STEAM Dream Camp
Join us for learning adventures! Our STEAM Dream Camp welcomes campers in grades K –8* to experience the joy of learning through hands-on STEAM activities.
We take campers on a journey with four weeks of STEAM activities. Each week follows a different theme, so campers get to choose one or more weeks depending on their interests and schedules. As inventors-in-training, campers use their imagination, creativity, and engineering to prototype, build, and solve real-world problems.
With an emphasis on collaborative learning, campers work together to build things that fly, soar, float, and grow. They assemble tools that stimulate observation, drawing, storytelling, and data collection skills for discoveries.
*Allowed student grades to STEAM Dream Camp are site-dependent
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
Campers engage in storytelling, STEAM hands-on exploration, and design challenges each week. There will also be a designated time for outdoor activities and breaks. The following schedule is not a set activity schedule and is subject to change:
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 |
Journey at a Glance
Adventurers
Orchard School Campus: Students in Fall '22 grades K–8
Sacred Heart School: Students in Fall '22 grades 3–5
Locations
Orchard School District
921 Fox Ln, San Jose, CA 95131
Sacred Heart School
13718 Saratoga Ave, Saratoga, CA 95070
Times
Orchard School Campus (8:00 AM - 4:00 PM), M-F
Sacred Heart School (8:15 AM - 3:30 PM), M-F
Dates*
Orchard School Campus: June 20 - 24th, 2022
Orchard School Campus: June 27 - July 1st, 2022
No session: July 4 - July 8th, 2022
Orchard School Campus: July 11 - July 15th, 2022
Orchard School Campus: July 18 - 22nd, 2022
Sacred Heart School: July 18 - 22nd, 2022
Sacred Heart School: July 25 - 29th, 2022
Tuition**
$449 per week, limited financial aid is available
*Each week will introduce a different theme so campers can enroll in week(s) that work with their schedule
** Orchard School District Students: Tuition is covered by the district
Sacred Heart School Students: $449 per week
Space is limited and registration is prioritized by Orchard Unified School District and Sacred Heart School;
we cannot guarantee registration to all students and will make every effort to accommodate students as space allows.
FAQs
If you signed up for our camp at the Orchard School Campus, the camp will be at 921 Fox Ln, San Jose, CA 95131. Camp classrooms are in Building B and D.
If you signed up for camp at the Sacred Heart Campus, the camp will be at 13718 Saratoga Ave, Saratoga, CA 95070.
- Masks
- Backpack (to bring kits and activities home)
- Filled water bottle with campers name on it
- Sunblock
*Campers cannot participate unless we have their signed RAFT Summer Camp Documents in our record.
Drop- off time is from 8:00 - 8:50 am every day in Building B. Please park your car in the school parking lot or on Fox Ln and you will see our camp signs and staff to guide you. You must sign your child(ren) into camp every morning.
Pick-up is from 3:00 - 4:00 pm every day outside Building D. We’ll have a RAFT staff at the check-out table to bring out your child(ren) from their classrooms. You must sign your child(ren) out every afternoon. Please arrive no later than 3:50 pm to allow time for sign-out.
In case of an emergency causing a late pickup, please notify our office by calling (408) 320-7086. Note, late pickups will be charged ($1 late fee per minute).*
*Please see Camp Pick-Up and Drop-Off Policy in the camp handbook for details.
Morning
8:00 - 8:50 Drop-off
8:50 - 9:00 TRANSITION
9:00 - 9:45 Maker Mind Activity
9:45 - 10:00 SNACK
10:00 - 11:00 STEAM Build
11:00 - 11:10 BREAK
11:10 - 12:00 STEAM Build / Design Challenge
Afternoon
12:00 - 1:00 LUNCH
1:00 - 1:50 STEAM Build / Design Challenge
1:50 - 2:00 BREAK
2:00 - 2:50 Student Project
2:50 - 3:00 BREAK
3:00 - 4:00 Pick up
Yes. Campers are required to wear masks. Please note the CDC recommendations for use and care of masks.
Yes, anyone authorized to pick up your child must bring their photo IDs and be listed in the signed Camper Information Form.
Your camper’s safety is important to us. Our staff manual and training include emergency procedures for both expected and unexpected situations to keep your camper(s) safe.
In the event that campers can no longer participate in activities due to unexpected circumstances, the camp director will contact parents/legal guardians directly.
Please do note that in the event of a camp-wide emergency, we’ll leave our phone line open to contact emergency services. We would ask parents to check for updates on our camp webpage and social media. We’ll do our best to keep you informed.
We encourage eligible campers to be vaccinated for their safety and the safety of other campers.
For students at the Orchard campus, lunch will be provided at no cost.
If your child(ren) is bringing their own 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.
There is limited financial aid available for students who require significant financial assistance to attend STEAM Dream Camp. Aid is granted based on need. Please email summerprogram@raft.net for the financial aid application. The deadline to submit a financial aid application is May 13th, 2022.
We are planning to offer our summer camp at other sites. We will make the announcement with more details in the near future.
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 13, 2022 90% refund
On or prior to June 3, 2022 50% refund
After June 3, 2022 No credit or refund
If RAFT cancels:
- If we cancel due to state, county, or school health orders or mandate, you will receive a 90% refund to the original payment method and a 10% credit that can be used through August 31, 2024.
- 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, 2024.
- 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 cancelled in that week that can be used through August 31, 2024.
Contact Us
We're happy to answer any questions related to STEAM Dream Camp:
Student Programs
summerprogram@raft.net