site. Transportation is provided.
Instructor: Erica Phillips
Step into the world of mystery, puzzles, and adventure in this exciting escape room course! Kick off the week with a visit to Escapology, where you’ll experience a real escape room and learn firsthand what makes these immersive challenges so exciting. The rest of the week will be spent working in teams to design and build your own escape room puzzles for peers and staff to solve. From crafting clever riddles to creating hidden clues and interactive challenges, students will develop critical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills while bringing their escape rooms to life. There will also be opportunities to play escape room board games, adding even more thrilling puzzle-solving fun. Whether you’re a fan of mysteries or love cracking codes, this course is the perfect way to immerse yourself in the world of escape rooms!
One day of this course takes place off-site. Transportation is provided.
Instructor: Erica Phillips
Cast away into the world of fishing! Spend the week learning the basics of fishing, from understanding different types of fishing gear and tackle to mastering the techniques of casting, reeling, knot tying and hooking your catch. Explore various types of freshwater fishing and implement safe catch-and-release practices. Head out to some of Madison’s best spots to reel in a good time while relaxing outdoors!
This course takes place off-site. Transportation is provided.
Instructor: TBD
Cast away into the world of fishing! Spend the week learning the basics of fishing, from understanding different types of fishing gear and tackle to mastering the techniques of casting, reeling, knot tying and hooking your catch. Explore various types of freshwater fishing and implement safe catch-and-release practices. Head out to some of Madison’s best spots to reel in a good time while relaxing outdoors!
This course takes place off-site. Transportation is provided.
Instructor: TBD
If you like comedy, storytelling, and creating characters, this is the course for you! This action-packed week will be full of laughter, creativity, and quick thinking as you collaborate with fellow students to create exciting and unpredictable scenes. Learn the basics of improv through a variety of games that will keep you on your toes. Practice thinking on your feet in a fun, low stress environment to improve your acting, speaking, and witty clapbacks. This course is perfect for beginners and experienced performers alike — whether you want to sharpen your acting skills, make new friends, or just have a blast playing silly games!
Instructor: Erica Phillips
Are you curious about the ancient world and the secrets it holds? Dive into the fascinating science of studying past cultures through their artifacts, structures, and remains. Through hands-on interactive projects, learn how archaeologists piece together history to understand ancient civilizations, discover lost cities, and explore how people lived thousands of years ago. This course will bring history to life and show how we can learn about the past through careful exploration and discovery. Get ready for an adventure in time!
Instructor: Erica Phillips
Are you ready to dive into a world of imagination, adventure, and fun? In this exciting course, you’ll learn the basics of tabletop role-playing games (TTRPG), where you create characters, explore new worlds, and embark on epic quests! This class is perfect for beginners who are curious about role-playing games. No prior experience is needed. You’ll discover how to work as a team, solve challenges, and build stories with your friends using simple rules and dice. Get ready to unleash your creativity, make new friends, and have a blast in a safe and supportive environment. Whether you’re slaying dragons, solving mysteries, or exploring magical lands, the possibilities are endless in the world of TTRPG!
Presented by Deeplight
Unleash your creativity in this hands-on jewelry-making course where you will have the opportunity to design and craft your own unique accessories! Throughout the week, you will explore a variety of techniques, including wire working, pendant making, resin art, beading, metal stamping, and creating handmade beads. Learn how to shape wire into beautiful designs, pour and customize resin pieces, and assemble one-of-a-kind bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and more. With plenty of room for creative expression, students will develop new skills, experiment with different materials, and leave with a collection of handmade jewelry to wear or share. Whether you’re new to jewelry making or already love crafting, this course is the perfect place to design, create, and shine!
Instructor: Erica Phillips
Bring the fantasy world to life with live action role playing! This active course combines elements of improvisational acting, pervasive gaming, and cosplay with a lot of physical activity and light contact comparable to dodgeball. Create and portray a character, interact with others, and figure out how to solve problems as you act out scenarios, pursue game goals, and do combat with your enemies. Parents, family, and friends are invited to join in a final battle on Friday.
Presented by Deeplight
Get ready for a week of nonstop fun in the sun with Outdoor Games! This course is all about learning new games, playing old favorites, and staying active with friends. You’ll dive into exciting games like capture the flag, Spikeball, ultimate frisbee, kickball, cornhole, and more! Each day will bring a mix of friendly competition, teamwork, and exciting challenges as you sharpen your skills, learn new strategies, and maybe even discover a new favorite game. Whether you love fast-paced action or more laid-back games, there’s something for everyone. Come ready to run, throw, catch, and most of all — have fun!
Instructor: TBD
Unleash your creativity and explore the world of paper crafting in this hands-on, student-led course! You will be offered a variety of exciting paper craft projects and have the opportunity to learn new techniques and develop your artistic skills while creating beautiful works of art. With options like creating intricate layered shadow boxes and designing paper pixel art to assembling 3D paper folding kits and practicing origami to quilling, collage, and card making, you’ll be able to explore the many possibilities that paper offers. This class will inspire you to think outside the box and turn simple paper into incredible art!
Instructor: Nicole Sudhoff
Get your hands dirty as you mold, throw, and sculpt your way through this week of 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
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
This week, you take the wheel to plan where you want to go as a group. With options like the Wisconsin State Capitol and State Street, various state parks and nature centers, climbing gyms, museums, arcades, libraries, and much more, you work together to create an itinerary that everyone loves. You receive practical experience using maps, creating schedules, working collaboratively, and budgeting. Choose locations an hour and a half or less from Madison; families are updated about the weekly schedule following the first day of program.
