From Rockets to Writing the Challenge Summer Institute goes full STEAM

Challenge Summer Institute returned to Washington Irving Intermediate School after a three-year hiatus. The program first ran in the summer of 2010 and continued annually until 2020. This year, the program returned with more than 80 students participating in either half-day or full-day camp. Children entering grades 2-7, with the bulk of the students from the Tarrytown Union Free School District, picked from 24 unique courses during the two-week program. The program was held from July 24 to August 4 with the option to attend one or both weeks.

The Challenge Summer Institute taps into students’ creative side and critical thinking skills by providing a series of hands-on activities. Each student was given the ability to pick from a list of courses to tailor the program and create their own personal schedule. Along with small class sizes, students received individualized attention to help them learn, build relationships, and develop skills that will last a lifetime.

Walking through the Challenge Summer Institute you found children who were engaged and taking advantage of this unique opportunity. In the Rocketry class students learned about engineering, different types of rockets, and how to safely set up and launch them. While in programming, they utilized robots to learn how to code based on their age and level of understanding.

In the Claymation class there were busy hands quickly molding clay to create a story and bring it to life. “The media is interesting. They go from the writing aspect of it, to creating the models, to production,” said Monique Leveille, Claymation instructor and 3rd grade teacher at Washington Irving. “It’s ongoing, evolving, and sometimes different from what they started with.”

Students were found all throughout Washington Irving deep in thought, ready to express themselves and hone new skills in an engaging way. “They should be having fun, and this is a great way to have fun,” said Elisabeth Hickey, the Short Story Writing instructor.

“Our camp helps reinforce their interest in learning about topics that really engage them. They develop friendships strengthened by shared experiences and interests. They grow in confidence by participating in challenging activities in a reassuring environment,” said Maureen Massaro, creator and Director of the Challenge Summer Institute. “The design of the camp tends to attract very dedicated, talented and caring educators. And this year, we really have a stellar team.”