
College for Kids provides an enriching, educational, and fun experience for rising K - 12th graders! Children work with JMU faculty and students, as well as experts from the community, to explore and discover talents they never knew they had!
DATES/TIMES:
June 26th - 30th, 2023
Half and full day options are available!
Half Day (AM): 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Half Day (PM): 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Full Day (Both AM and PM): 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
PRICE:
Half Day (AM): $175
Half Day (PM): $175
Full Day (Both AM and PM): $250*
*For full day, students will take one course in the AM and a different course in the PM. When registering for full day, please choose an AM course and a PM course.
Scroll through the course options below!
REGISTRATION CLOSED
AM Courses
Let's Get Mythical (Rising K - 2nd Grades)- Are you fascinated by mythical creatures such as dragons, leprechauns, unicorns and fairies? If so, this is a perfect experience for you! Join us as we embark on a magical journey through the mystical world of creatures. We will delve into the enchanting tales of these mythical creatures to create fantastical crafts and even bring our very own creatures to life.
Space Week (Rising K - 2nd Grades)- FULL Come learn about the wonders of space! Create space themed crafts such as slime & playdough; make snacks like galaxy popcorn & oreo phases of the moon; and create STEM activities like rockets and Mars rovers. Our time together will be out of this world!
Lit, Crafts, and Science (Rising K - 2nd Grades)- Do you love stories? Do you love arts and crafts? Do you love science? What about when we put them all together? Each day, students will hear stories and then create a craft or art piece as well as dig deeper into a science related element to go along with the story! Topics will include weather, dinosaurs, animals and more! Come explore stories in a hands-on, fun and interactive way!
Diving into Disney (Rising K - 3rd Grades)- Do you love Disney? When you wish upon a star and join this class, you will get the chance to explore various Disney themes in fun and exciting ways! We will create unique crafts, play games, and explore virtual Disney parks. Bring your imagination and let’s make your dreams come true!
Vocal Ensemble (Rising 1st - 4th Grades)- Ready to sing your heart out? Join us as we work together to build beautiful harmonies with our voices, program exciting music, and perform for our families and friends! You can look forward to singing tunes from your favorite movies, hit songs from your favorite artists, and maybe some pieces you’ve never heard before! After our time together, we’ll share our work in a concert open to the community.
Outdoor Adventure and Nature Connection (Rising 1st - 4th Grades)- Come explore the great outdoors with us as we experience all of the excitement that nature has to offer! We will learn outdoor wilderness skills, go indoor rock climbing, and play nature connection games throughout the week. This class will spark wonder about your natural surroundings, teach you new skills, and most importantly- get you outside!
LEGO Adventures (Rising 1st - 5th)- FULL What kind of vehicle would you need to explore the arctic? How could you keep the animals away during a rainforest journey? Lego lovers will figure out the answers to these questions and more as they build and program a variety of Lego creations using the Lego Spike Essentials curriculum. Students will learn basic engineering principles and computer programming as they go on a different adventure each week!
Pop Up Bake Shop (Rising 1st - 5th Grades)- FULL *This is a full day course. If you choose this course for AM, you must also choose it for PM. This class takes place at the Explore More Discovery Museum.* Join us in our 3rd floor kitchen, because Explore More is opening a bakery! Well…at least for one week! Aspiring bakers/entrepreneurs will learn how to create yummy treats and explore what it takes to open and run a business. On Friday, students will host an outdoor bake sale to benefit the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank!
Space STEAM Ahead! (Rising 2nd - 4th Grades)- Are you ready to become a space explorer? Join our class as we blast off to adventure into space! Each day, we will uncover new information about different aspects of space, such as stars, rocketships, asteroids, and so much more! We will build constellations out of marshmallows, mold out different moon faces, and launch our own rockets. Explore space through hands-on STEAM activities to broaden your knowledge and peak curiosity about the unknown realm of outer space.
3D Art and Sculpture (2nd - 5th Grades)- Can a hamburger be a sculpture? Is Dr. Suess an architect? Is an ice cream cone a work of art? Can fish fly? We will be exploring 3D art and sculpture by looking at artists such as Claes Oldenburg, Henri Matisse, Wayne White, Louise Nevelson and Theodor Geisel. Students will sculpt and assemble using found material, clay, Model Magic, and paper mache, to name a few!
