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Ellis Abel Learns.

Week-Long STEM Summer Camp in Douglas County, SD

Parents in Douglas County, SD book summer in February and regret it in July. Douglas County is one of 66 counties in South Dakota. What separates a week worth repeating is whether the child was ever genuinely stuck and then unstuck.

Ages 6-14 · For families · South Dakota · Midwest

Week-Long STEM Summer Camp — Ellis Abel Learns STEM summer camp materials used in Douglas County, SD
Week-Long STEM Summer Camp — Ellis Abel Learns STEM summer camp materials used in Douglas County, SD

What the week actually is

Five days is the shortest span in which a child can carry one project from a bad first attempt to something they are proud of. Anything shorter produces a souvenir; a week produces a change in what they think they can do.

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

Douglas County, SD — what applies locally

  • Douglas County is one of 66 counties in South Dakota.
  • Every public school district inside Douglas County is eligible for the district licensing terms.
  • State: South Dakota · Region: Midwest

Questions we get from Douglas County, SD

Why a week and not two?
Two is better if the family can do it. One week is the minimum that produces a finished thing.
What happens on Friday?
A showcase where each child explains their build to the room, which is the hardest and most valuable hour of the week.
Can we do more than one week?
Yes, the themes are designed not to overlap.

Other camp themes in Douglas County

Week-Long STEM Camp elsewhere in South Dakota

All Week-Long STEM Camp locations · Full camp directory · Ask about a place