ACADEMIES
FOR YOUNG
MINDS

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Summer Camps in 2024 for Elementary, Middle, and High School Students

We anticipate these camps being available in the Summer of 2024:

Sign up for our mailing list now so you will be notified as soon as registration for the camps opens in early Spring 2024.

Academies for Young Minds

Academies for Young Minds camps encourage children to be innovative and use creative problem-solving by engaging them in fun, hands-on activities.

Please be sure to check the grade levels associated with each camp, since not all camps are available for all grade levels.

Please be sure to read the General Information section at the bottom of this page.

Registration for these camps opens on Thursday, March 7th, 2024 at 8:00 am MST.

Summer 2024 Camps

Registration for Academies for Young Minds Summer Camps is open now!

Due to the world-wide COVID-19 pandemic, most Academies for Young Minds Summer Camps scheduled for June, July, and August 2020 have been canceled. Four REMOTE camps are available.

Uplifting Science via Zoom!     Grades in Fall 2020

Session I*

When: June 15-19, 2020 (Monday - Friday) • 10:00am - 11:00am

Where: Remote via Zoom

Maximum students: 20

Fee: $75.00

Instructor: Brian Hostetler Learn more...

Brian has more than 20 years experience leading camps and other science based programs at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the St. Louis Science Center and the University of Missouri Before and After School Programs. He has been a guest many times on local news outlets teaching anchors about some of the wonderful and weird things science can show you every day. He is currently working in the Cherry Creek School District teaching science and classroom teaching around the area. He holds a B.S. in Elementary Education and a M.Ed. in Science Education from the University of Missouri. He's crazy excited to learn and explore with your kiddos this summer!

Session II*

When: July 20-24, 2020 (Monday - Friday) • 10:00am - 11:00am

Where: Remote via Zoom

Maximum students: 20

Fee: $75.00

Instructor: Brian Hostetler Learn more...

Brian has more than 20 years experience leading camps and other science based programs at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the St. Louis Science Center and the University of Missouri Before and After School Programs. He has been a guest many times on local news outlets teaching anchors about some of the wonderful and weird things science can show you every day. He is currently working in the Cherry Creek School District teaching science and classroom teaching around the area. He holds a B.S. in Elementary Education and a M.Ed. in Science Education from the University of Missouri. He's crazy excited to learn and explore with your kiddos this summer!

* Sessions I and II are the same camp, but offered at different times.

Are your kids tired of being home all day, and are you wishing they could "elevate" their game? Want an hour to keep them occupied and maybe learn some pretty sweet science in the process? You're in luck, for the first time we are bringing one of our Academies for Young Minds camps to your home, from our home! Kids going into grades 1-3 can learn remotely with educator Brian Hostetler about the science of our favorite fluid...air! In this program kids can experiment with catching, releasing, and heating up little bits of the atmosphere we breathe every day. Projects include - hot air balloons, parachute drops, homemade kites, and much more.

Students must have a device that is Zoom capable, access to wifi, and some basic kitchen and household items (a shopping list will be sent out via email before the camp).

Charged Up! via Zoom     Grades in Fall 2020

Session I*

When: July 6-10, 2020 (Monday - Friday) • 10:00am - 11:00am

Where: Remote via Zoom

Maximum students: 20

Fee: $75.00

Instructor: Brian Hostetler Learn more...

Brian has more than 20 years experience leading camps and other science based programs at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the St. Louis Science Center and the University of Missouri Before and After School Programs. He has been a guest many times on local news outlets teaching anchors about some of the wonderful and weird things science can show you every day. He is currently working in the Cherry Creek School District teaching science and classroom teaching around the area. He holds a B.S. in Elementary Education and a M.Ed. in Science Education from the University of Missouri. He's crazy excited to learn and explore with your kiddos this summer!

Session II*

When: July 13-17, 2020 (Monday - Friday) • 10:00am - 11:00am

Where: Remote via Zoom

Maximum students: 20

Fee: $75.00

Instructor: Brian Hostetler Learn more...

Brian has more than 20 years experience leading camps and other science based programs at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the St. Louis Science Center and the University of Missouri Before and After School Programs. He has been a guest many times on local news outlets teaching anchors about some of the wonderful and weird things science can show you every day. He is currently working in the Cherry Creek School District teaching science and classroom teaching around the area. He holds a B.S. in Elementary Education and a M.Ed. in Science Education from the University of Missouri. He's crazy excited to learn and explore with your kiddos this summer!

* Sessions I and II are the same camp, but offered at different times.

Time to get electric at home with electrostatics and current electricity. Move objects with electricity, create power with your food, light up your life, and more in this interactive socially distanced learning experience!

Students must have a device that is Zoom capable, access to wifi, and some basic kitchen and household items (a shopping list will be sent out via email before the camp).

