Empow Studios Expands Camp Network

Educating students in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is considered essential to boost possibilities and prepare them for a changing world. Now, parents looking to enhance summer learning and enroll their children in STEM programs have more options in the Greater Boston area.

Empow Studios has expanded its award-winning day camps to include more communities. In addition to offering summer camps in Lexington, Belmont, Boston’s Back Bay, Brookline, Cape Cod, Newton (JCC) and Westford, Empow Studios is adding new locations in Newton, Cambridge, Acton, Natick and Milton. The week-long summer tech camps focus on subjects ranging from robotics, 3D printing and coding to stop-motion animation, video production and audio engineering.

“These days, there are a lot of options available to parents when considering STEM programs,” says Leonid Tunik, Founder of Empow Studios. “But our unique approach rooted in the principles of playful learning, constructionism, and project-based learning has been embraced by kids and parents. We nurture the love of technology as a creative tool, an experience that will stay with young learners much longer than any specific set of Java or Python techniques.”

Expanding the Possibilities
Each year, Empow Studios, based in Lexington, has branched out to new communities through its camps, classes, and workshops. “We are very excited to continually expand options for parents and students,” says Empow Outreach Director Dave Gutierrez, who outlines the NEW camps running this summer in the following locations:

Newton-Needham
NEW STUDIO LOCATION!
Empow Studios – Newton, 180 Needham St., Newton, MA 02464
Dates: ALL SUMMER (June 25-August 31)

Empow Studios has announced it will be expanding and adding a new, year-round studio space in Newton, MA. The new location, at 180 Needham Street, will begin offering Weekend Clubs and the STEM After School Club in May. It is also ramping up for a full summer of camps that will expand upon its traditional Tech & Design and Minecraft Camps, to also include a JAVA Coding Camp and the new Girls STEM Camp.

“We’re SUPER excited to run a full summer of our tech camps in Newton at our new studio location,” says Gutierrez. “This includes Tech & Design Camp, Minecraft Camp, and new Java Coding Camps and a Girls STEM Camp. We’re thrilled to be a new, permanent community member of Newton and to serve the town and surrounding communities. We’re working hard to make sure this year is the best summer camp experience a camper can have.”

Cambridge
Harvard University Student Organization Center at Hillis
59 Shepard St, Cambridge, MA 02138
Dates: Weeks starting 8/6, 8/13, 8/20, 8/27

“The City of Cambridge embraces STEM like no other,” says Gutierrez. "We’ve been teaching with Cambridge Public Schools including Graham & Parks, Cambridgeport, and Amigos, as well as private schools like Cambridge Montessori School and Cambridge Friends School,” says Gutierrez, who points out that the average tech camps in the area cost in excess of $1,000. “Obviously high priced camps are not easy for all the families in Cambridge. We will be running our camps at Harvard University’s Student Organization Center at Hilles, and of course, our cost will be the same, starting at $335.”

Acton
Acton Congregational Church
12 Concord Rd, Acton, MA 01720
Dates: Weeks starting 7/16, 7/23, 7/30

“Empow has been offering after school programs at Conant, Gates, and McCarthy-Towne Schools, so it’s great to offer a summer option to communities in and around Acton,” notes Gutierrez. In addition to a long-running commitment to Acton outreach, the Empow family now has a close to relationship to the Town. “I'm particularly excited about our new Acton location since I moved to Acton this past March,” says Matt Silverstein, Empow Program Operations Director. “It's a great town and I think our programs are going to be an awesome fit for the community.”

Natick
Walnut Hill School for the Arts
12 Highland St, Natick, MA 01760
Dates: Weeks starting 6/35, 7/2, 7/9

“Natick is a beautiful town that has a great balance of families and commercial locations,” says Gutierrez. “After teaching with the Tobin Beaudet School in Natick for many years, we’re excited to bring our Tech Camps to both residents and commuters.”

Milton-Quincy
Glover Elementary School
255 Canton Ave, Milton, MA 02186
Dates: Weeks starting 8/6, 8/13

“For the last few years, parents from Milton have been contacting us to run summer programs and after school enrichment,” says Gutierrez. “We have a great relationship with the Milton Public Library, and to have summer STEM options for kids to design, build, and code, is something we’ve wanted to bring the South Shore communities for quite some time.”

A History of Camp Success
“Empow Studios has been running summer tech camps since 2013 and we continue to increase numbers in our existing town,” says Gutierrez, who credits the success of the program with good instruction and a fun atmosphere. “Campers learn, they make friends and they get outside to play games. Our goal is to offer traditional camp elements, while emphasizing creativity through technology in a positive, collaborative atmosphere.”

Campers are guided by Empow instructors, who have degrees in computer science, engineering, education, design, film, and music, and are working to challenge students with a brand new curriculum launched in 2017. “The new curriculum remains true to Empow's constructivist and project-based philosophy, while also providing instructional prompts and supports to guide campers towards levels of mastery in their areas of interest,” says Empow's Curriculum Editor Bernardo Feliciano, EdD. “Our tracks give kids a pathway to earn achievement badges while the quests and projects they encounter along the way create opportunities for discovery and invention.”

Categories of Summer camps include:

Tech & Design Camp:
Features robotics, 2D & 3D video game design, animation, Scratch programming, coding, 3D modeling & printing, audio engineering, digital music, and video production. Empow teaches the basics, and campers use their imagination to make their projects come alive. Open to campers entering grades 2 through 8.

Minecraft Camp: Empow focuses on various educational aspects of Minecraft. Campers learn modding, electrical engineering (via redstone circuits), architecture, game design, and world creation. Campers even create very simple computers inside Minecraft. Open to campers entering grades 2 through 8.

JAVA Coding Camp: (Available at the Lexington and Newton Empow studio locations)
Java Coding Camp allows young programmers to take their skills to the next level. Using the Greenfoot environment, campers have a user-friendly tool to start coding in Java to create simple games. The Goal: create custom video games and conquer group-based challenges, all through the power of kids writing code!
Open to campers entering grades 4 and up.

Girls STEM Camp: (Available at the Newton Empow studio location)
Girls have high scores in early science tests. So, why do girls claimed only 19% of all bachelor’s degrees in engineering and 18% in computer science in 2014? The goal of the Girls STEM Camp is to reinforce and expand interest in the sciences by having the girls, led by encouraging teachers, explore art, coding, and engineering through projects in animation, robotics, 3D modeling, fashion, and design. No prior tech experience is required; open to girls entering grades 2 through 8.

In addition to the expansive offerings around the area during the summer, check Empow Studios for February and April vacation camps, STEM After School Club and a variety of weekend clubs, day camps and workshops around the area. Empow also offers birthday parties, lessons and school field trips.

For more information about all of Empow Studios' locations and programs, visit: empow.me or find us on Facebook.