Week 4: The Discovery Lab

Date/Time:

July 20th-24th (M-F), 9am-3pm

Ages:

5*-13

(Campers must be 5 by June 1, 2026)

Pricing:

$405/week — Early Bird Enrollment (January 1–31)

$445/week — Priority Enrollment (February 1–March 31)

$480/week — Standard Enrollment (April 1 and after)

The Discovery Lab: Science & Wood Shop invites campers to explore the world through hands-on investigation, experimentation, and building. This week is designed to nurture curiosity and problem-solving skills by encouraging campers to ask questions, test ideas, and learn through doing.

Each day blends foundational science exploration with introductory woodshop and maker-style activities, allowing campers to explore basic principles of physics, engineering, and design in an engaging and age-appropriate way. Through experiments and building projects, campers will learn how things work, why materials behave the way they do, and how thoughtful design can turn ideas into tangible creations.

Campers are organized into small, age-based groups to ensure activities are developmentally appropriate. Younger campers are supported with simple tools, close guidance, and confidence-building experiences, while older campers are encouraged to take on more complex challenges that promote independence, precision, and creative problem-solving.

Safety and care are central to the experience. Campers are introduced to tool use and workshop practices in a thoughtfully designed environment, emphasizing responsibility, collaboration, and respect for materials and shared space.

The week culminates in a show-and-share experience, where campers present their experiments and building projects, reflect on their discoveries, and celebrate the learning process alongside their peers.

The Discovery Lab offers a dynamic and empowering experience for young scientists and makers, where curiosity leads the way and learning is grounded in exploration, creativity, and hands-on discovery.

Week 5: Storyboard to Screen

Date/Time:

July 27th-31st (M-F), 9am-3pm

Ages:

10-15

Pricing:

$405/week — Early Bird Enrollment (January 1–31)

$445/week — Priority Enrollment (February 1–March 31)

$480/week — Standard Enrollment (April 1 and after)

Storyboard to Screen: Cupola Cinema invites older campers to step into the world of filmmaking by working collaboratively to plan, create, and produce original short films. Throughout the week, campers move through every stage of the creative process—from idea development to final screening—gaining hands-on experience with storytelling, filming, sound, and editing while learning how collaboration strengthens creative work.

Each day intentionally weaves together hands-on filmmaking and guided collaboration. Campers work in production teams to brainstorm concepts, write scripts, storyboard scenes, and film their projects. Rather than being assigned fixed roles, campers rotate through all aspects of production, giving everyone the opportunity to explore directing, camera work, performance, sound, and editing. Camp Cupola emphasizes process over product while still guiding campers toward the completion of a cohesive short film, encouraging creative risk-taking and shared ownership of the final work.

Campers are thoughtfully organized into small, age-based groups to ensure an appropriate balance of independence and support. Within their teams, campers are encouraged to take initiative while also practicing collaboration, communication, and problem-solving. Older campers are challenged to think critically about visual storytelling, pacing, and audience experience as they refine their films together.

Cupola’s expansive campus serves as both studio and set, offering varied locations that inspire creative storytelling. From scouting filming locations and planning shots to capturing footage and experimenting with sound and editing, campers develop a well-rounded understanding of the filmmaking process. These experiences culminate in a completed short film that reflects the collective vision and collaboration of each group.

The week concludes with a final screening, providing campers the opportunity to present their films, reflect on their creative and collaborative process, and engage in thoughtful discussion about their work. This experience builds confidence, communication skills, and a strong sense of accomplishment.

Storyboard to Screen offers a focused and engaging environment for young people who are curious about movies, storytelling, and creative collaboration, and who are ready to experience the full process of bringing a shared idea to life on screen.

Week 6: Innovation & Athletics Lab

Date/Time:

August 10th-14th (M-F), 9am-3pm

Ages:

10-15

Pricing:

$405/week — Early Bird Enrollment (January 1–31)

$445/week — Priority Enrollment (February 1–March 31)

$480/week — Standard Enrollment (April 1 and after)

Innovation & Athletics Lab challenges campers to explore the powerful connection between engineering, scientific thinking, and physical activity. Throughout the week, campers engage in hands-on exploration alongside active movement, using athletics as a real-world context for understanding how forces, motion, and energy shape the way bodies and objects move.

Campers participate in a series of engineering and STEAM challenges designed to investigate physical concepts through action and experimentation. Guided by facilitators, campers explore ideas such as projectile motion, momentum, collision, balance, friction, and energy transfer through structured activities that involve throwing, jumping, running, launching, and controlled impact. Rather than focusing on long-term build projects, challenges emphasize testing, observing outcomes, collecting data, and refining understanding through iteration and analysis.

Physical activity is woven throughout each day as campers test ideas through movement, engage in athletic challenges, and reflect on how scientific principles appear in real time. Campers analyze how variables such as angle, speed, mass, and surface conditions influence results, reinforcing the idea that engineering and science are tools for making sense of the physical world. Collaboration, curiosity, and problem-solving are emphasized over competition.

Campers are thoughtfully grouped by age and experience level to ensure appropriate challenge and support. Facilitators guide campers in safe participation, effective collaboration, and clear communication, while encouraging documentation through sketches, measurements, predictions, and reflection.

The week culminates in a showcase and challenge day, where campers demonstrate key experiments and activities, explain the science and engineering concepts they explored, and reflect on how their understanding evolved through hands-on testing.

Innovation & Athletics Lab offers a dynamic, interdisciplinary experience for youth who enjoy moving, experimenting, and thinking creatively—bringing together engineering, STEAM learning, and athletics in a way that builds confidence, curiosity, and collaboration.