In Exploration Rovers, young explorers will dive into the realm of mobility, where they will unleash their creativity by designing, building, and reimagining futuristic rovers. These innovative vehicles are more than just machines; they represent the future of human exploration across uncharted terrains. Participants will be challenged to envision and construct their own sci-fi rovers, discovering the potential they hold for advancing human exploration into new and thrilling discoveries. They will discover uncharted lands that humans have yet to roam and design adaptive rovers that will face the challenges of these extraterrestrial terrains.

What if your Minecraft world could come to life? In this studio, students will explore the intersection between virtual world-building and hands-on making. Starting in Minecraft, they will imagine and design their own worlds. Next, they will bring their virtual creations into the real world by building physical models and prototypes using a variety of materials. Along the way, they will experiment with scale, structure, and creative problem-solving, turning their Minecraft worlds into real-life creations!

In Escape Room: Stranded!, students will dive behind the scenes of escape rooms and discover what it takes to create mind-bending puzzles and games. Students will visit a local escape room to experience the immersive adventure firsthand. Then, they’ll draw on that challenge to design and fabricate interactive puzzles and props for a room set on a deserted island, where their players have washed ashore and must solve their way off before the tide comes in.

This studio combines critical thinking and creativity, challenging students to build locks, hidden compartments, and coded clues out of cardboard, wood, and simple electronics. Students will write the story, design the set, and test their puzzles on fellow players, refining them until they are tricky but fair. The studio ends with an open escape room, where visitors try to escape the island.

In this studio, students will explore how creativity and sustainability can transform the way we design and wear clothing. By repurposing old garments, fabric scraps, and discarded materials, students will give new life to everyday items, turning waste into unique fashion pieces. Through techniques such as sewing and laser cutting, they will experiment with creative ways to redesign, customize, and reimagine existing materials. The studio will culminate in a fashion show and exhibition, where students will showcase their sustainable creations on the runway!

Fight, robots, fight! In this advanced Battlebotics studio, participants will design and build ant-weight (one pound) battle-ready robots, complete with drive systems, defensive armor, and unique engineered weapons. After carefully considering possible designs and researching precedents, bot designers will use CAD drawing, 3D printing, and advanced mechanical engineering and fabrication to bring their bot to life. This studio culminates with a Bot V Bot tournament, in which the robots will enter the cage and face off. May the best bot win!

Join us for an exciting summer adventure in Tiny House, Big Ideas, where you will dive into the world of architecture. In this hands-on design studio, you will brainstorm, ideate, and prototype a tiny house for a particular client: yourselves! Considering your own interests, hobbies, and habits, you will create the tiny house of your dreams. Explore the essential elements of architecture, learn about cutting-edge building techniques, and experiment with innovative materials. 

As architects-in-training, you will brainstorm, conceptualize, draft plans, and build scale models using innovative fabrication techniques, all while discovering small spaces can make a big impact.

What if you could fit an entire arcade in your pocket? In Pocket Arcade, students will design and code their own game, then bring it to life by building a custom handheld game console. 

Students will come up with a simple game concept, create rules, and challenges, and code it to make it playable. Meanwhile, they will design and iterate a handheld console unique to their game that can be used to play the game.

Using microcontrollers, buttons, and small displays, they’ll wire up the electronics and playtest their games on their device. Along the way, students will iterate on ergonomics, style, and branding so their console looks as good as it plays. The studio ends with an arcade game off, where visitors try out every device and compete for the highest score.

In this studio, students will discover how circuits work by building their own with Makey Makey, squishy circuits, paper circuits, and other hands-on tools. They’ll experiment with everyday objects like fruit, foil, and play-dough to see what conducts electricity and how a simple touch can trigger a sound.

Once they’ve mastered the basics, students will team up to design and build a playful interactive sound installation. By the end of the week, they’ll invite visitors to step inside, touch, and play with the musical world they created.

71% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water. Our oceans are vastly unexplored. Increasingly we need to engage with our oceans as a result of climate change, population growth, pollution, and other impacts of human influence. Oftentimes explorers, scientists, ecologists, and rescuers find themselves in underwater situations where they don’t have adequate tools to fulfill their mission. What if we had robots to aid us in our efforts underwater? What if these bots were inspired by the years of evolutionary adaptation the natural world has undergone at these dark depths? Enter the world of deep sea robotics where the underwater environment calls for a shift in the way robots are designed and deployed.

