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Ellis Abel Learns.

Engineering Summer Camp in Kalamazoo, MI

There is no shortage of summer options in Kalamazoo, MI. There is a shortage of weeks a child talks about in September, and that is the bar engineering summer camp has to clear.

Ages 7-14 · For families · Michigan · Midwest

Engineering Summer Camp — Ellis Abel Learns STEM summer camp materials used in Kalamazoo, MI
Engineering Summer Camp — Ellis Abel Learns STEM summer camp materials used in Kalamazoo, MI

What the week actually is

Engineering week is constraints week. A bridge that must hold a weight, with a fixed pile of materials and a deadline. Children who have never been told no by a problem before meet one here, and learn that the answer is a redesign, not a tantrum.

Day by day

  1. Constraints and a materials budget
  2. First build, first collapse
  3. Redesign from what failed
  4. Load test to destruction, record the number
  5. Showcase: defend the design choice

Kalamazoo, MI — what applies locally

  • The Kalamazoo–Portage, MI metro area has about 263,795 residents, ranking 192nd in the country.
  • Metro area: Kalamazoo–Portage, MI
  • State: Michigan · Region: Midwest

Questions we get from Kalamazoo, MI

What do they build?
Load-bearing structures, simple machines, catapults, water filters — physical things that either work or fall over.
Is it messy?
Yes. That is not incidental.
Do they work alone or in teams?
Both. Solo build first, then a team build where they have to defend a design choice out loud.

Other camp themes in Kalamazoo

STEM Summer CampAges 5-14Robotics CampAges 8-14Coding CampAges 7-14Science CampAges 5-14Math CampAges 5-14Space CampAges 7-14Drone CampAges 9-14Game Design CampAges 8-14AI CampAges 10-14Electronics CampAges 8-14Chemistry CampAges 9-14Nature Science CampAges 5-133D Printing CampAges 9-14Minecraft STEM CampAges 7-12Girls STEM CampAges 7-14Neurodivergent STEM CampAges 6-14Preschool STEM CampAges 3-5Elementary STEM CampAges 5-10Middle School STEM CampAges 11-14High School STEM CampAges 14-18Half-Day STEM CampAges 5-12Week-Long STEM CampAges 6-14Affordable STEM CampAges 5-14Virtual STEM CampAges 7-14Curriculum LicensingAges K-8Church Youth STEMAges 5-14After-School LicensingAges 5-14District Summer STEMAges K-8Parks & Rec STEM CampAges 5-13Homeschool Co-op STEMAges 5-14YMCA STEM CurriculumAges 5-14Daycare Summer STEMAges 3-6Start a STEM CampAges K-8

Engineering Camp elsewhere in Michigan

Detroit, MIMetro areaGrand Rapids, MIMetro areaLansing, MIMetro areaFlint, MIMetro areaAnn Arbor, MIMetro areaSaginaw, MIMetro areaMuskegon, MIMetro areaJackson, MIMetro area

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