The Whole Child STEM Camp

Camp runs as a structured day of hands-on STEAM learning. The sample schedule begins with drop-off and open STEAM stations, followed by a circle-time introduction and the first focused experiment. Campers then rotate through additional experiments and stations, with snack and outdoor recess in the morning, lunch and a nature hike around midday, and an afternoon snack before dismissal. Regular camp hours are 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Focused instruction is organized by age and skill level in two classrooms. TK–second-grade campers receive more teacher guidance, movement, tactile learning, and visual cues. Older elementary campers work on design, build, test, and problem-solving challenges, often collaborating on projects. Across the program, teachers use individual and small-group work to help children persist through experiments and engineering tasks.

The content changes by theme rather than repeating one curriculum all summer. Published options include marine science, chemistry, space science, movie special effects, spa science, insects, kitchen science, LEGO robotics and coding, veterinary science, and paleontology. Projects may involve microscopes, motors and sensors, block-based coding, chemical reactions, creative builds, crafts, case studies, and other practical materials tied to the week’s topic.

Families are asked to send lunch and two snacks with each camper. The sample day includes a morning snack and recess, a lunch period paired with a nature hike, and an afternoon snack before dismissal. Kitchen Science may include edible and non-edible food experiments, but those projects are part of the camp curriculum rather than a published general meal service.

Teachers are background checked, and the camp describes staff training in trauma-informed practices and classroom-management best practices. Pickup and drop-off take place at clearly marked areas with secure, locking gates. Anyone picking up a camper who is not already on the authorized list must be added through the Jumbula parent portal. Staff can also accommodate later drop-off or earlier pickup during regular camp hours.

Each camp site has a dedicated cell phone that remains with a staff member during camp, and families receive that number before the first day.

Camp teachers are background checked and described as trained in trauma-informed practices and classroom-management best practices. The broader teaching team includes people with backgrounds such as computer programming, long-term credentialed classroom teaching, mural art, children’s yoga, video-game creation, environmental volunteering, school counseling, and special education. Teachers bring those different skill sets into the hands-on curriculum and small-group instruction. Camp materials publish a 1:10 teacher-to-student ratio for both younger and older camper groups.

Each camp site has a dedicated cell phone carried by a staff member, and families receive the number before the first day. The Jumbula parent portal is used to update the authorized pickup list when another adult will collect a camper. For questions before or after camp, families can use the organization’s published general contact channels. Staff also accommodate communicated later arrivals or earlier pickups during regular hours.

Regular camp hours are 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. After-care from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM is available at the La Jolla and Mission Hills locations. Pickup and drop-off use clearly marked areas at secure gates, and staff can handle a later arrival or an earlier pickup when needed. Families should send campers in comfortable shoes with a water bottle, lunch, and two snacks. Sunscreen can also be provided if a family wants it applied during camp.