Uplifting Science!     Grades in Fall 2020

This camp has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When: June 1-4, 2020 (Monday - Thursday) • 9:00am - 12:00pm

Flight School     Grades in Fall 2020

This camp has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When: June 1-4, 2020 (Monday - Thursday) • 1:00pm - 4:00pm

Rocky Mountain Geology     Grades

This camp has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When: June 8-9, 2020 (Monday - Tuesday) • 9:00am - 4:00pm

Biology Everywhere: Where to Find the Science of Life     Grades in Fall 2020

This camp has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When: June 8-11, 2020 (Monday - Thursday) • 9:00am - 4:00pm

(Camp also offered in July; see below)

Rocking Robot Vehicle     Grades

This camp has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When: June 10-11, 2020 (Wednesday - Thursday) • 9:00am - 4:00pm

It's Electric     Grades in Fall 2020

This camp has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When: June 15-18, 2020 (Monday - Thursday) • 1:00pm - 4:00pm

Curious Chemistry    Grades in Fall 2020

This camp has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When: June 22-25, 2020 (Monday - Thursday) • 9:00am - 12:00pm

Do You See What I See?     Grades in Fall 2020

When: July 13-16, 2020 (Monday - Thursday) • 9:00am - 12:00pm

Where: Colorado School of Mines campus • Golden, Colorado

Maximum students: 20

Fee: $190.00

Instructor: Brian Hostetler Learn more...

Brian has more than 20 years experience leading camps and other science based programs at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the St. Louis Science Center and the University of Missouri Before and After School Programs. He has been a guest many times on local news outlets teaching anchors about some of the wonderful and weird things science can show you every day. He is currently working in the Cherry Creek School District teaching science and classroom teaching around the area. He holds a B.S. in Elementary Education and a M.Ed. in Science Education from the University of Missouri. He's crazy excited to learn and explore with your kiddos this summer!

Light up your life with a program all about using light and science for evil...ok, maybe not evil, but fun! Bouncing lasers, colored lights, and glow in the dark walls abound in this interactive and enlightening camp.

Biology Everywhere: Where to Find the Science of Life     Grades in Fall 2020

When: July 20-23, 2020 (Monday - Thursday) • 9:00am - 4:00pm

(Camp also offered in June; see above)

Where: Colorado School of Mines campus • Golden, Colorado

Maximum students: 20

Fee: $360.00

Instructor: Dr. Melanie Peffer Learn more...

Melanie Peffer has her PhD in molecular biology and has spent the last seven years studying how people learn and understand biology. She is passionate about getting others excited about biology and seeing the relevance of biology in their daily lives. Melanie is the author of Biology Everywhere: How the Science of Life Matters to Everyday Life and numerous research articles and essays on biology education topics, including how to promote positive attitudes towards biology and science among students. She has taught biology to all ages, from first grade to senior citizens and particularly likes working with kids in camp settings. Melanie enjoys playing her flute, quilting, and playing with her two-year-old son.

Where have you experienced biology today? Come explore the science of life and create art with bacteria, learn about the fascinating animals in your backyard, and experience biology in a new light.

Light it Up: Exploration into the World of Light!     Grades in Fall 2024

When: June 10-14, 2024 (Monday - Friday) • 9:00am - 12:00pm

Where: Colorado School of Mines campus • Golden, Colorado

Maximum students: 25

Fee: $315.00

Instructor: Brandon Reynolds Learn more...

Brandon Reynolds is a 3rd year PhD student in the Chemical Engineering program at Colorado School of Mines. He works on quantum device fabrication techniques that use light to maneuver and manipulate individual particles that are a fraction of the width of human hair. He has taught classes at the college level and has taught science classes to 6th and 7th graders in the Denver area about viscosity, flow, and pressure. He has also tutored at Colorado School of Mines for five years. He demonstrated a laser interference lab for Mitchell Elementary during their Math & Science night.

Instructor: Brody Sevart Learn more...

Brodrick Sevart is a 1st year PhD student in the Advanced Energy Systems at Colorado School of Mines and NREL. His work is focused around creating low energy computing devices which mimic how the brain's neurons communicate using photovoltaic materials. His work at Mines focuses on manufacturing techniques and electrical characterization of devices, while at NREL he works on making thin layers of materials which will absorb light. He has taught many elementary students at different STEM events and has been a TA for global sustainability classes.

Explore how light illuminates the world around us. You'll create and learn about things that glow in the dark, things that generate power from light, and things that can move light around in interesting ways!

Light it Up: Exploration into the World of Light!     Grades in Fall 2024

When: June 10-14, 2024 (Monday - Friday) • 1:00pm - 4:00pm

Where: Colorado School of Mines campus • Golden, Colorado

Maximum students: 25

Fee: $315.00

Instructor: Sara Russo Learn more...

Sara Russo is a 3rd year PhD student in the Chemical and Biological Engineering program at Colorado School of Mines. She studies how nanoparticles can use light to drive chemistry at the nanoscale. At NREL, she works with a transient absorption spectrometer that uses light to see reactions occur at ultrafast time scales. She has always been fascinated by the physics of light. She has been a TA at Mines for Mass and Energy Balances as well as the General Biology Lab.

