Session B: Days Two and Three

Its only day two and already our teams are making spectacular progress. Yesterday we announced this weeks project using two simple words: time machine, and since then our campers have created an impressive narrative in which our time travellers will visit two alternate realities; a past in which dinosaurs were never extinct, where we find them during the middle of the gold rush, mining the rivers of Pompeii (pre-eruption of Vesuvius!) Going back to the future, the dinosaur race has evolved into lizard overlords, and the entire human race is now living on Mars. It’s going to be an exciting few days making this vision into a reality!

So, let’s introduce you to the teams…

The Past (Eugene, Robert, Rudy and Cam - with Jane and Josh)

Eugene hard at work.

Eugene, Robert and Josh working on props for the past.

Rudy and Cam creating strong and sturdy structural supports for the backdrop of Mount Vesuvius.

Robert and Eugene creating Pompeii.

Eugene using the handsaw for part of his project.

Cam and Rudy, our dynamic duo, on the miter saw (watched over by Ben).

Sometimes only a jigsaw will do. 

There might only be four of them, but this group feels much bigger than they are. Enthusiastic and hard working, this group are simultaneously building the backdrop of Pompeii, as well as a number of dinosaur miners! Eugene has been working methodically and taking responsibility for the Pompeii props, including iterations of design and a variety of construction techniques. Rudy and Cam have been building the supporting structures for Mount Vesuvius and have been tirelessly chopsawing away, testing, stabilising and problem solving throughout the day. Dinosaur creation has largely been Robert’s domain (with a little help from some friends – thanks Josh) and we are all looking forward to meeting the Boss-o-saur, Miner-saur and Pan-o-saur as they mine for gold in the rivers on Friday.

The Future (Sophia, Archie, Daisy, Eva, Lucy, Tasso, Ry, Gabe and Jeffrey - with Chris, Aakash and Benjamin)

The Space Cave is starting to take shape!

Lucy giving her 'ready' thumbs up whilst Daisy cuts mountainous Mars scenery using the jigsaw.

And now its Eva's turn! Archie watches from the side.

Jeffrey and Gabe prepare more lumber for the Space Cave.

It's been a busy day for the jigsaw! Here's Ry showing his skills.

The robot is coming along nicely!

It's been a busy day! Archie takes a well-deserved rest.

This group are the first to incorporate paint and surface design/texture into their project (although we’re confident that they won’t be the last!). Daisy, Eva, Lucy and Archie have been creating the landscape, giving us all a better sense of what futuristic ‘Life on Mars’ will look like. Sophia joined the futuristic team today, initially to lend an extra pair of helpful hands, but became so engrossed on the groups plan to create a space dome, that she has decided to remain with the Future team. She has been working with Gabe and Jeffrey to build a space dome. Ry and Tasso have collaborated to create a robot and are looking forward to problem solving a suitably sophisticated portal into the future.

The Time Machine (Ohad, Shohum, Aaron, Arson, Marly, Zara, Carter, Kaia, Katy, Makeda, Tavi and Anna – with Jenny and Roe)

A nicely organised workstation; the time machine team prepare to add wheels to their vehicle.

Methodical work from the track team.

Project Ember Portrait: Ohad.

Testing time: will the cart roll smoothly on the track?

Looks like some problem solving is going to be required.

Anna and Zara measure up the most suitable size for a seat.

Zara's taking note!

Ohad performing the important job of a stop barrier so that the cart won't roll away (its a tough job, but someone's got to do it!)

Kaia uses the power sander to smooth a splintery piece of ply.

More group work and more sanding!

Looks like the whole teams been sanding today, as Arson joins in!

A chance to learn new skills as Jenny introduces the group to the skilsaw.

Katy's one happy lady, having corrected part of the track using the pull saw.

More supplies needed.

The time machine, perhaps unsurprisingly, was a very popular part of this weeks project (who wouldn’t want to create a vehicle to travel through time?!) Twelve members strong, it seemed logical to divide and conquer, so the group split into three smaller teams; Shohum, Ohad, Marly, Zara, Makeda and Anna taking on the challenge of designing a vehicle for time travel; Kaia, Katy, Carter, Tavi designing and building the track on which it should travel; and Arson and Aaron designing a pulley system to add functionality and enable the time machine to move smoothly between the future and the past.

The entire team came back together at regular intervals to discuss the specifics of designs and dimensions, and to conduct tests and trials between the two components. This was not without its setbacks and the team encountered many frustrating moments, but remained supportive and determined throughout, using these challenges as an opportunity for growth. It gave the team a great insight into the purpose and function of prototyping and it was particularly special to share in the collective acknowledgement of small successes; the culmination of teamwork and great participation!