In this studio, students will develop robots that use the depth of the sea to their advantage as they maneuver through the sea floors, slither through the kelp forest, and collect rare specimens unscathed using biomimetic grippers. Students will take inspiration from deep sea creatures and design devices and robots to carry out underwater missions to protect our oceans and cohabitate with diverse underwater ecosystems.

What kind of treehouse will you create—a secret hideaway, an artistic studio, or a serene oasis in the branches? In the Treehouse Architecture studio, designers in training will kick off the experience by prototyping an in-studio life-sized tree model, which will serve as the foundation for the innovative treehouse designs. Working in collaborative groups, designers will brainstorm and develop unique concepts, exploring diverse functions such as cozy residences, adventure decks, canopy cinemas, tree-top stargazing observatory, and more. This hands-on project will spark creativity, enhance critical thinking skills, and foster teamwork as participants harmonize their designs with the natural environment. Join us this summer to unleash your imagination and make architectural dreams come true!

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Step right up to the DIY Arcade, where students will dream up and build their own one-of-a-kind arcade games! While learning about game theory, mechanics, and UI design, students will have the opportunity to develop and fabricate your fully functional games. Whether it’s a pinball machine powered by pulleys or a pedal-operated claw game, every project will reflect its inventor’s unique concept. The camp will culminate in a celebratory Arcade Showcase, where students will set up their creations and invite friends and families to play, test, and enjoy the games they’ve designed.

Art has always shaped how we see the world, and it also leaves an impact on it. Traditional art materials like plastics, synthetic resins, and chemical-heavy pigments leave their footprint on our planet. 

This studio explores an alternative route for artmaking: biomaterials. Students will explore this innovative medium for art and design, experimenting with bioplastics, bioleathers, and other materials grown or cooked from natural ingredients like agar and gelatin. Students will develop their own recipes, playing with color, texture, and mold-making to see how the properties of a material can shape the form and feeling of a piece.

Through hands-on testing and iteration, they’ll learn what makes these materials flexible, translucent, sturdy, or curious, and how to use them for both 2D and sculptural work. Afterward, students will use these innovative materials to create works of artistic expression. By the end, each student will create a full-scale art piece using biomaterials and showcase their work in a gallery-style exhibition.

In this studio, students will explore how technology and design come together to shape what we wear next. From 3D-printed elements and laser-cut patterns to wearable electronics and responsive textiles, students will experiment with cutting-edge tools that push the boundaries of traditional couture. They will prototype, test, and refine their creations, blending engineering, artistry, and innovation. The studio will culminate in a fashion show and exhibition, where students will showcase their futuristic designs on the runway!

In this studio, students will be working with their peers to design, engineer, and build an E-Go-Kart, or electric go-kart, that will navigate on the roadways of our NuVu Grand Prix! As a team, students will work on the design of all the elements: chassis, exterior shell, interior cabin, steering apparatus, onboard display, and any other custom features that they can imagine. The style can be futuristic, sci-fi steampunk, fantastical, vintage, geometric, minimalist, or modern-chic. Students will also use a variety of sensors, such as ultrasonic sensors, color detecting cameras, and pressure sensors, to navigate the course with ease. Students will be drifting across the NuVu Grand Prix in style! One of the highlights of our summer program, students will test drive these hand-built vehicles in an exciting final lap exhibition that is sure to draw a crowd!

Art has always shaped how we see the world, and it also leaves an impact on it. Traditional art materials like plastics, synthetic resins, and chemical-heavy pigments leave their footprint on our planet. 

This studio explores an alternative route for artmaking: biomaterials. Students will explore this innovative medium for art and design, experimenting with bioplastics, bioleathers, and other materials grown or cooked from natural ingredients like agar and gelatin. Students will develop their own recipes, playing with color, texture, and mold-making to see how the properties of a material can shape the form and feeling of a piece.

Through hands-on testing and iteration, they’ll learn what makes these materials flexible, translucent, sturdy, or curious, and how to use them for both 2D and sculptural work. Afterward, students will use these innovative materials to create works of artistic expression. By the end, each student will create a full-scale art piece using biomaterials and showcase their work in a gallery-style exhibition.

