In the Metsch Family Robotics Workshop, our campers become engineers, bringing their ideas to life through hands-on building and computer programming. Learning from experienced instructors, campers use a wide variety of tools to explore the mechanics of robots and the programming necessary to make them work. Campers are divided by grades and/or skill level into groups to create an age-appropriate program that is both intellectually stimulating and challenging!

Beginning campers will learn the basics of robot construction and programming. Working with gears, sensors, and motors, they teach their robots to accomplish a series of smaller challenges. Once they’ve mastered moving, turning, and sensing colors and distance, the campers collaborate to work on larger projects. Examples include Robot Soccer, Robot Tic-Tac-Toe, or a Rube Goldberg machine – a whimsical device using their robots to complete a basic task in the most convoluted way possible.

Campers attending for multiple years in robotics or more experienced campers have an opportunity to develop their learning further, where they will use similar tools with more complex modeling and programming with new projects and challenges. As campers move beyond the basic functions of robotics, they will begin to learn more about gear ratios, as well as more in-depth programming that combines visual programming with coding in Robot C, a common programming language used for Robotics programming. With a greater understanding of robot mechanics, campers can customize their electrical circuitry and designs to create even more intricate robots.

Our program uses the VEX Robotics platform, a popular and advanced platform for robotics competitions.

Come hone your skills as a game designer and learn the art of crafting play in Game Design this summer! This year's theme in Video Game Design is the GAME JAM!

Games hold a special place in the world, with play being one of the most unifying and barrier-breaking activities we can partake in. Designers love to challenge one another and collaborate to make bigger and bolder ideas than would be possible otherwise. This year, we get a glimpse into these ideas with one of the design community’s favorite tools: the Game Jam.

A game jam is a dedicated design marathon, usually accompanied by a time limit and a theme. Teams built of all sorts of developers will crack into that theme, trying to showcase it in an inventive and exciting way. This can be anything from cards to Virtual Reality worlds, artistic expressions to technical video game triumphs, and truly every step in between. For lifelong designers and first-timers alike, game jams are one of the most effective and fun ways to improve your skill and see the creativity of your peers.

In the workshop, we’ll be participating in a jam altogether. We’ll start out learning and practicing some principles of design and then get into the development phase. The campers will be encouraged to and assisted in forming teams based on their interpretation of the theme (which will be announced partway through each session). These teams will then get to use whatever tools they see fit to bring that idea into a playable reality. While almost any software is on the table, this workshop has had particular success with Scratch and Construct, so those are the recommended platforms to make a digital game on (although more advanced coders can use more advanced systems if they have familiarity with them)! There is space for campers of all interests and experience levels on a game development team, so don’t feel like you would have nothing to bring! No prior coding or game development experience is required!

Above all else, a game jam is about the expression of your creativity and challenging yourself to be the best designer you can be. Join us this summer and use your passion for play to create the games you’ve always wanted to see in the world!

*This workshop focuses primarily on the creative design process when it comes to making games. It does not focus on playing video games or programming!  Game Design involves a lot more than just programming, so campers who sign up for this workshop should be open to doing all aspects of the game design process! Even campers who create digital games will spend some days “off computer” crafting their ideas and prototypes. For campers who want to focus exclusively on programming and leveling up their coding skills, we suggest taking the Programming and Coding workshop! 

Whether you love the challenge of programming logic puzzles or enjoy the thrill of creating software that can improve the world, the Programming and Coding workshop is the right place for you this summer! In our Programming and Coding workshop, you’ll not only learn the most sought-after skill in the 21st century, you’ll also have fun in an environment that’s all about curiosity, playfulness, and logic.  

This summer we will be learning the Python programming language! Everyone is talking about Python, and for good reason. With an exponentially growing community around data science, machine learning, Artificial Intelligence, web development and more, Python is a language that opens programming access to the world. In the realm of server-side software languages, Python is considered easy to read, write and learn. Plus, it’s extremely scalable. The world’s largest companies run on it, like Netflix, Instagram, and Spotify. It’s also great for the quick prototypes our campers will be making at camp!  

Campers with little experience in programming will learn the ins and outs of different software to think like a programmer, and by the end of the session, they’ll have a working prototype they can share with friends and family. More advanced campers can build on their existing knowledge to develop increasingly more complex programs. 