Instructor: Lauren Cisneros Learn more...

Lauren Cisneros is a 1st year PhD student in the Chemical Engineering program at Colorado School of Mines. Her current work revolves around using photothermal heterodyne imaging to investigate quantum devices and thin films with high spatial and temporal resolution. To do so she works with lasers both computationally and physically to image and investigate these systems. She has tutored middle and high school students in math and chemistry, both informally and as her own business. She has also been a TA for college introductory Biology where she led the laboratory section.

Explore how light illuminates the world around us. You'll create and learn about things that glow in the dark, things that generate power from light, and things that can move light around in interesting ways!

The above two "Light it Up camps" are the same camps, but offered for different grade levels.

Toy Engineering Challenge     Grades in Fall 2024

When: July 8-11, 2024 (Monday - Thursday) • 9:00am - 12:00pm

Where: Colorado School of Mines campus • Golden, Colorado

Maximum students: 20

Fee: $265.00

Instructor: Tiffany KaplerLearn more...

Tiffany is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) education specialist and consultant. Her background and interests are in biology and informal education (think museums, zoos, nature centers, etc.). That said, she is a learner at heart and loves to stretch herself and grow. Tiffany started her science education career as an environmental education Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia and expanded her science repertoire as an educator "Jack of all trades" at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science for the better part of a decade.

Currently, Tiffany runs her own STEM education and consulting business. She has worked on various projects with organizations such as the Denver Zoo and the New York Academy of Sciences. She has tackled robotics programming for NYC First, written curricula for NPR's Science Friday, and supported the education and public outreach efforts for NASA's Lucy Mission to Jupiter's Trojan asteroids. For the past six years (and counting) she has stayed connected to her audience as a Girl Scout troop leader.

Tiffany is passionate about helping the public to understand the nature of science as a way of exploring and understanding the world. She also loves to share the concept of Design Thinking as a method of real-world problem solving. She believes that there is a little bit of scientist and inventor in all of us and thrills in guiding others through their own "why's" and "ah-ha" moments.

Have you ever dreamed of being an inventor? How about a toy inventor? Join us as we explore, experiment, and play with scientific principles. Use your new discoveries to invent and build your very own toys. Pre-requisites: a curious mind and a lively imagination.

Girl Power: Robotics for Good (open to boys and girls)     Grades in Fall 2024.

When: July 8-11, 2024 (Monday - Thursday) • 1:00pm - 4:00pm

Where: Colorado School of Mines campus • Golden, Colorado

Maximum students: 20

Fee: $275.00

Instructor: Tiffany KaplerLearn more...

Tiffany is a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) education specialist and consultant. Her background and interests are in biology and informal education (think museums, zoos, nature centers, etc.). That said, she is a learner at heart and loves to stretch herself and grow. Tiffany started her science education career as an environmental education Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia and expanded her science repertoire as an educator "Jack of all trades" at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science for the better part of a decade.

Currently, Tiffany runs her own STEM education and consulting business. She has worked on various projects with organizations such as the Denver Zoo and the New York Academy of Sciences. She has tackled robotics programming for NYC First, written curricula for NPR's Science Friday, and supported the education and public outreach efforts for NASA's Lucy Mission to Jupiter's Trojan asteroids. For the past six years (and counting) she has stayed connected to her audience as a Girl Scout troop leader.

Tiffany is passionate about helping the public to understand the nature of science as a way of exploring and understanding the world. She also loves to share the concept of Design Thinking as a method of real-world problem solving. She believes that there is a little bit of scientist and inventor in all of us and thrills in guiding others through their own "why's" and "ah-ha" moments.

Design, build and program real robots using Micro:bit processors and your own imagination. As you create unique and completely autonomous robots, you'll explore women in robotics and how robots can be designed to make the world a better place. Participation is open to all. Girl Scout Junior and Cadette campers will complete the steps for all three Robotics badges at their level (badges not included). Note: Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop or Chromebook if they have one to access the Micro:bit coding app/website.

Registration for the Summer 2024 camps

The following registration options are available:

  • Register for any of the camps/sessions listed above and charge the full registration fee to your credit card online. Registration is limited to the maximum number listed for any camp/session.
  • If the camp has filled, you can place your name on the waiting list. Please do not hesitate to use the waiting list as we typically get a few cancellations as summer approaches and plans change.
Click this button to register for any of the camps.

General Information

Camp participants must be picked up no later than 15 minutes after the end of the last session for which they are enrolled on each day of the camp. Late pickups will result in a charge of $20.00 for each occurrence.

For campers attending a morning and afternoon ½ day camp during the week, there will be a supervised lunch each day. Campers will need to bring a sack lunch.

Prerequisites and Restrictions

To participate in the summer 2024 camps, students must be entering the grades indicated for each camp in the fall of 2024.

Lodging and accommodations

On-campus lodging is not available. Click here for a list of accommodations in the area.