Instructor: Wisconsin Youth Company Adventure Trip Leaders
Have you ever wanted to turn your ideas into real, three-dimensional art? In this fun and hands-on course, you’ll experiment with wire, clay, and plaster to create unique three-dimensional artworks. Learn how to shape wire into dynamic forms, add detail with clay, and work with plaster to build bold designs.
If you’re interested in animation, you can turn your sculptures into characters for a stop-motion film. By the end of the week, you’ll have original sculptures (and maybe even a short animation) to share. No experience needed — just bring your creativity!
Instructor: Josh Ludke
Learn the basics of stitching and how to use a machine to sew your own pieces. Choose your fabrics, follow patterns, and design unique wearable art. Start by making a backpack or drawstring bag, and then venture into other patterns or choose options to knit or embroider. Gain a useful lifelong skill that will enable you to express yourself in a cool and creative way!
This course can be taken in conjunction with Sewing Your Own Way for a full day of sewing fun.
Instructor: Nicole Sudhoff
Do you love being creative and making your own style? This course gives you the freedom to choose your own sewing projects while learning the basics of stitching by hand and using a sewing machine. Pick from a variety of fun projects like tote bags, accessories, plushies, or even upcycle old clothes into something new! You’ll learn how to select fabrics, follow patterns, and bring your unique ideas to life. Whether you’re a beginner or have some experience, this class lets you design, create, and sew at your own pace. Get ready to make something amazing — your way!
This course can be taken in conjunction with Sewing Basics for a full day of sewing fun.
Instructor: Nicole Sudhoff
Step into the world of handmade self-care in this fun and aromatic course where you’ll learn to create your own soaps, lotions, and candles! Explore the basics of crafting with natural ingredients, designing custom scents and textures while discovering the science behind each product. Throughout the course, you’ll learn how to melt and mold soaps, experiment with essential oils and colors, and even design personalized lotion blends. You’ll also dive into the art of candle making, using different waxes and fragrances to create beautiful, custom candles that smell amazing and look great in any space. From selecting natural ingredients to perfecting your technique, this course is all about creativity, experimentation, and bringing your self-care ideas to life. By the end of the course, you’ll have a collection of handmade soaps, lotions, and candles to use or give as gifts, plus the skills to continue creating at home. Whether you’re interested in crafting gifts for friends and family or simply enjoy making personalized bath and body products, this class will inspire your creativity and leave you with beautifully crafted items!
Instructor: Nicole Sudhoff
Ready to stick it to the ordinary? In this fun and creative course you’ll dive into the world of sticker making and learn how to turn your ideas into designs that really stick out! From doodles to digital art, you’ll discover how to peel away the layers of sticker creation, designing one-of-a-kind stickers that reflect your personality and style. Brainstorm unique concepts, sketch your designs, and learn how to turn them into digital creations. Then print and cut your stickers using specialized tools, experimenting with materials like vinyl and paper to make unique stickers that stand out. Whether you’re making stickers for yourself, friends, or even your school supplies, you’ll gain the skills to create custom designs that are truly one-of-a-kind. By the end of the course, you’ll have a collection of stickers that are perfect for decorating anything from notebooks to water bottles. If you’re ready to get creative and stick to what you love, this course is your perfect match!
Instructor: Nicole Sudhoff
Unlock your inner animator in this hands-on course where you’ll learn the art of stop-motion animation! Explore the fascinating process of bringing inanimate objects to life as you design and mold your own characters, build your own sets, write your own scripts. Combine this with a bit of movie magic to create an experience and a short film to remember! By the end of the course, you’ll have a stop-motion animation film to showcase! Whether you’re passionate about storytelling, animation, or sculpture, this course will provide you with the skills to create your own animated masterpieces from start to finish!
Instructor: Josh Ludke
Calling all water lovers, this week is for you! During this water-themed week, you will get to take advantage of many of Wisconsin’s scenic waters such as Lake Wingra, Devil’s Lake State Park, Yahara River, and Governor Dodge State Park. Have a blast taking part in other water-related activities like logrolling and kayak games then enjoy the opportunity to take a guided paddle trip with Rutabaga Paddlesports. Finally, end the week with a splash at Noah’s Ark Waterpark!
Possible destinations include:
- Wingra Boats
- Logrolling at Lake Wingra
- Devils Lake State Park
- Paddle trip on Yahara River
- Lion’s Den Gorge
- Noah’s Ark Waterpark
- Marshall Boats
- Goodman Pool
- Walter R. Bauman Aquatic Center
- Wyalusing State Park
This course takes place off-site. Transportation is provided each day.
Instructor: Wisconsin Youth Company Adventure Trip Leaders
Whether 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. Enjoy learning a lifelong skill that will help you practice mindfulness and enjoy the simplicity of creating.
Instructor: Josh Ludke
Unlock your creativity and craftsmanship in this hands-on woodcarving and woodburning course! In this class, you will learn the basics of working with wood as you safely use carving tools to shape wood, create textures, and carve patterns while adding intricate details with woodburning techniques. Transform blocks of wood into unique works of art. Whether you’re a beginner or have some crafting experience, this course is the perfect way to explore the world of woodworking and develop skills to create one-of-a-kind pieces!
Instructor: Josh Ludke