Once upon a Fairy Tale There was a STEM Challenge (Rising 2nd - 5th Grades)- Come and explore your favorite Fairy Tales, new and old, to overcome amazing obstacles using science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Each day will bring a new story, new STEM challenge, and will stretch your mind and bring out your creativity! Be ready for some legendary and enchanted fun!
Exploring the Seas (Rising 3rd - 5th Grades)- Are you looking to explore the deep wonders of our Earth's oceans? In Exploring the Seas, we will learn about ocean topography, amazing aquatic creatures, and how we can help protect our captivating seas using S.T.E.A.M.!
Hello Summer, Goodbye Stress! (Rising 3rd - 5th Grades)- This is an awesome way to take a step away from everyday life. The skills we learn in this course will carry on for the rest of your life! We will enjoy gentle yoga poses mixed with mindfulness skills where students can take time for themselves, practice self-compassion, and create tools they can carry with them that they can utilize in tough times.
Scientists in Training (Rising 3rd - 6th Grades)- The best part about science is doing experiments and learning how to apply them to real life! Learn more about the world of science through fun activities and hands on experiments. Be prepared to get creative and messy as we explore a broad range of topics including space, the environment, volcanoes, and more.
Olympic Fencing (Rising 5th - 8th Grades)- FULL Open to beginner or intermediate level. Students will learn the basics of fencing (i.e. modern sword fighting) as practiced by Olympic athletes, specifically how to fence with an Epee. One of only five sports contested at every summer Olympic Games since 1896, fencing challenges participants both physically and mentally in a safe and fun environment. All standard practice and safety gear will be provided. Activities will include: instruction in techniques and tactics, rules and refereeing, safety and equipment; conditioning exercises and practice drills; fencing-based games; sparring matches; and a tournament to show off everything learned at the end.
Zombie Attack! (Rising 6th - 8th Grades)- Zombies have taken over the city and kids are the only way to save the population! Learn about disease outbreaks, how to prevent them, and how to stop them. Kids will use their creative thinking skills and knowledge to fight zombies and come up with an antidote through hands-on and science based activities. They will work together to keep the town safe and prevent a future outbreak. This course will use zombies to teach about health-related topics.
Experiment with Science (Rising 6th - 8th Grades)- In this class, you will learn about chemistry, electricity, and more as you craft amazing and exciting experiments! Each day features a new experiment. Monday - Learn about chemistry and viscosity as you make your own slime! Tuesday - Discover the world of magnetism as you create a dancing 'snake' using magnets! Wednesday - Learn to be a secret agent as you make disappearing ink! Thursday - Explore the properties of density as you make a lava lamp! Friday - Learn more about chemistry as you make your own soap!
Lit Dishes (Rising 8th - 12th Grades)- Join us as we delve into passages from classic books that center around delicious dishes! We will learn about the history behind different styles of cooking and era-specific food practices while cooking a variety of dishes. Everyone will finish the week with a cookbook of their design based on what we’ve learned. Recipes include Laura Ingalls’ heart-shaped cakes (Little House on the Prairie), Calpurnia’s crackling bread (To Kill a Mockingbird), Janie’s cornmeal dumpling and sausage soup (Their Eyes Were Watching God), Johnny and Sodapop’s barbecue chicken sandwiches (The Outsiders), and concludes with an outdoor picnic Camp Laurence style (Little Women).
PM Courses
Shark Week (Rising K - 2nd Grades)- Do you love Sharks? Then this is the place for you! Come learn about a different shark each day through books, videos, snacks, crafts, and science experiments! Our time together will be Shark-tastic!
Amazing Animal Adventures (Rising K - 2nd Grades)- Do you LOVE animals? In Amazing Animal Adventures we will learn about a different group of unique animals each day through read alouds, videos, virtual field trips, art projects, crafts and more. We will learn wild, crazy and fun facts along the way and will end each day with a silly "animal" activity!
Adventures with Eric Carle (Rising K - 2nd Grades)- What do butterflies, crickets, ladybugs, pythons, bears, and spiders have in common? Why, Eric Carle, of course. Just like us, some are hungry, some are quiet, some are lonely, and some are grouchy. We will read and explore the books of Eric Carle in this fun and whimsical author study. You will learn about his unique way of illustrating his books and even try on your own.
Adventures of Space and Beyond (Rising K - 2nd Grades)- Do you have an interest in exploring outer space and galaxies beyond? This class is the perfect place to learn more and have fun while doing it! We will be doing various hands-on crafts, games, and virtual exploration of outer space and other things that are out of this world! When you sign up for this course, your stars will align. You don’t want to miss it!
