2024 Summer Camps registration is OPEN!
We make STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) fun for students of all ages! Geering Up offers camps for elementary school students across Greater Vancouver. These five-day camps use fun and innovative experiments and projects to help inspire BC youth to explore STEM. We design our camps to be beginner-friendly and fun for all ages! To secure your spot, click below to explore this summer’s programs.
- Weekly Programming from JULY through AUGUST
11 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAM THEMES - 9AM – 3PM
PACIFIC STANDARD TIME - UBC Vancouver, Richmond, North Vancouver, South Surrey, Coquitlam, and UBCO Kelowna
- Grade Levels: entering grades 1-7
VARIES BY PROGRAM THEME AND LOCATION - Program Pricing: $390 – $470
VARIES BY PROGRAM THEME, DURATION, AND LOCATION.
Every person should be able to participate in our programs. Please see the information regarding our camp bursaries.
ELEMENTARY STEM SUMMER CAMP THEMES:
Please note that each camp theme in the same grade level will feature the same curriculum each week. As such, we do not advise taking the same camp more than once throughout the summer.
Miniminds
Instill curiosity and develop a passion for STEM from a young age! Our Miniminds camps introduce mini-scientists and engineers to all areas of STEM through lots of exciting, hands-on activities. We provide a space for future grade 1 students to practice being in a new classroom, all while exploring, engaging, and having fun with STEM!
We offer two different versions of Miniminds: A and B. Each version will involve different STEM topics, building challenges, and activities. Get ready for a STEM-tastic week!
STEAM
Cultivate your creativity while learning all about the world around us! STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) camps combine STEM concepts with creative design. Explore your artistic side through a variety of hands-on activities while learning about the sky, sea, cells, and more! Join us for a week filled with design inquiries and fun activities… full STEAM ahead!
Join this camp to unleash your creative side through original engineering projects—let’s combine the worlds of art and science!
LOCATIONS: UBC Vancouver, Richmond, South Surrey, Coquitlam
Maker
Get inspired to build creatively and think critically: grab your hardhats, engineers! Discover what it means to be an engineer, dive into design using the Engineering Design Cycle, and create tons of hands-on, creative projects. This camp is perfect for the builders and makers of our world!
Join this camp if you want to learn all about what engineers can do!
LOCATIONS: UBC Vancouver, Richmond, North Vancouver, South Surrey, Coquitlam
STEM Explorations
Are you curious about the world? Do you want to unravel its interconnected complexities? STEM Explorations is all about exploring the four disciplines STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Whether it’s digging into engineering problems or diving head-first into mind-boggling science experiments, our STEM Explorations camp aims to engage participants through hands-on, fun, and interdisciplinary activities. Welcome, Junior Explorers!
Join this camp if you have a passion for exploring and want to investigate the interconnectedness of the fields of STEM.
Intro to Engineering 6/7
Did you know that at UBC alone there are 14 different types of Engineering you can study? From building bridges and inventing cutting-edge medical technology to designing the websites you use every day; the impact of Engineers is all around us! We’ve skillfully engineered a week-long adventure where we’ll dive into the different types of Engineering and explore the possibilities of design and ingenuity.
Join this camp if you’re not sure where to start or if you’re interested in experiencing a broader scope of Engineering in an introductory setting!
City Creators 6/7
Are you ready to embark on an epic adventure in the world of Civil Engineering and City Design? If you’re gearing to get started, this camp is for you! Join your fellow innovators and amateur architects in an immersive experience that will ignite a passion for shaping the future. Unleash your creativity and gain insight into the principles of urban planning, infrastructure development, and environmental sustainability. Join us to ENGINEER your architectural abilities and elevate your imagination through a perfect blend of hands-on learning and city-building.
Join this camp if you want to explore Civil Engineering, City Design, Architecture, or Environmental Engineering!
LOCATIONS: UBC Vancouver, Richmond
STEM Horizons 6/7
Embark on an exhilarating journey of discovery at our exploratory camp designed for curious minds in grades 6 and 7! Join us for a week packed with hands-on experiments and thrilling challenges that will ignite your passion for STEM. Be prepared to explore, innovate, and collaborate in an environment where curiosity knows no bounds.
