2027 Themes and Projects
Every week of Camp STEAM features fun and educational projects, wrapped in that week’s theme. There are 5 themes with unique programming that each run twice throughout the summer. If campers join us for multiple weeks, or progress through projects more quickly, we have challenges and projects that continue to build from wherever they are, ensuring no matter what level a camper is at, we meet them there to start their journey!
Big ideas begin with imagination. Campers will step into the role of creative designers, combining science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics to turn imaginative concepts into models and experiences. They will sketch, prototype, test and refine while discovering how visual design and technical problem-solving work together.
Impact Activity: Jane Goodall Institute – Roots and Shoots Community Action Challenge (unconfirmed)
Inspired by the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada’s Roots and Shoots program, Camp STEAM campers will discover that even young people can make a meaningful difference in the world around them. Campers will explore and map their camp community, looking at the needs of people, animals and the environment, before identifying a real issue they would like to improve. Working together, they’ll brainstorm solutions, choose an achievable project and take action right at their camp location. Inspired by Dr. Jane Goodall’s belief that every individual can make a difference, campers will finish the experience having done ore than talk about change – they’ll have created it.
Disclaimer: This Impact Activity is currently in development, and discussions with potential collaborating organizations are ongoing. No formal partnership, endorsement, or affiliation has been established or confirmed at this time. Activity details and participating organizations are subject to change.
Engineering is all around us! Campers will use LEGO and mixed materials to design creative solutions inspired by objects, structures and challenges they encounter every day.
Through hands-on building activities, they will plan, construct, test and improve creations that combine purpose, strength and style.
Campers will explore shape, space, engineering and artistic design while discovering how everyday ideas can become extraordinary builds.
Impact Activity: Zooniverse – Real Science Challenge (confirmed)
What if summer campers could help scientists conduct real research? Through our partnership with Zooniverse, Camp STEAM campers will become citizen scientists and work with authentic scientific data from active research projects. Depending on the projects underway in summer 2027, campers could find themselves identifying wildlife in remote camera images, exploring the oceans, examining objects in space or helping researchers classify thousands of images that would otherwise take scientists years to analyze. Using Camp STEAM’s Chromebooks, campers will contribute genuine classifications to real research while discovering how observation, collaboration and technology are helping scientists answer some of the world’s biggest questions.
Minecraft: Architects | July 19-23 & August 16-20
Campers will explore the connections between digital worlds, architecture, art and environmental design.
Minecraft-inspired challenges invite them to map, plan, build and tell stories through both hands-on and creative technology experiences.
Each project encourages curiosity, collaboration and thoughtful design.
Impact activity: Smithsonian Challenge – Clean Water Challenge (unconfirmed)
This engaging impact experience brings engineering to life, helping campers understand how real-world challenges are solved while sparking creativity and innovation in the next generation of explorers.
Disclaimer: This Impact Activity is currently in development, and discussions with potential collaborating organizations are ongoing. No formal partnership, endorsement, or affiliation has been established or confirmed at this time. Activity details and participating organizations are subject to change.
Roblox: Game Changers | July 26-30 & August 23-27
Campers become designers of playful, interactive experiences through hands-on, Roblox-inspired challenges.
They will explore characters, environments, storytelling, logic and game design as they transform their ideas into physical plans, models and prototypes.
Campers will test their concepts, solve design problems and make creative improvements.
Impact activity: Kids World Records – Roblox-inspired Obby World Record Challenge (confirmed)
Camp STEAM Canada is partnering with Kids World Records to turn one of Roblox’s most popular ideas into a huge, hands-on engineering event! During Roblox Game Changers week, campers across our participating locations will simultaneously design and build their own physical Roblox-inspired Obby. Complete with ramps, bridges, tunnels, turns and other engineered obstacles. Using an identical set of materials and official challenge rules, campers must create a working course that successfully guides a ball from START to FINISH. Then comes the big moment: Campers across Camp STEAM Canada will attempt the challenge together as part of an official Kids World Record attempt. Creativity, physics, engineering and excitement all come together in one unforgettable experience.
Camper Favourites: The Greatest Builds | August 30 – September 3
The summer’s biggest ideas return for one creative finale. Campers will revisit favourite design, making and technology experiences inspired by:
- Disney: The Magic of Making
- LEGO: Everyday Engineers
- Minecraft: Architects
- Roblox: Game Changers.
They will combine skills developed throughout the summer to reimagine popular projects and create new work worth celebrating.
The tools campers use at Camp STEAM help their imaginations, creativity, and code come to life! From the virtual world to hands-on exploration, campers work with a variety of age-appropriate technologies that turn ideas into real-world creations.
While not every tool is used every single week, each Camp STEAM program is thoughtfully designed so campers are deeply engaged with the tools that best support that week’s theme.
In addition to Chromebooks, campers will work with a selection of the following tools throughout the week:
Micro:bit
Let’s code with the Micro:bit, a tiny, transportable computer (or robot) with many features including buttons, LEDs, sensors, and more! Micro:bit can be programmed using visual block-based programming languages including Scratch and MakeCode or text-based programming languages including JavaScript. Campers joining us for Minecraft themed weeks will work with Micro:bits to create code and watch it come to life!
3D Printer
3D printers have so many practical applications, and let’s face it – are just really fun! Campers will learn how to conceptualize an idea, design it digitally, and then watch as it’s printed layer by layer. Finished designs are tested, refined, and celebrated as tangible results of their creativity and problem-solving.
Tinkercad
Tinkercad is a web-based tool for 3D design, electronics, and coding that supports our project-based learning approach. Campers will use Tinkercad to turn their ideas into digital 3D models, learning the fundamentals of design and spatial thinking before bringing their creations to life.
Minecraft Education
Campers may know Minecraft as a game, but at Camp STEAM it becomes a powerful coding and design tool! During Minecraft weeks, campers use their creativity to build structures and solve challenges, then bring those designs to life by coding directly within the game environment. It’s a perfect blend of creativity, logic, and problem-solving.
LEGO Education, SPIKE Prime & SPIKE Essential Kits
Sure, LEGO is fun to build with on its own, but at Camp STEAM, it becomes a powerful tool for learning and invention! During our LEGO themed weeks, campers will use LEGO Education SPIKE Prime and SPIKE Essential kits to design, build, and code their own interactive creations. These kits combine classic LEGO building with motors, sensors, and programmable elements, helping campers bring their ideas to life through movement, logic, and creativity — all while having a blast!
