Our Unique Program
Experience the joy of hands-on STEAM learning in this weekly summer camp designed for students in grades K - 8 who learn by doing. We take campers on learning adventures with weeks of STEAM activities, team-building exercises, and camper-run projects. As inventors-in-training, campers use their imagination, creativity, and engineering to prototype, build, and solve real-world problems.
Each week follows a different theme, so participants choose one or more weeks depending on their interests and schedule. Join us for one or more weeks to build things that fly, soar, float, and grow!
A special thank you to First Tech Federal Credit Union for your support in the 2022 STEAM Dream Camp.
What's unique about our STEAM Dream Camp?
Credentialed Educators
Led by credentialed teachers and staff counselors versed in teaching STEAM activities with a student-teacher ratio of 10:1
Kits and Curriculum Designed for Camp
Hands-on learning kits and activities emphasizing observation, creativity, experimentation, and problem solving
Show & Tell Your Own STEAM Stories
Creative activities that invite students to integrate stories with learning experiences, crafting stories they will treasure
Weekly Journey at a Glance
Found in Space is a week-long journey for campers to imagine themselves as inventors-in-training to tackle problems they are likely to face in space, like falling into gravity, exploring mysterious stars, and finding how big our solar system is as they design the ultimate intergalactic space station!
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Orientation STEAM Kit: Build rockets Design challenge: Landing pads & targets Student project |
Story + Mission STEAM Kit: Build devices that defy forces Design challenge: Build devices that defy forces Student project |
Story + Mission STEAM Kit: Build light separator Design challenge: Design your space helmet Student project |
Story + Mission STEAM Kit: Build solar system roundabout. Design challenge: Sun measurer Student project |
Show and tell your story STEAM Kit: Building flying objects for your next journey Imagine your next adventure in storytelling |
Autonomous Rover is a week-long journey for campers to imagine themselves as engineers-in-training to develop and test the best design for an autonomous rover that can travel over rough terrain using multiple sources of power to race in a collaboratively designed obstacle course/race track. Campers will design their cars and race to the finish line!
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Orientation STEAM Kit: Car on a roll Design challenge: Ramp it up! Student project |
Story + Mission STEAM Kit: Floating in air Design challenge: Bumpy terrain investigation Student project |
Story + Mission STEAM Kit: Power up your car Design challenge: Ways to speed up your car Student project |
Story + Mission STEAM Kit: Car circuits Design challenge: Electrify your car Student project |
Show and tell your story STEAM Kit: Building cars for your next journey Imagine your next adventure in storytelling |
Life Force is a week-long journey for campers to imagine themselves as biologists-in-training as they observe and investigate the biodiversity of Planet Earth and its interaction with the environment to develop the ideal habitat for specific organisms.
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Orientation STEAM Kit: Dying seed to new life Design challenge: How things are held together Student project |
Story + Mission STEAM Kit: Counting the Richness of Life Design challenge: Casting seeds to the wind Student project |
Story + Mission STEAM Kit: Capturing bugs Design challenge: Nesting like a bird Student project |
Story + Mission STEAM Kit: Bee a pollinator Design challenge: Design your own pollinating plant Student project |
Show and tell your story STEAM Kit: Amazing animal senses Imagine your next adventure in storytelling |
Watery World is a week-long journey for campers to imagine themselves as hydrologists-in-training as they investigate aspects of water such as cohesion, adhesion, surface tension, capillary action, and buoyancy to develop the best aquarium ever!
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Introduction to storytelling STEAM Kit: Be compact as water Design challenge: Inspired by water Student project |
Story + Mission STEAM Kit: Water walk watch Design challenge: Delivering drinking water Student project |
Story + Mission STEAM Kit: Wired on the water Design challenge: Water strider Student project |
Story + Mission STEAM Kit: What floats your boat? Design challenge: Paddle Boat Engineering Student project |
Show and tell your story STEAM Kit: Thinking Like a Real Survivor Imagine your next adventure in storytelling |
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FAQs
Camp activity times are listed below (Please see our camp registration page for pick-up and drop-off times):
Morning
9:00 - 9:45 Team Building Activity
9:45 - 10:00 SNACK
10:00 - 11:00 STEAM Build
11:00 - 11:10 BREAK
11:10 - 12:00 STEAM Build / Challenge
Afternoon
12:00 - 1:00 LUNCH
1:00 - 1:50 STEAM Build / Challenge/ Game
1:50 - 2:00 BREAK
2:00 - 3:00 STEAM Team Project
Orchard Campus
Lunch will be provided at no cost for Orchard students. For non-Orchard students, lunch may be provided for $20.
Sacred Heart Campus
Lunch will not be provided.
If your child(ren) is bringing snacks and lunch, please make sure all food is nut-free. To ensure the safety of our campers and staff with allergies, our camp is nut-free. We ask that campers and their parents/guardians please respect this policy and only bring lunches and snacks that are nut-free.
We are planning to offer our summer camp at other sites. We will make the announcement with more details in the near future.
Vaccination is not required for campers to attend the program. However, we highly recommend eligible campers be vaccinated for their safety and the safety of other campers.
If you need to cancel your registration, your request must be in writing to summerprogram@raft.net before dates noted below to be considered for refunds.
Cancellations made: Will receive
On or prior to May 5, 2023 90% refund
On or prior to June 2, 2023 50% refund
After June 3, 2023 No credit or refund
If RAFT cancels:
- If we cancel due to state, county, or school health orders or mandates, you will receive a 90% refund to the original payment method and a 10% credit that can be used through August 31, 2025.
- If we cancel for any other reason, you can choose between a 100% refund to the original payment method or a 100% credit that can be used through August 31, 2025.
- If we cancel in the middle of a weekly session due to state, county, or school health orders or mandates, you will receive a prorated credit based on the number of days canceled in that week that can be used through August 31, 2025.
Contact Us
We're happy to answer any questions related to STEAM Dream Camp:
Student Programs
summerprogram@raft.net
Join Our Team
Interested in working at RAFT's STEAM Dream Summer Camp?