Creative Explorers Camp
Hosted on UGA’s campus, the Creative Explorers Camp is a hybrid day and residential Summer camp for rising 8-10 graders. We offer four week-long sessions spread across June and July 2023. Creative Explorers can expect a highly stimulating and engaging curriculum in state-of-the-art specialty topics they would not typically experience in their regular school settings. Our instructors are trained to use research-driven, creative strategies in the classroom while teaching courses that are innovative, interdisciplinary, imaginative, and project-based.
The Creative Explorers Camp is designed to be highly flexible so that campers and their families can pick and choose course alternatives and delivery options that suit them best according to their needs. For instance, campers may attend one course over one week or register for multiple courses over multiple weeks. They can decide to attend the day camp in one week and the residential camp over another week. We aim to provide maximal choice and flexibility in the hope of allowing students the best possible learning experience over the Summer.
We will do our best to place our Creative Explorers in their number one course choice. Each class size is expected to be approximately 15 students, with a student-to-staff ratio of 10:1 during all academic and residential activities.
All sessions will offer daytime classes, while select weeks will also offer the option to attend as a residential student housed on campus in a UGA dormitory. The deadline to apply for residential camp is Wednesday, March 15th.
2023 Sessions
Sessions 2 & 3 will offer a residential option. Move-in will occur the Sunday afternoon before classes begin and move-out will be the Saturday morning following their conclusion.
Upcoming Dates
General Schedule
Sunday
- 1 p.m.–4 p.m. Check-in for residential campers
Monday–Thursday
- 9 a.m.–noon Class
- noon–1 p.m. Lunch
- 1 p.m.–4 p.m. Class
Friday
- 9 a.m.–noon Class
- noon–1 p.m. Lunch
- 1 p.m.–3 p.m. Class
- 3 p.m.–4 p.m. Project presentations for family & fellow campers
Saturday
- 9 a.m.–noon Check-out for residential campers
2023 Course Descriptions
- Applied Engineering (Weeks 3 & 4)
- Investigate engineering skills - including structural strength and design, power and propulsion, vehicle design, and aerospace engineering - while participating in hands-on activities that demonstrate each concept.
- Creating Theatre
- Explore the many aspects of live stagecraft by collaborating with fellow campers to write, direct, design, promote, and perform your own short piece of original theatre.
- Creative Writing
- Study fiction and poetry and grow your writing skills by immersing yourself in your own writing, your peers’ writing, and published works across various styles and genres.
- How the Stars Got Their Names (Weeks 3 & 4)
- Examine astronomy and astrology through the myths of Ancient Greece by looking at the stars and planets as they relate to constellations, houses of the zodiac, and the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus.
- Marine Biology
- Get anintroduction to the diversity of marine life and the challenges marine organisms face today. You’ll research and discuss marine ecosystems from the local environs of Costal Georgia to the vast oceans of the globe.
- Microbiology & Public Health (Weeks 3 & 4)
- Interested in becoming a scientist, doctor, or just want to learn more about microbiology? This class will introduce you to the world of microbiology in the context of the environment, human biology, and public health.
- Museum Literacy for the Modern Age
- Learn about the history of museums and their importance as cultural and educational resources, explore local galleries and collections, and curate your own fantasy exhibition.
- The Psychology of Everything (Weeks 1 & 2)
- Delve into the history of psychology and learn about the ways it influences modern culture, from its use in creating and promoting media to managing mental health and interpreting social dynamics.
- Public Speaking (Weeks 1 & 2)
- Take a look at the role of reasoning and evidence in speeches and arguments, then develop the communication skills essential for future success in your school, career, and life.
- Sports Medicine (Weeks 1 & 2)
- Come and see a new side of sports, the medical side! Examine the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of common sports injuries and learn the practices and skills needed to address each one. ** **
- Sustainable Fashion Design (Weeks 3 & 4)
- This course provides hands-on experience in how to develop an eco-friendly apparel product and take it to market. Find inspiration, collaborate, and critically evaluate the nuances of product design, production, marketing, and sales.
- Virtual and Augmented Reality
- Learn the concepts and underlying technology that goes into VR/AR content, its possibilities, and the myriad ways it can be applied in both practical and theoretical fields
- Young Inventors (Weeks 3 & 4)
- Start with a simple invention of your own design, create a prototype, then develop a marketing plan to share your product with the world.
Tuition and Fee Schedule
Tuition for day camp is $450.00 per week. This includes:
- Classroom supply fees
- Lunch in a UGA dining hall
- Program-associated activity costs
The optional residential add-on is an additional $1000.00 per week. This includes:
- Breakfast & dinner
- Housing
- Program-associated recreational activity costs
The fee schedule is:
- Day camp: Full payment of $450.00 per week will be required within 14 days of registration confirmation.
- Residential add-on: Full Payment of $1000.00 per week will be due on March 31, 2023.
Housing & Dining
Details about the UGA dormitory location, amenities, and dining hall location will be released in early Spring.Testimonials
I loved the course I took and all of the friends I made that I will miss a lot. I love the fact that we were always doing something, and we were never bored. I didn’t find anything difficult in this camp. It was overall a great time!
Student
I loved how things flowed. There was so much freedom and experience, but also so much structure…it was an amazing experience, and I would be honored and would love to come back next year.
Student
This program fills a much-needed gap in programming for teenagers. It’s not easy to devise an intellectually stimulating and socially fun experience for them, make expectations clear to them, and effectively uphold them—and you all did it. I have nothing but praise and high regard for you. Thank you, Torrance Center.
Parent
Thank you, again, for running such an enriching program for our kids. I can’t say that I have ever heard [my child] this consistently enthusiastic about any other program. She has enjoyed every moment of her time in the program from the academic side to the social side. She called me the first day and said, “I’ve found my people!”
Parent
Contact Information
General information - Please contact Amy Miller .Payment information - Please contact Tabatha Minish .