Biweekly program where campers can choose to explore Beneath the Earth Surface, digging into rocks, minerals, and fossils with a Franklin Mineral Museum trip, or Coding Where It Comes Alive, creating games and interactive tech with hands-on coding projects. Space is limited. Program runs 9 am - 4 pm EST.

Program is currently FULL - waitlist available. Aspiring biologists and naturalists will explore the animal life of the southern Appalachians through discussions, workshops, hands-on lab experiments, and field trips. Identify local species by searching for salamanders in a private reserve, snorkeling in clear mountain streams, and studying specimens under microscopes. A special evening field trip will offer the opportunity to observe the rare synchronous and blue-ghost fireflies at a private reserve. Learn to use zoological tools such as aquatic and insect nets, binoculars, and dissecting and compound microscopes. Field trips will focus on observing and identifying vertebrate wildlife across Western North Carolina's diverse habitats. Through readings and discussions, students will tackle questions like which species of wolves once roamed these mountains. Open to rising high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Program runs June 14-19, 2026.

Biweekly program where campers can choose to code and race programmable speed bots through STEAM challenges or solve mysteries using real forensic science, like fingerprinting and crime-scene investigation. Both tracks include weekly field trips, including the International Spy Museum. Space is limited. Program runs 9 am - 4 pm EST.

This camp introduces middle school students to core engineering disciplines through hands-on design challenges, coding, and real-world problem solving. Campers will complete a week-long Arduino robotics project and dive into 3D-printing by engineering and testing improved prototype designs for strength, flexibility, and performance. Throughout the week, students may also explore additional engineering pathways through activities such as launching model rockets or observing biomedical engineering demonstrations like mobile ultrasound technology. A highlight of the program is a field trip to Honda in Marysville. Program runs 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. daily from July 6-10, 2026.

Designed for high school students, this program emphasizes teamwork, advanced problem-solving, and the full engineering design process. Participants will build and program robots, experiment with electrical engineering fundamentals, and use industry-standard software for mechanical and structural design. Students will also explore materials science through a scaled-up 3D-printing challenge, engineering and testing prototype components for strength, flexibility, and performance. The week culminates in a collaborative mechanical challenge, along with an industry site visit to Honda Corporation in Marysville. Program runs 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. daily from July 6-10, 2026.

Biweekly program where campers can power up with Renewable Energy, exploring solar, wind, water, and geothermal energy through hands-on experiments, fly drones with exciting aerial challenges (Grades 5-9), or create in Makerspace with projects like solar vehicles, bridges, and recycled inventions (K-4). All tracks include weekly field trips, including the Energy & Environmental Resource Center and ACUA. Space is limited. Program runs 9am - 4pm EST.

Campers will use programmable sensor packages and 3D printed cases to build their own CubeSat modules. CubeSats are designed to be nanosatellites similar to the 1200 CubeSats that have gone into space. Each CubeSat is 10cm x 10cm x 10cm and contains a sensor pack, controller, power supply, and data storage unit. Campers will design sensor missions and perform bench testing, with a weather-permitting field trip to Skydive New England Airport in Lebanon, Maine for high-altitude data collection at 14,000 feet. Campers keep their CubeSats and can continue programming them. Note: Possible 35% cost increase due to 2025 tariffs on electronics equipment.

Biweekly program where campers can build and program robots with LEGO® and other materials or explore motion and physics, experimenting with velocity, acceleration, and Newton's Laws through mini vehicles and g-force projects. Both tracks include a field trip to the Franklin Institute to see robotics and motion in action. Space is limited. Program runs 9 am - 4 pm EST.