Welcome to Session B

This week at Project Ember we welcome our biggest group yet, with 25 campers joining us for the creation of wild and wonderful new worlds. We are super stoked to have three alumni campers with us this week, sharing their skills and expertise with those who are new to Project Ember and the world of maker-focussed project-based learning. A big part of our program is to challenge our alumni campers, encouraging them to try harder than they have before, to work outside of their comfort zone and to be the best camper and teammate they can be - a Project Ember Ambassador if you will (and perhaps a Junior Collaborator in the making?!)

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Our three alumni campers; Robert, Arson and Tasso recapping their tool knowledge with Josh

We are also very excited to welcome some new (and not so new) faces - Roe, Aakash and Benjamin - into the Project Ember family, as they join us as Collaborators this week, bringing with them a bucket load of experience and enthusiasm. All three have a wealth of educational, community and maker-focussed experience; Benjamin’s love of learning has steered him towards many interesting projects and ventures (we’re pleased to be able to add Project Ember to the list!) His background is in architecture, building off-grid sustainable homes - Earthships (you should check them out), and has worked with young people as an academic youth mentor. Aakash, a firm friend of Project Ember, returns this week, bringing his extensive experience of working with young people as a High School Physics teacher and an engineering prowess to watch out for! And last, but by no means least, we are excited to introduce you to Roe, whose passions lie in connection and community. Roe will be enriching our camp experience with her infectious enthusiasm, intuitive sense and instinctive understanding of the needs of young people.

We began the week in the time honoured tradition of getting-to-know you games, group agreements, expectations and goals. The campers highlighted the importance of ‘learning new things’ and ‘thinking outside the box’ as their key goals for the week, which we couldn’t be happier about! Cultivating curiosity is one of our guiding principles and we are passionate about creating an authentic environment for young people to explore, experiment, challenge the status quo and stretch their imagination to its limits. This week’s project provides the perfect opportunity to do just that, but before we tell you what it is, here are a few snaps of our campers during tool training…

Christopher and the campers talking all things drill-related.

Sophia and Zara learning about our new Dewalt drills.

Kaia and Katy getting some drilling practise in.

Roe and Ry working together during drill training.

Ready? The silent thumbs-up is the appropriate "yes" response (excellently demonstrated by Aakash)

Eva safely operating the miter saw.

Rudy demonstrating how to cut at an angle on the miter saw.

Our ace Junior Collaborator Jane, leading clamp training.

How many pieces of 2"x4" can you hold securely with a clamp?

Cam and Zara have created a strong join using only clamps.

PROJECT ANNOUNCEMENT TIME: this week we are building a time machine! We are leaving the finer details up to the imaginations of our campers, but for now we can confirm that we will be travelling both to the past and the future, so hold on to your hats!

* Huge apologies to Session B campers and their families for the delay in this blog post. We’ve been experiencing a few technical difficulties here at Project Ember HQ (but we’re all sorted now). Thank you for your patience!

Session A: Marble Run Finale

Wow…what a week to kick off summer! Since we announced the challenge of building the World's longest marble run, our campers have been on a mission to incorporate fun, interactive elements into the mix and have come up with some incredibly creative solutions; spirals, ramps, jumps, cascades, plinko and pinball-style challenges.

Thursday was our last full day of building, with many challenges and changes, as collaborations between teams took place to ensure the success of a fully functioning marble run, extending not only the length of the blacktop, but an entire storey! The campers demonstrated excellent team work, cooperation, determination and grit to achieve this.

A couple of cute, furry friends came to say a surprise hello to our Camp Directors!

Arson hard at work, securing the vice.

Ben and Griffin measuring and marking.

Project Ember portrait: Griffin

Team work at it's very best: the whole team working together to complete the last stretch of track.

Time to test the track...

...how's it looking boys?!

Project Ember portrait: Dr Elliott P Blau

Kyle and Ben working on ways to connect the various pinball holes to their track.

Vaughn making some safety checks under the deck.

Tasso showing Leo his preparations for using the jigsaw.

Project Ember portrait: Leo

Elliot P creating the finishing line for our marble run.

Christina hard at work.

A huge team effort to move the last third of the run into place.

Last minute finishing touches; akin to a Nascar pitstop.

The view from the top of our marble run.

The ball is on the move!

Kyle and Ben are eagerly awaiting the moment the ball reaches their multiple funnel section...will it work successfully?

The smiles on their faces say it all!

Davi joins Ben to watch the final stages of the run.

One of the main attractions: our very own pinball machine!

We think you'll agree that all their hard work was well worth it...

* Huge apologies to Session A campers and their families for the delay in this blog post. We've been experiencing a few technical difficulties here at Project Ember HQ (but we're all sorted now). Thank you for your patience!

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Session A Day Campers...what a group to kick off the summer! :)

Session A: Days Two and Three

All our teams' projects have really come to life quickly with all sorts of imaginative designs.  With everything from standard shoots, to zig-zag ramps, to full on pinball machines, this week's kids had no shortage of creativity on call.  Here's a short photo summary of our progress.   

