Acera Vacation Camp will run February 16 to 19, 2021
For the safety of all participants during the pandemic, Acera’s 2021 February STEAM camps are virtual.
This February Vacation, kids can build forts, explore renewable energies, create your own works of art, take on engineering design challenges, and more!
Acera camps are creativity-based arts and sciences programs where children can nurture their natural desire to inquire, create, and innovate. With emphases on critical thought, creative problem solving, and integration of content areas, our diverse offerings inspire all types of learners and thinkers. Our staff consists of professionals with significant experience in the classroom and in their own fields of expertise. Among them are award winners, active research scientists, and working artists who believe in offering high caliber, authentic, engaging instruction.
Timing: Morning camps: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm, with a snack and movement break from 10:30-11:00 Afternoon camps: 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, with a snack and movement break from 2:30-3:00 Pricing: $75 per camp FINANCIAL AID: Limited financial aid through Acera’s Reed Hollett Scholarship Fund is available and awarded based on demonstrated need. Please email us at enrichment@aceraschool.org to request a Scholarship Application. Our Approach At Acera, we believe that deep exploration of STEAM subjects should begin early. Our hands-on learning environment allows elementary and middle school children to nurture their natural desire to inquire, create, and innovate; and experiment with content and concepts usually reserved for older students–or not introduced during K-12 school years at all. With emphases on critical thought, creative problem solving, and integration of content areas, our programs inspire all types of learners and thinkers. Students discover engineering, biotechnology, math, arts, theater, design, electronics, music, chemistry, physics, teamwork, friendships — and who they are: as individuals, learners, and collaborators. What to Expect Our STEAM Learning Lab is designed to challenge students of all ages and learning styles. Participants should expect to tackle difficult, enticing problems, individually and in groups. They should anticipate taking the time to incorporate new techniques as they create unique works of art or design experimental protocols or novel engineering solutions. TUESDAY, Feb. 16 Morning programs Team up with your friends to create characters, invent stories, and explore new imaginary worlds in this roleplaying club! These D&D-inspired games are adapted for younger players. Instructor: Dylan Foley, Acera songwriting teacher, instrument maker and cooking enthusiast Ready to learn the secrets behind your favorite baked goods? Join us for Baking with Kids as we learn the tools, tips and recipes that make any baker a success! Recipes may include: cookies, muffins, pizza and cake. Instructor: Emily Achilles Stefanich, Core Classroom Teacher If laughter is the best medicine, then this camp is just what the doctor ordered! With purpose-driven “shortform” improvisation games and finely tuned exercises, students will build a toolbox of scenic initiation techniques to help scenes start off with a bang. You’ll also explore group scenes and “longform” scenework. Boost your comedic confidence and enjoy hours of team-building fun in this improv camp. Instructor: Alyssa Osiecki, Acera theater teacher Afternoon programs Stop motion animation is the filmmaking technique behind favorites such as Wallace and Gromit and The Fantastic Mr. Fox. In this inventive camp, participants will use stop motion animation to create special effects inspired by their own imagination! Instructor: Dylan Foley, Acera songwriting teacher, instrument maker and cooking enthusiast Invent funny characters, sketch everyday objects and explore your imagination through lines and watercolor. Projects will be from both observation and your imagination! Instructor: Marcy Sacks, Acera enrichment teacher Who’s ready to build? Kids tackle design and building challenges while learning about physics, math, design, and more. Instructor, Adam Rosell, Acera engineering teacher WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 Morning programs There are magical creatures out there, from fairies to brownies to trolls to narcoblixes… We better be equipped and well-trained when we meet them! This program is for everyone ready to jump times zones, step through portals into the otherworld, enter preserves of magical creatures, and all around leave realism behind. We’ll build a clever fort in our living rooms or bedrooms (it will have all the right protections so invisible invaders can’t enter), make costumes and other props we need, design our own characters, and spend our time in a world only we can imagine together. Instructor: Dylan Foley, Acera songwriting teacher and cooking enthusiast It’s showtime! In this hands on theater arts class, students will create characters using puppets and masks of their own making, and bring them to life through skits and theater games. Instructor: Alyssa Osiecki, Acera theater teacher Imagine yourself in a far off land… Then, through the digital “magic” of Photoshop, you can look at the pictures of yourself visiting! We’ll learn to use photography and photoshop to create extraordinary images of ourselves doing impossible things, visiting places we could never go, or maybe just lounging on the best beach ever. It’s up to you! Instructor: Marcy Sacks, Acera enrichment teacher Afternoon programs How does what we eat reflect who we are? Why do some cultures eat with chopsticks, others on banana leaves? Through a tour of food history, geography, and biology, deepen your knowledge and skills in the kitchen! Each class will explore concepts through hands-on cooking classes, ending in taste testing. Instructor: Dylan Foley, Acera songwriting teacher and cooking enthusiast Discover the world of thermodynamics, electricity, photons, and greenhouse effect! Campers will design and engineer prototypes using solar power as the energy source. Fun building challenges – a different one each day – may include solar powered cars, solar ovens, and more! Instructor: Adam Rosell, Acera engineering teacher Build your photography portfolio as you master the use of cameras as powerful tools to create beautiful images. Learn foundational concepts of composition, and practice editing techniques that enhance the final image. Any kind of camera, phone, or iPad is appropriate, and students can use Photoshop – or free alternatives such as Gimp or Pixlr – for editing. Instructor: Jack Blake, Professional Photographer with 40+ years experience THURSDAY, Feb. 18 Morning programs Team up with your friends to create characters, invent stories, and explore new imaginary worlds in this roleplaying club! These D&D-inspired games are adapted for younger players. Instructor: Dylan Foley, Acera songwriting teacher, instrument maker and cooking enthusiast Ready to learn the secrets behind your favorite baked goods? Join us for Baking with Kids as we learn the tools, tips and recipes that make any baker a success! Recipes may include: cookies, muffins, pizza and cake. Instructor: Emily Achilles Stefanich, Core Classroom Teacher If laughter is the best medicine, then this camp is just what the doctor ordered! With purpose-driven “shortform” improvisation games and finely tuned exercises, students will build a toolbox of scenic initiation techniques to help scenes start off with a bang. You’ll also explore group scenes and “longform” scenework. Boost your comedic confidence and enjoy hours of team-building fun in this improv camp. Instructor: Alyssa Osiecki, Acera theater teacher Afternoon programs Stop motion animation is the filmmaking technique behind favorites such as Wallace and Gromit and The Fantastic Mr. Fox. In this inventive camp, participants will use stop motion animation to create special effects inspired by their own imagination! Instructor: Dylan Foley, Acera songwriting teacher, instrument maker and cooking enthusiast Who’s ready to build? Kids tackle design and building challenges while learning about physics, math, design, and more. Instructor, Adam Rosell, Acera engineering teacher Build your photography portfolio as you master the use of cameras as powerful tools to create beautiful images. Learn foundational concepts of composition, and practice editing techniques that enhance the final image. Any kind of camera, phone, or iPad is appropriate, and students can use Photoshop – or free alternatives such as Gimp or Pixlr – for editing. Instructor: Jack Blake, Professional Photographer with 40+ years experience FRIDAY, Feb. 19 Morning programs There are magical creatures out there, from fairies to brownies to trolls to narcoblixes… We better be equipped and well-trained when we meet them! This program is for everyone ready to jump times zones, step through portals into the otherworld, enter preserves of magical creatures, and all around leave realism behind. We’ll build a clever fort in our living rooms or bedrooms (it will have all the right protections so invisible invaders can’t enter), make costumes and other props we need, design our own characters, and spend our time in a world only we can imagine together. Instructor: Dylan Foley, Acera songwriting teacher and cooking enthusiast It’s showtime! In this hands on theater arts class, students will create characters using puppets and masks of their own making, and bring them to life through skits and theater games. Instructor: Alyssa Osiecki, Acera theater teacher Build your photography portfolio as you master the use of cameras as powerful tools to create beautiful images. Learn foundational