Join this camp if you want to explore Science, Technology, Engineering and Math in a fun, hands-on environment!
LOCATIONS: UBC Vancouver, South Surrey, North Vancouver, Coquitlam
ELEMENTARY CODING CAMPS
Geering Up provides week-long beginner-level coding camps for elementary students (Grades 2 to 7) each summer. These specialty camps in Computer Science aim to ignite interest in computational thinking and enhance related skills. Activities encompass visual block coding, binary puzzles, basic game creation, computer graphics and animation, and coding robots. Check past summer offerings for elementary coding programs below.
ELEMENTARY SUMMER CODING CAMP THEMES:
Please note that each camp theme in the same grade level will feature the same curriculum each week. As such, we do not advise taking the same camp more than once throughout the summer.
Computers & Me
Technology makes up the world around us; come with us to explore the world of Computer Science and tech! From exciting computer games to working on our very first block code, Computers and Me camp is the perfect digital playground for your imagination to run wild. This program will teach you the basic principles of computer programming and coding and involve lots of introductory computer-based activities. No previous computer experience is necessary.
Join this camp if you want to become more acquainted with how computers work and get an early introduction to computational thinking!
Creative Coders
Explore a variety of coding and digital design platforms to build your knowledge and grow your skillset! If you’re excited about the idea of programming-based innovations, then you’ll want to join your fellow coders for a week of creative coding projects! Creative Coders does not focus on a specific coding language; instead, we use several coding platforms so you’ll get exposure to the vast world of code. All skill levels are welcome: no previous computer programming experience is necessary. Welcome to the Coder Crew!
Join this camp if you want to learn or enhance your coding skills and create all sorts of fascinating projects.
LOCATIONS: UBC Vancouver, South Surrey, Richmond, Coquitlam, UBCO Kelowna
CAMP POLICIES & FAQ
Please read the information below regarding our policies in place for camps this year.
Registration Deadlines: Registration for each camp will close at 11:59 PM on the Sunday the week before the camp begins.
(i.e., if the camp begins Monday, July 25th, registration for it will close on Sunday, July 17th)
Geering Up operates as a non-profit organization and incurs substantial fees for each cancellation. The later the cancellation, the harder it is for us to fill the spot with somebody on the waitlist. To offset these costs, our cancellation and transfer policy is as follows:
| Date of Cancellation | Amount Refunded |
|---|---|
| More than 7 business days before the program’s start date: | 100% refund of program price, minus a $35 cancellation fee |
| 7 business days or less before the program’s start date: | 50% refund of program price |
| After 9am the Friday before the program’s start date: | No refund provided |
Camp Hours: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Recess & Lunch: Campers will go outside for a 30-minute recess and a one-hour long lunch each day.
Activities: In our camps we will have a variety of activities including engineering building challenges, coding projects, experiments, creative design projects, and more.
Before & After Care: Geering Up offers supervision for campers who need to be dropped off before camp or picked up after camp ends. We offer before care from 8:15 AM - 9:00 AM Monday through Friday. We offer standard after care from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM or the extended after care from 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM. We offer both after care programs Monday through Friday. If provincial health restrictions due to COVID-19 change and Geering Up must cancel Before and After Care, participants will be contacted with advanced notice and refunded for this service in full.
*Only our UBC Vancouver and UBCO Kelowna locations offer Before & After Care.
Lunch Program: If purchased, campers receive a main course, side, and drink for their lunch each day. The lunch program costs are for each day of the camp week.
*Only our UBC Vancouver Camps offer a lunch program.
Geering Up programming is deigned and intended for individual participants, not groups. Having a group (local or visiting) register for our programming greatly impacts the quality of the individual participant's experience; something that is extremely important to us. As such, group registrations are prohibited.
Please note that Geering Up will withdraw all participants without a refund who are found in breach of the group registration policy at any point before or after programming begins.
Each location's camp schedule can be found on our location pages or linked here:
Check out our FAQ, or reach us at camps.geeringup@ubc.ca.
