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College for Kids provides an enriching, educational, and fun experience for K - 8th grade students! This innovative program gives children the chance to expand their horizons and experience a world of knowledge beyond the K-12 curriculum. Children will work with area experts (JMU staff/students, teachers, etc.) to discover talents they never knew they had, explore new ideas/fields of study, and develop a new passion for learning!


GRADES: K - 8th

DATES: Saturdays from January 25 - February 22, 2025

Inclement weather make up date on Saturday, March 1 if needed.

TIME: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM each Saturday

PROGRAM FEE: $225

LOCATION: JMU's Memorial Hall (Unless otherwise specified below)

 

Course Options:

Arctic Adventures (K - 2nd grades): Bundle up for a good time as the weather gets colder, and join us in exploring the wonders of the Arctic. During this experience, students will make their own snowy scientific creations, participate in chilling challenges, discover the unique wildlife native to the Arctic, and become a true explorer. Don't miss this snowy adventure like no other!

Winter Makerland (K - 2nd grades): Description coming soon!

Children's Literature with Art & Science (K - 2nd Grades): Do you love stories? Do you love arts, crafts, and science experiments? What about when we put them all together? Each day will have a different overarching theme that will connect with children's books. We will hear stories and then create arts/crafts and experiment with science, all tied to the story we read! Come explore stories in a hands-on, fun and interactive way!

Outer Space Explorers (1st - 3rd grades): Blast off into an adventure! This course is all about space, planets, and stars. Each day, students will learn a new space fact, from the moon and stars to rockets and astronauts. We’ll make our own rocket ships, craft constellations out of marshmallows and toothpicks, and even design a model solar system. Perfect for young space enthusiasts ready to explore the galaxy!

Grow Your Green Thumb (2nd - 4th grades): Dive into the wonders of the natural world with Grow Your Green Thumb! Join us for a hands-on adventure where we engage in activities such as bug bingo, growing our own vibrant plants, and crafting stunning suncatchers out of recycled materials and other crafts (we'll even make edible dirt and worms)! Whether you're a budding botanist, an insect enthusiast, or a crafty creator, there’s something for everyone. Come grow, explore, and shine with us —where every meeting is a new adventure!

Journey around the World- A Cultural Exploration (2nd - 4th grades): In the Journey Around the World program, children embark on an adventure to explore diverse cultures from all over the world. Participants will engage in activities that highlight a culture's unique traditions, music, food, and art. Kids will enjoy hands-on crafts, such as making traditional masks or instruments, and participate in storytelling sessions that bring the rich histories of various cultures to life. Interactive games, dances, and even snacks and treats will be available to the students to help grow their understanding of other cultures. This program fosters appreciation for global diversity, encouraging friendships and understanding across cultures, and leaving children with a sense of wonder about the world around them.

3D Fantasy Art (3rd - 5th grades): Does a book have to have pages to turn? Can architecture be created with everyday items on a small scale? What kind of magical portal would a fairy use? Imaginative and colorful pieces will be created during this course, using clay, Model Magic, and other media. Several sculptural techniques will be used, including assemblage and additive and subtractive sculpture.

Put on Your Dancing Shoes and Your Theatre Mask (3rd - 5th grades): Are you looking for a fun way to preform theatre and dance in an ensemble? Learn dances and theatre games that will help you to grow your dancing skills and have confidence in public places! Open to all kids who want to have fun and work together as an ensemble to create art!

Whisk & Wonder- The Baking Basics (3rd - 5th grades): This fun and interactive five-week course is designed for young bakers to learn the basics of baking while making delicious treats from scratch. Students will create a new recipe each week, exploring essential baking skills like measuring, mixing, and decorating. In addition to baking, we’ll learn kitchen safety, cleaning up, and teamwork. This class is perfect for young food enthusiasts looking to have fun and build confidence in the kitchen! 

Scientists in Training (3rd - 6th grades): What's the best part about science? Doing crazy 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 (5th - 8th grades): THIS COURSE WILL TAKE PLACE AT GODWIN HALL. 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.

Robo Adventures- Programming with Finch Robots (5th - 8th grades): Dive into the exciting world of robotics with Finch robots! In this hands-on course, students will learn to program and control their very own robots, mastering movement, sensors, and advanced commands like loops and conditionals. By the end of the course, students will bring their robots to life with interactive projects and fun challenges that test their creativity and problem-solving skills.

Introduction to Engineering and Simple Technology (6th - 8th grades): Do you enjoy problem-solving, understanding how things work, and working with your hands? Try out the Introduction to Engineering and Simple Technology course! In this class, we'll be looking at the engineering design process and touching on technical skills like sketching. We'll have a hands-on activity every week. At the end of the course, we'll use the movie Big Hero 6 as a case study on the engineering design process and its progression to help wrap up all that we've learned. It'll be a super fun time filled with lots of learning opportunities! All you'll need is imagination, creativity, and an innovator's spirit!

Spies and Intelligence in American History- The Secrets of WWII and the
Cold War (6th - 8th grades): Step into the secretive world of espionage in Spies and Intelligence in American History, an engaging course designed for middle school students! This interactive course explores the critical role of spies and intelligence throughout U.S. history, with a focus on World War II and the Cold War. Students will dive into the exciting world of codebreakers, covert missions, and double agents who helped shape the outcome of major historical events. Through hands-on activities, students will take on the role of real-life spies, cracking secret codes in a Codebreaking Challenge similar to the famous Enigma codebreakers. We'll create our own spy identities, complete with secret missions and code names in a Create Your Spy Identity exercise. Using everyday household items, students will also learn how to send secret messages just like spies of WWII with Invisible Ink Letters. And finally, we’ll participate in a Spy vs. Spy Scavenger Hunt, using teamwork to solve puzzles and track down hidden "intel" around the program. By the end, students will have a deeper understanding of how espionage and intelligence influenced American history, all while having fun as junior spies!

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