concepts of composition, and practice editing techniques that enhance the final image. Any kind of camera, phone, or iPad is appropriate, and students can use Photoshop – or free alternatives such as Gimp or Pixlr – for editing. Instructor: Jack Blake, Professional Photographer with 40+ years experience Afternoon Programs How does what we eat reflect who we are? Why do some cultures eat with chopsticks, others on banana leaves? Through a tour of food history, geography, and biology, deepen your knowledge and skills in the kitchen! Each class will explore concepts through hands-on cooking classes, ending in taste testing. Instructor: Dylan Foley, Acera songwriting teacher and cooking enthusiast Discover the world of thermodynamics, electricity, photons, and greenhouse effect! Campers will design and engineer prototypes using solar power as the energy source. Fun building challenges – a different one each day – may include solar powered cars, solar ovens, and more! Instructor: Adam Rosell, Acera engineering teacher
February 2021 Vacation Camp
Time of Day Tuesday, Feb. 16 Wednesday, Feb. 17 Thursday, Feb. 18 Friday, Feb. 19
Morning: 9:00am to 12:00pm Junior Role Playing Games (ages 5-8) Forts, Fantasy & Friends (ages 5-8) Junior Role Playing Games (ages 5-8) Forts, Fantasy & Friends (ages 5-8)
Morning: 9:00am to 12:00pm Baking with Kids (ages 9+) Puppetry and Masks (ages 7-10) Baking with Kids (ages 9+) Puppetry and Masks (ages 7-10)
Morning: 9:00am to 12:00pm Improvapaloosa!(ages 10+) Digital Art: Photoshop Adventures (ages 8+) Improvapaloosa!(ages 10+) Photography: Composition & Editing (ages 10+)
Afternoon: 1:00pm to 4:00pm Stop Motion Animation (ages 7+) Kitchen Kids (ages 7+) Stop Motion Animation (ages 7+) Kitchen Kids (ages 7+)
Afternoon: 1:00pm to 4:00pm Drawing and Doodling (ages 8-11) Renewable Energies (ages 8-12) Engineering Design Challenges (ages 10+) Renewable Energies (ages 8-12)
Afternoon: 1:00pm to 4:00pm Engineering Design Challenges (ages 10+) Photography: Composition & Editing (ages 10+) Photography: Composition & Editing (ages 10+)
Junior Role Playing Games
Ages 5-8 REGISTER
Baking with Kids
Ages 9+ (kids ages 7-8 may join if they have the help of an older sibling or adult). REGISTER
Improvapalooza!
Ages 10+ REGISTER
Stop Motion Animation
Ages 7-10 REGISTER
Drawing & Doodling
Ages 8-11 REGISTER
Engineering Design Challenges
Ages 10+ REGISTER
Forts, Fantasy, and Friends
Ages 5-8 REGISTER
Puppetry and Masks
Ages 7-10 REGISTER
Digital Art: Photoshop Yourself Around the World
Ages 8+ REGISTER
Kitchen Kids
Ages 7+ REGISTER
Renewable Energies
Ages 8-12 REGISTER
Photography: Composition and Editing
Ages 10+ REGISTERJunior Role Playing Games
Ages 5-8 REGISTER 
Baking with Kids
Ages 9+ (kids ages 7-8 may join if they have the help of an older sibling or adult) REGISTER
Improvapalooza!
Ages 10+ REGISTERStop Motion Animation
Ages 7-10 REGISTER
Engineering Design Challenges
Ages 10+ REGISTER
Photography: Composition and Editing
Ages 10+ REGISTER
Forts, Fantasy, and Friends
Ages 5-8 REGISTERPuppetry and Masks
Ages 7-10 REGISTERPhotography: Composition and Editing
Ages 10+ REGISTER
Kitchen Kids
Ages 7+ REGISTERRenewable Energies
Ages 8-12 REGISTER
At Acera, we believe a school’s success can be measured far beyond its standardized test scores. How happy are its students? Do they feel a sense of purpose at school? Are they developing a capacity for perspective taking and problem solving? Are teachers using evidence-based approaches to pedagogy? Acera’s Education Innovation team is working to change how we measure education to include students’ core capacities, faculty’s use of evidence-based practices, a positive school culture, and standards and achievement.
Tech Hub enables students to emerge as community-minded technologists able to solve problems to benefit the whole school. More a philosophy than a place, Tech Hub can start as simply a cart in a cafeteria with one student fired up to be a knowledgable, technically skillful community member. Concurrently developing emotional intelligence skills and a wide array of technological abilities, Tech Hub members model and spread an attitude of fearlessness at using STEM tools to solve real problems.
Small children can understand big ideas, and computer science is no exception. Acera’s hands-on “Computers and Me” curriculum introduces early elementary students to computer science concepts, and is one example of many creative ways computational thinking and technical fluency can be developed throughout K-12 education, starting at age 5. Pilot-tested and ready to translate for adoption by public schools, these computer science learning approaches help students become facile and fearless.
What if math classes are organized based on what each student is ready to learn, rather than by age? This f
How can educators unleash the initiative and creativity inherent in all children? 