In the Digital Film Production workshop, campers take ownership of the entire movie creation process. From character development and scriptwriting to directing, shooting, and editing, campers in DFP have the opportunity to engage in all aspects of film production and creatively explore a whole new world of storytelling. Younger campers and those new to film production form production teams to write, film, and edit their film together with our professional-level equipment and specialist instructors.

More experienced campers in our upper camp workshop have the opportunity to develop advanced skills and focus on technical tricks and the editing process through a more hands-on and individualized filmmaking process. Campers have the option to make a creative short film in our Tech Track while learning complex techniques in areas such as cinematography, green-screening, VFX, lighting, color grading, motion graphics, and more. These campers will have more room to play with an individual idea rather than a larger group project.

Digital Film Production provides a unique combination of technology and art. Our campers learn to effectively use technology – from our video cameras and microphones to diverse and advanced computer software options – to realize their artistic visions. Our instructors work with campers to write scenes, create shot lists, execute multiple camera angles, adjust for lighting, and direct their movies.

Once the footage is filmed, campers use professional tools in the Adobe professional suite to develop hands-on experience in editing and VFX, music scoring, and sound effects. Through this project-based creation process, campers grow their skillset and explore the amazing world of digital film production.

Enter the intriguing world of life sciences in our Biology workshop, where campers immerse themselves in the study of living organisms through the scientific method. Guided by experienced instructors, campers will engage in systematic investigations, exploring everything from the microscopic foundations of life to the intricate dynamics within ecosystems.

In this workshop, beginners will start by mastering the use of microscopes to observe cells and microorganisms, laying the groundwork for understanding DNA and human body systems. Through carefully designed experiments, such as extracting DNA from fruits, dissecting simple organisms, and analyzing plant-animal interactions within ecosystems, campers will apply the scientific method to uncover fundamental biological principles.

For returning or advanced campers, the workshop delves into more complex scientific inquiries in genetics, anatomy, and ecology. They may conduct detailed dissections, survey the biodiversity of local habitats, or design and carry out their own experiments to investigate how organisms adapt to their environments, always emphasizing hypothesis testing, data collection, and analysis.

Whether you’re drawn to understanding your own body, curious about the genetic code that governs life, or interested in studying ecosystems, the Biology workshop offers a rigorous blend of discovery and scientific inquiry. This is your opportunity to apply the scientific method and unlock the secrets of life!

Everywhere we look today involves something created using the skills of a digital artist.  From phones to digital billboards, and business cards to posters, the tools of digital art help convey messages, information, ideas and feelings. 

Campers will explore the fundamentals of digital art, such as symmetry, color, composition, and more. This workshop will allow campers to learn some of the most commonly used professional digital art tools, including Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator.  Learning techniques such as manipulating layers, using filters, and creating vector illustrations will allow campers to begin expressing their ideas and creativity in a visual medium. 

By the end of the session, campers will have the knowledge of different artistic principles, concepts, and tools, as well as the beginnings of a portfolio of designs and projects they can share will family and friends. No previous experience or artistic skills are necessary for this workshop, and campers of all skill levels will have the opportunity for growth and exploration! 

Explore the wonders of the plant kingdom in our Botanical Sciences workshop. Through hands-on activities and interactive experiments, campers will delve into plant anatomy, photosynthesis, and biodiversity. They'll discover the cultural significance of plants, learn plant taxonomy, and conduct some scientific research and fieldwork both inside the workshop and outside in the diverse ecosystem of Byfield!

In this workshop, participants will dissect plants, examine cellular structures, and observe plant adaptations in the local ecosystems of camp. They'll unlock the mysteries of photosynthesis, explore diverse plant species, and gain insights into how plants have been culturally utilized throughout history. In addition to honing their scientific know-how, campers with a desire for hands-on creativity can explore that through a variety of plant-based mediums, such as botanical illustration and modeling, plant pressing, and plant pigment artwork. Campers will leave this workshop with specimens for their own personal herbarium, as well as the knowledge and skills needed to continue their field research at home in their own neighborhoods! This immersive workshop aims to ignite curiosity about the natural world around us and inspire a lasting appreciation for the intricate world of plants.