“Summertime, and the livin’ is easy…” starts the lyrics of the Gershwin classic called “Summertime.” After a somewhat difficult school year with some K-12 districts missing some time due to Covid and a couple of winter storms, the school year is winding down with most finishing the year, even with makeup time, by the second or third week of May. Faculty settles in for the summer off and many area community colleges will be closing their offices on Fridays until the new school year starts in August. But, not at Fab Lab ICC.

Summer is Always Busy at the Lab

Summer has always been the busiest time of year for us. Even during the shutdown of Covid 2020, we were busy trying to figure out how to make masks, face shields and intubation boxes. In 2016, we had our first week-long “boot” camp for youth. That grew to about 30 kids in 2016, with manager, Tim Haynes, program developer, Laura Schaid and I hosting it by ourselves. It was a wild week, but wildly successful. (We just dusted off our scrap book and posted a photo gallery from the 2016 camp. See the link on our home page at www.FabLabICC.org. In 2017, we started a partnership with the Greenbush education cooperative to help with the week-long camps and in 2018, we became one of only 22 community colleges in the United States to be awarded funding to conduct a STEM camp for up to 100 middle school girls. Each year, except for Covid 2020, we’ve served 150 to 200 youth in these camps besides supporting our membership by keeping the Lab open all summer.

STEM Camp Expands for both Girls and Boys

This summer will be different, in that, for the first time, we will host separate but concurrent STEM camps for both middle school (those going into 6^th, 7^th or 8^th grade next fall) girls and boys, up to 75 of each. This camp will take place from July 11 to July 29, daily Monday through Friday 9 AM to 3 PM. We’ll have a transportation route set up to bring in campers from surrounding communities. We’ll serve breakfast and lunch each day and campers will sample some STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and math) subjects that might help change their perspective of the future. This, all under the guise of having fun at a summer camp. This camp is offered at no charge.

Greenbush Week-Long Camps Occur in June

Before the longer STEM camp in July, the week-long Greenbush camps, at Fab Lab ICC, will occur during the last three weeks of June for those in 3^rd to 12^th grade. Each camp runs Monday through Thursday from 9 AM to 11 AM during the designated week. The cost per camper is $75. (There are need based scholarships available thanks to Fab Lab donors. Call Laura Schaid, 620-332-5499.)

Fab Lab Fun

Mon. June 13th -Thur. June 16th

From laser engraving, wood working, art, Vinyl poster and sign making. Students are

exposed to some of the FABulous tools the Fab Lab has to offer. Students will leave this four

day camp with a variety of projects they have created and built. 

Robotics Camp

Mon. June 20th -Thur. June 23^rd

Learn to program an EV3 Mindstorm robot to solve real world problems related to transportation of cargo in this friendly competitive format. Campers will compete in teams to see whose robot can complete the most missions through friendly cooperation. With an emphasis on gracious

professionalism, all students are guaranteed to learn and have a good time!

Design it, build it, take it home

Mon. June 27th -Thur. June 30th

Campers will have access to cutting edge tools for design, experimentation, problem solving, and

making custom artwork to build a unique item.

Kitchen Kids

July 12 – 14, choose morning session 9 am to 11:30 or 1 pm to 3:30 in the Culinary Kitchen at our ICC West Campus.

Hands-on Kids Cooking Camp with healthy recipes created in small groups. Youth 10-12 years of age will prepare recipes each day using basic cooking and food preparation skills. Each youth will be given an apron during the camp that they will be able to take home. The camp will culminate in a showcase competition on the final day. But all youth are winners in this fun energetic camp. Registration is open and this camp fills quickly.

Sewing Classes

Besides the camps, we’ll have some sewing classes. The next two are still in the planning stages, but the first will be a Fourth of July Door banner class on two Saturday mornings from 9 am to 12 noon on June 4^th and 11^th.

In August, we’ll be making a 63 inch x 69 inch Christmas Lap Quilt. We’re still working out the details but registration for both sewing classes will be open soon.

All these summer opportunities, as well as any new ones we don’t know about now, will be listed on our home page at www.fablabicc.org. We will handle some of the registrations and some will be handled by external sites. No matter, we’ll always have information and registration links on our home page.

Everyone is welcome to an information session for parents and families about our summer camps and classes on June 2 from 5:30 to 6:30 at the Lab, 2564 Brookside Dr. We’ll have refreshments and people on hand to answer your questions.

Jim Correll can be reached at (620) 252-5349 or by email at jcorrell@indycc.edu. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of Fab Lab ICC or Independence Community College. Archive columns and podcasts at www.fablabicc.org.