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 2D and 3D animation. They will work on developing characters, a timeline, motion tweening, backgrounds, and movement. Also, have fun learning about creating depth, applying color, reusable sequences, and working with different textures. 

The schedule is subject to change.

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

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

*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

In a true to life salon environment, students will learn how to use the proper tools to prepare a client for the services he/she will be receiving and learn techniques for styling hair. Opportunities abound in this $50 billion a year world of cosmetology! 

The schedule is subject to change.

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

The following topics are covered in this program. 

• Hair braiding
• Hot tools
• Manicuring
• Skin Care

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

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

• Introductions
• Introduce Anatomy of Skeletal system 
• Drawing and labeling a Skeleton
• Introduce Physiology of the Skeletal system
• Practice building a Skeleton

Digestive System

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

Day 2:

Infection Control and PPE

• Introduce different diseases 
• Introduce transmission of diseases
• Policies and procedures for PPE
• Practice Donning and Doffing PPE

Respiratory System

3D Model of Respiratory System using construction paper, glue, pipe cleaners, plastic bags, and small poster board

Day 3:

 Cardiovascular/Circulatory System & CPR 

• Introduce Anatomy of Cardiovascular/Circulatory System 
• Introduce Physiology of Cardiovascular/Circulatory System
• Drawing the Heart with chalk 
• Introduce CPR
• Learn the policies and procedures of CPR
• Practice Skills for CPR

Day 4: 

Integumentary System & First Aid  

• Introduce Integumentary System Anatomy
• Introduce Integumentary System Physiology
• Create Skin Models in groups
• Introduce First Aid 
• Practice First Aid Skills

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
• Smoothie Lab

Day 2:

• Mise en Place: Gathering ingredients
• Breakfast Lab: Flip-Flap Flapjacks

Day 3:

• Making pizza dough (for Friday)
• Making a cheese sauce for Mac and Cheese

Day 4:

• Make pizza sauce
• Assemble and bake pizza
• 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

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)