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Ellis Abel Learns.

STEM Summer Camp in Ames, IA

The Ames, IA metro area has about 128,090 residents, ranking 323rd in the country. The case for stem summer camp here is not that the area lacks camps — it is that most of them end without the child being able to explain what they made.

Ages 5-14 · For families · Iowa · Midwest

STEM Summer Camp — Ellis Abel Learns STEM summer camp materials used in Ames, IA
STEM Summer Camp — Ellis Abel Learns STEM summer camp materials used in Ames, IA

What the week actually is

A STEM summer camp is worth the money only if the child comes home able to explain what they built. Ellis Abel Learns runs on one habit — staying in a hard problem past the point it stops being fun — and every project in the week is chosen because it cannot be finished by guessing.

Day by day

  1. Pick the problem and write the prediction
  2. First build, first failure
  3. Diagnose what actually went wrong
  4. Rebuild and test against the prediction
  5. Showcase: explain it to the room

Ames, IA — what applies locally

  • The Ames, IA metro area has about 128,090 residents, ranking 323rd in the country.
  • Metro area: Ames, IA
  • State: Iowa · Region: Midwest

Questions we get from Ames, IA

What ages is the camp for?
Five through fourteen, split into age bands so a six-year-old and a thirteen-year-old are not handed the same worksheet.
What does my child come home with?
A finished build and the ability to explain it. Parents get a weekly summary of what was attempted, what failed, and what got fixed.
Do we need to buy anything?
No. Everything needed for the week is in the kit, and nothing depends on a device your family does not already own.

Other camp themes in Ames

Robotics CampAges 8-14Coding CampAges 7-14Engineering 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

STEM Summer Camp elsewhere in Iowa

Des Moines, IAMetro areaDavenport, IAMetro areaCedar Rapids, IAMetro areaIowa City, IAMetro areaWaterloo, IAMetro areaSioux City, IAMetro areaDubuque, IAMetro areaWest Des Moines, IACity

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