Outdoor Adventure and Nature Connection (Rising 1st - 4th Grades)- FULL Come explore the great outdoors with us as we experience all of the excitement that nature has to offer! We will learn outdoor wilderness skills, go indoor rock climbing, and play nature connection games throughout the week. This class will spark wonder about your natural surroundings, teach you new skills, and most importantly- get you outside!
Pop Up Bake Shop (Rising 1st - 5th Grades)- FULL *This is a full day course. If you choose this course for PM, you must also choose it for AM. This class takes place at the Explore More Discovery Museum.* Join us in our 3rd floor kitchen, because Explore More is opening a bakery! Well…at least for one week! Aspiring bakers/entrepreneurs will learn how to create yummy treats and explore what it takes to open and run a business. On Friday, students will host an outdoor bake sale to benefit the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank!
Ocean Art-Venture (Rising 2nd - 4th Grades)- FULL Join us for a week of ocean-themed creation! We'll take the opportunity to explore various materials and processes and finish the week with 6-7 amazing pieces for you to take home such as an octopus painting, Model Magic sea turtle sculpture, mixed media shark silhouettes, paper relief coral reef, giant origami fish/shark, painted rock fish, and sandcastle/ submarine sculpture.
3D Art and Sculpture (Rising 2nd - 5th Grades)- FULL Can a hamburger be a sculpture? Is Dr. Suess an architect? Is an ice cream cone a work of art? Can fish fly? We will be exploring 3D art and sculpture by looking at artists such as Claes Oldenburg, Henri Matisse, Wayne White, Louise Nevelson and Theodor Geisel. Students will sculpt and assemble using found material, clay, Model Magic, and paper mache, to name a few!
Let's Get Mythical (Rising 3rd - 5th Grades)- Are you fascinated by the legends of mythical creatures such as dragons, werewolves, mermaids, fairies, and the Loch Ness Monster? If so, this is the perfect experience for you! Join us as we embark on a magical journey through the mystical world of creatures from the four elements: earth, fire, air, and water. We’ll delve into the enchanting tales of these mythical creatures as we use our imagination to create fantastical crafts and even bring our very own creatures to life. Let's create a magical experience together!
Out of This World: Exploring Space (Rising 3rd - 5th Grades)- Plants and meteors and space rovers, Oh My! Come transform our classroom into the cosmos as we investigate all things outer space through a variety of hands on projects and technology. In this class you will get to research and create solar system models, build moving rovers to study our planets, experience what it’s like to be an astronaut for NASA, and much more! Join us for a fun filled week that is out of this world!
Let's Get Crafty (Rising 3rd - 6th Grades)- In this class, we are going to explore the many ways to craft. Each day we will create something new and unique that will allow you to express yourself. This class will make you think out of the box and make visions that come to life!
Kids in the Kitchen (Rising 4th - 6th Grades)- After kids learn basic kitchen safety skills, they will be introduced to cooking some of their favorite things and learn some skills that will help them to feel more confident in the kitchen such as cracking an egg, rolling out dough, using a microwave and oven, and reading and even creating their own recipes. Just a few of the recipes students may learn are bacon, egg and cheese muffins, pancakes, grilled cheese sandwiches, baking and decorating brownies and cookies, and ice cream sandwiches.
Deserted Island (Rising 5th - 8th Grades)- FULL Your relaxing summer vacation takes a turn for the worse when a blustery storm crashes your boat into a deserted island. You must work together with your boatmates to figure out how to survive and find a way off the island. Throughout the week, you will need to use the materials from the shipwreck to create a shelter, build a bridge, create a solar oven, fend off pirates with a catapult, and strap together a raft to sail off the island. Will you be able to survive? Come join us on these challenges as you grow your planning, problem-solving, and creativity skills!
Dungeons and Dragons (Rising 7th - 12th Grades)- Looking for adventure and intrigue? Want a platform to show off your creativity and intellect? Dungeons and Dragons is the popular table-top role-playing fantasy game loved the world over. Whether you are new to the table or a seasoned adventurer, this camp will give you what you need to take your character to the next level and provide plenty of time for actual game play. You'll be creative, use your brain, roll dice, and adapt to changing circumstances. Part storytelling, part puzzle, part cooperative strategy game...D&D has something for everyone!