Middle School Summer Adventures

*Required: current 6th graders and above.
**Students must have a GCPS login to sign up for this class.

Students will learn about and practice 2D animation, 3D animation and a little about web animation. We will work on developing characters, a timeline, motion tweening, backgrounds, and movement. We learn about creating depth, applying color, making reusable sequences, and working with different textures. Students get a sketchbook and a USB flash drive with 3D animation software on it.

The schedule is subject to change.

Day 1: 

• 2D character animation with Adobe Animate
• Building a character
• Moving a character
• Backgrounds levels
• Using Symbols
• Tweening
• Morphs

Day 2:

• 3D animation with Blender
• Using basic objects
• Editing characters and environments
• Sculpting characters and environments
• Textures and Materials
• Creating key frames
• Animating on the timeline

Day 3:

• Making active web pages
• Getting items on pages
• Styling items on pages
• Moving items on pages
• Creating interaction with CSS 
• Using Javascript to control activity on a web page

Day 4:

• Drawing and painting characters and environments
• Starting a sketch book
• Sketching concepts and  story boards
• Making a cell for an animation
• Applying color to a piece of hand made art
• Stop motion animation

Cars, cars, and more cars! Students will learn how to safely lift vehicles, mount and dismount tires, and balance tires. Also, they will learn how to perform a complete oil change and a 21-point inspection. Students will disassemble an engine and learn all the names of the components inside. 

The schedule is subject to change.

For 2026, we have the potential to have more than one instructor.  Students will not be able to switch classrooms/instructors. The schedule may change from instructor to instructor based on the availability of equipment. The following schedule was from 2025, check back for updates!

Day 1:

• Careers in Automotive
• Safety rules/procedures
• How to use floor jacks and jackstands
• Wheel removal and installation
• Tire Rotation

Day 2:

• Bumper-to-Bumper vehicle inspection 
• Lube oil and filter change
• Mounting and dismounting tires
• Lifting vehicles/jackstands

Day 3:

• Remove wheels from vehicles
• Mounting and dismounting tires
• Wheel balance demonstration
• Using a scan tool for check engine lights

Day 4:

• Engine teardown
• Transmission teardown
• Lube oil and filter change

*Required: current 6th graders and above.

Become your neighborhood’s most sought-after babysitter! In Early Childhood Education, students will learn skills needed to obtain babysitting jobs. These skills include how to get and keep clients, how to know what to charge, and fun activities to do with children of all ages. The Gwinnett County Fire Department will be leading a SafeSitter Course on Wednesday and Thursday of the week. Students must be present both days to receive this certification. Infant simulators will help students learn basic skills: feeding, burping, rocking, diapering, and basic training in pediatric first aid. These activities will be included in the babysitting handbook received at the end of the week. Students will become the busiest babysitter on the block by taking this class. 

The schedule is subject to change.

This is the schedule for 2025: check back for updates!

Day 1:

• Basics of babysitting
• How to get and keep clients
• Learn fun activities to do with children of all ages. 

Day 2 & 3:

• The Gwinnett County Fire Department: SafeSitter course.
  • SafeSitter is a course designed to prepare students in grades 6-8 to be safe when they’re home alone, watching younger siblings, or babysitting. This class is filled with fun games and role-playing exercises.
  • Students will learn CPR, First Aid, and Rescue skills.
  • They will also learn child care, business skills, and other life safety skills. 

*Students must be present both days to obtain their course completion certificate. There is a separate permission slip that must be filled out. Please return for a link to the permission slip.

Day 4:

• Infant Simulators
  • Feeding, diapering, rocking, burping, and changing clothes
• Receive a babysitting bag to start their babysitting business

Custom paint, cool effects, and hands-on creativity! Students will learn how to safely work in a professional auto collision lab while exploring custom glamour painting, airbrushing, and hydro dipping techniques. Campers will design and create their own custom projects using professional-grade equipment found in real automotive refinishing shops. From surface prep to final clear coat, students will experience what it takes to transform ordinary panels into eye-catching works of art.

The schedule is subject to change.

Day 1
Careers in Auto Collision & Custom Paint
Lab safety rules and procedures (PPE, spray booth safety)
Introduction to airbrush equipment and compressors
Surface preparation (cleaning, scuffing, masking basics)
Airbrush control practice (dots, lines, fades, shading)

Day 2
Design planning and layout techniques
Color blending and layering
Stencil and masking techniques
Custom airbrushed license plate project
Equipment cleaning and maintenance procedures

Day 3
Introduction to hydro dipping
Base coat application demonstration
Hydro dip film process and activation
Hydro dipping student project
Finishing and sealing techniques

Day 4
Advanced airbrush effects (flames, galaxy, textures, graphics)
Combining masking and specialty finishes
Clear coat demonstration and final detailing
Custom mini-panel project
Student showcase and project presentations

New for 2026!

Over the four days, students will learn the basic 4 core trades of residential construction in a safe, teamwork oriented environment.  They will have a hands-on experience working with the four trades, creating foundations, building structures, wiring structures, and plumbing structures.  At the end of the week, they will have a basic vocabulary foundation in residential construction reinforced with hands-on experience. The only question that needs to be asked is, "Who wants to BUILD Success!"

The schedule is subject to change.

Day 1

Jobsite Safety and Masonry (foundations)

Day 2

Carpentry (floors, walls, and roof)

Day 3

Electrical (basic wiring fundamentals)

Day 4

Plumbing (supply and removal)

Come explore the wonderfully exciting world of healthcare! Students will take an adventurous journey through the circulatory system, learn skills associated with CPR and First Aid, infection control procedures, and more! This adventure will touch on some knowledge and skills you will need to become a nurse, EMT, physical therapist, or doctor! 

