Load-bearing structures, simple machines, catapults, water filters — physical things that either work or fall over.

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.

Engineering Summer Camp in Washington, DC

There is no shortage of summer options in Washington, DC. 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 · Washington, D.C. · South

Engineering Summer Camp — Ellis Abel Learns STEM summer camp materials used in Washington, DC

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

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

Washington, DC — what applies locally

The Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV metro area has about 6,465,724 residents, ranking 7th in the country.
Metro area: Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV
State: Washington, D.C. · Region: South

Questions we get from Washington, DC

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 Washington

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Engineering Camp elsewhere in Washington, D.C.

District of Columbia, DCCounty

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