In this studio, students will explore how technology and design come together to shape what we wear next. From 3D-printed elements and laser-cut patterns to wearable electronics and responsive textiles, students will experiment with cutting-edge tools that push the boundaries of traditional couture. They will prototype, test, and refine their creations, blending engineering, artistry, and innovation. The studio will culminate in a fashion show and exhibition, where students will showcase their futuristic designs on the runway!

In this studio, students will be working with their peers to design, engineer, and build an E-Go-Kart, or electric go-kart, that will navigate on the roadways of our NuVu Grand Prix! As a team, students will work on the design of all the elements: chassis, exterior shell, interior cabin, steering apparatus, onboard display, and any other custom features that they can imagine. The style can be futuristic, sci-fi steampunk, fantastical, vintage, geometric, minimalist, or modern-chic. Students will also use a variety of sensors, such as ultrasonic sensors, color detecting cameras, and pressure sensors, to navigate the course with ease. Students will be drifting across the NuVu Grand Prix in style! One of the highlights of our summer program, students will test drive these hand-built vehicles in an exciting final lap exhibition that is sure to draw a crowd!

Battlebotics propels students into the world of robotic competition. Here, students will design remote-controlled bots to battle other bots using defensive and offensive mechanisms inspired by animal features! How can the spikes of a porcupine, an octopus’s arms, or a lion’s bite turn your creature into the winner of NuVu’s premier robot games? Students will unleash their bots into the arena filled with surprises and hidden traps to compete in obstacle courses, tag team tasks, and sumo challenges!

This creative studio pairs hands-on art practices with digital fabrication, inviting students to explore how traditional techniques and modern tools can work together. Over two weeks, students will experiment with methods like drawing, sculpting, and printmaking, then bring their ideas into new dimensions using 3D printing and laser cutting.

Along the way, they’ll learn to move between sketchbook and software, translating handmade textures, forms, and patterns into precisely fabricated pieces. By the end, each student will have designed and built a final art project that blends craft and technology in a personal, expressive way. Participants will showcase their work in a final gallery-style exhibition.

In this studio, students will work together to imagine, design, and build a scale model of a world straight from their imaginations! They will begin by exploring their surroundings, discovering the buildings, landscapes, and spaces that shape their communities. Inspired by their observations, students will reimagine what these places could become, exploring how spaces, structures, and natural environments can come together in new and creative ways. Through brainstorming, sketching, and hands-on building, students will develop their ideas using a variety of materials and digital fabrication tools. Working individually and collaboratively, they will bring their creations together into a physical scale model of their imagined world, where anything is possible!

This studio blends game design with digital artistry, challenging students to create board games that spark conversation and raise awareness about real-world issues. Through creative storytelling and gameplay, students will explore how games can inspire action on social, environmental, and cultural topics.

From concept to prototype, they’ll design, test, and produce their own games using tools like 3D printing and laser cutting to craft custom pieces. By the end, students will have built meaningful, playable board games that combine fun, creativity, and purpose.

In this studio, students will channel their inner designers to create unique, site-specific hydroponic systems that bring life and creativity to their school! First, they’ll explore the school’s environment, investigating elements like sunlight, temperature, and water flow to inspire their designs. Next, by researching aquaponics and brainstorming ideas, they’ll develop innovative concepts that balance aesthetics and functionality. As they refine their concepts, students will build prototypes, experimenting with different materials and techniques to bring their designs to life. In the final week, students will present their hydroponic systems as pieces of functional art, showcasing their creativity and sustainability solutions in a big exhibition!

From WALL-E in Pixar’s film of the same name, to BB-8 and C-3PO in Star Wars, future-looking fictions have always been filled with unforgettable robotic companions. But what would your ideal robot sidekick be like? In this fast-paced, hands-on robotics studio, you’ll imagine, design, and build your own robotic companion — one that makes everyday tasks easier, more fun, or more creative. By the end of the studio, you’ll have imagined and built your own new Robo BFF!

In this studio, students will learn the magic of stop motion animation, bringing everyday objects and handmade characters to life one frame at a time. They’ll experiment with clay, paper cutouts, and other materials, practicing techniques like movement, timing, and simple storytelling.

Then it’s time to get hungry for ideas! Students will write, design, and animate short films about their favorite foods, building tiny sets and characters to tell a delicious story. The week wraps up with a film and food festival, where students will premiere their movies for friends and family.