The schedule is subject to change.

This year we will have a different instructor, the schedule below is from 2025- check back for updates!

Day 1:

Skeletal System

• Anatomy & labeling of skeletal system 
• Practice building a skeleton

Digestive System

• Anatomy of the digestive system
• Draw the system
• Learning about the different enzymes
• Making poop with oatmeal, canned corn, and stockings

Day 2:

Infection Control and PPE

• Diseases and transmission of diseases
• Policies and procedures for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Practice Donning and Doffing PPE

Respiratory System

Build a 3D Model of Respiratory System using classroom supplies

Day 3:

 Cardiovascular/Circulatory System & CPR 

• Anatomy & Physiology of Cardiovascular/Circulatory System 
• Drawing the Heart with chalk 
• Introduce and practice CPR

Day 4: 

Integumentary System & First Aid  

• Anatomy & Physiology of Integumentary System
• Create Skin Models
• Introduce and practice First Aid

Culinary Arts
Do you watch the Food Network? Have you ever considered what it might be like to be a chef? Students will work in a commercial kitchen. They will learn basic sanitation and safety, measuring, nutrition and food science concepts. 

The schedule is subject to change.

Day 1:

• Careers in Culinary Arts
• Safety rules & Procedures for sanitation
• Create teams for camp activities, decorate or write names on chef's hats and aprons.
• Tour of culinary lab
• Knife safety demonstration
• Measuring demonstration for lab hands on activity
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch French Toast Lab

Day 2:

• Mise en Place: Gathering ingredients
• Cupcake lab (measuring, baking, and planning cupcake war decoration on Friday)

Day 3:

• Making pizza dough (for Friday)
• Making a cheese sauce for Mac and Cheese, cooktop and baking cooking methods

Day 4:

• Make pizza sauce
• Assemble and bake pizza
• Make icing and complete cupcakes for decorating
• Pack up leftovers in pizza boxes and take hat/aprons home

*Required: current 6th graders and above; current GCPS student.

In this hands-on, four-day workshop, students will dive into the world of digital design, marketing, and branding! They will learn essential skills to create eye-catching logos, ads, and social media content, all while exploring industry standard Adobe software. 

The schedule is subject to change.

This is the schedule for 2025: check back for updates!

Day 1:

• Intro to marketing campaigns
• Color Theory
• Psychology of color in marketing
• Typography
• Logo fundamentals
• Adobe Illustrator introduction
• Design personal logo

Day 2:

• Adobe Photoshop introduction
• Animated gif
• Adobe Express introduction

Day 3:

• Photography introduction
• Photography session
• Lightroom introduction
• Plan marketing campaign pitch

Day 4:

• Design marketing campaign
• Design pitch
• Pitch marketing campaign

This four-day photography camp introduces middle school students to the exciting world of photography through hands-on shooting, creative challenges, digital editing, and alternative photographic processes. Students will explore how cameras work, how to compose powerful images, how to edit photos using Photoshop basics, and how photography can exist beyond a screen through cyanotypes and experimental artmaking.

No prior photography experience is required—just curiosity and creativity!

*Required: current 6th graders and above.
**Students must have a GCPS login to sign up for this class.

Photography Camp Supply List
Students are encouraged to bring the following items to camp:

Required / Strongly Recommended

• Digital camera (optional – students may bring their own if they have one)
  • Point-and-shoot or DSLR/mirrorless cameras work great
  • Phone cameras are acceptable if a camera is not available
• SD memory card
  • Required if bringing a personal camera
  • Labeled with the student’s name
• Reusable water bottle

Provided by the Program

• Cameras for students who do not have their own
• Computers with Photoshop installed
• Cyanotype paper and all alternative process materials
• Art supplies and printing materials

Optional Items

• Sketchbook or notebook for ideas and reflections
• Hat or sunscreen for outdoor photo walks

Important Notes for Families

• Students who bring personal cameras must bring an SD card so images can be transferred and saved.
• Camp staff will assist students with camera settings and safe handling.
• No prior photography experience is required.

Learn how police investigate a crime scene! What are the roles and responsibilities of police officers in our society? Come explore the world of crime scene investigation (the real CSI), accident investigation, arrest procedures, and other functions of the law and justice profession.

The schedule is subject to change.
Day 1

• Safety Rules and Procedures
• Careers in Law Enforcement Services
• Traffic Stops/High Risk Traffic Stops
• DUI/Field Sobriety Evaluations

Day 2

• Fingerprint Matching
• Fingerprinting (Ten Print Cards & Magnet Powder)

Day 3

• Careers in Law and Justice
• Is it Murder or Suicide? Activity
• Handcuffing Techniques
• Extract DNA from a strawberry
• Footprint Foam Activity

Day 4

• Stop the Bleed Training (Gwinnett Fire Academy Instructor)
• Active Threat training and scenarios (Gwinnett Fire Academy Instructor)
   

Learn how police investigate a crime scene! What are the roles and responsibilities of police officers in our society? Come explore the world of crime scene investigation (the real CSI), accident investigation, arrest procedures, and other functions of the law and justice profession.

The schedule is subject to change.

Day 1:

• Safety Rules and Procedures
• Careers in Law Enforcement Services
• Traffic Stops/High Risk Traffic Stops
• DUI/Field Sobriety Evaluations

Day 2:

• Fingerprint Matching
• Fingerprinting (Ten Print Cards & Magnet Powder)

Day 3:

• Is it Murder or Suicide? Activity
• Handcuffing Techniques
• Footprint Foam Activity

Day 4:

Stop the Bleed Training (Gwinnett Fire Academy Instructor)
Active Threat training and scenarios (Gwinnett Fire Academy Instructor)