Davi attaches zig zags to aide the ball bearing down the staircase. 

Josh's team (now called the Ball Bearians) gets to work on their "Plinko" board.

Benjamin gets an assist while drilling from the clamps.

Christina trims a dowel on the chop saw. 

Dante helps Dr. Elliot make sure his drill is perpendicular to the wood. 

Griffin demonstrates great technique with the hand saw. 

The wood waterfall comes to life.  (Note the clean work space with all the screws neatly in a storage cup!)

Griffins steps right up to the chop saw. 

Christina and Davi work together on attaching more zig zags. 

No title necessary.  Just look at these guys. 

Kyle excelled with the handsaw and helped teach others who had never used it as well. 

One of our favorite visual elements. 

Elliot shares his amazing "plus plus" blocks during snack.  How cool are these?

Testing time!

Celebratory moment!

Session A: World's Longest Marble Run, Day One

Welcome to the first week of summer camp! The Directors and Collaborators here at Project Ember HQ have been eagerly awaiting today and were pumped and primed for the first full week of art and engineering challenges with some rad young people.

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The first morning at camp can be a daunting one; the combination of new people, new places, new projects. Luckily this is one of our specialities and we pride ourselves in a safe and welcoming space for kids to be seen, heard and valued. As you can see from our group agreements, this week's campers have some thoughtful and savvy suggestions on how to be excellent to one another and stay safe.

Throughout the week, kids at Project Ember will have access to an array of tools and equipment and it is incredibly important to us that they are shown how to use them safely, responsibly and confidently. Tool training focused on the chop saw, clamps and drills - all essential for this week’s (still secret) design challenge.

We decided to keep this week’s project under our belts for a little while longer, with suspense growing throughout park and lunch time. But we can’t keep it secret any longer…this week we are creating THE WORLD’S LARGEST MARBLE RUN!

Dividing ourselves into smaller teams, each group has the responsibility for a different section of the marble run. Christina, Davi, Arson and Leo are working alongside Christopher to create the start of the marble run from the height of the mezzanine level (incorporating the staircase). Elliott B, Dante, Vaughn, Tasso and Josh will take over the run from the bottom of the staircase and continue its course across the blacktop in a suitably challenging and creative fashion. Then it is down to our third and final group; Ysabel, Elliot P, Griffin, Ben and Kyle to conclude our marble run course in style, with collaborative assistance from Jenny and our fab Junior Collaborator Jane. Katie will be spreading her enthusiasm, creativity and technical know-how amongst all three groups and helping campers to figure out the transition points between each part of the run.

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Designing, building and iteration has already begun, even in these initial stages of the project, so expect many more design challenges and problem solving as the week unfolds! As day one came to a close, an encouraging and purposeful start has been made and the staff and campers are excitedly anticipating tomorrow’s first full build day.

Art Carts: One Day Workshop

This last weekend we had a workshop full of superlatives.  Our largest group of kids, our most complex one-day workshop project to date, our first junior collaborator of the year...and, the wettest outdoor build of the season. The early May rain was a welcome surprise for us Californians, and it kept us thinking on our feet all day.  The kids took it like champs, staying focused and working diligently all day. 

Sneak peak of the final project. (Turns out it's super challenge to load an upside down paintbrush with paint!)

This week, we had a big group of kids all age 10 and over. We were also joined by two new members of the Project Ember Team. Christopher comes to us with many beautiful building projects under his belt and lots of experience working with kids.  He will join us all summer as a Staff Collaborator.  We also welcomed Jane, our first official Junior Collaborator who blew us away with her wealth of tool knowledge and natural leadership abilities. We were also glad to see our old friend Hannah who we hope will make many guest appearances this summer.

We moved through our hellos, community expectations and safety agreements, and then huddled under the canopies to go over our two main tools of the day: the miter saw (also known as the chop saw) and the drills.  

Aiden practices driving lots of screws. 

The team circles up tight to avoid the rain while learning about making a ready call.

Christopher and Josh broke off to cover drill safety and technique while the ladies headed up chop saw training.  The chop saw can be an intimidating tool for first time users, but everyone in the group stepped up to make their first cuts after a thorough training, and many couldn't wait to jump in for a second shot.  Our whole team was impressed by how quickly this group of kids absorbed the lessons and the excellent (and safe) technique they demonstrated for the rest of the day.  

Theo makes a steady first cut.

Chloe demonstrates focus.

Matthew takes it nice and slow.

Once the groundwork for the day had been laid, we announced the project: Art Carts!  Our teams took on the challenge of designing a rolling vehicle that could paint three different 4’x 15’ canvases (one on the ground, one upright, and one overhead).  Their one design constraint was that the brushes needed to be attached to the carts so that they did not fall to the ground when the operator let go.  We broke into three teams and got to work designing.

Our ideas were ambitious and we had to move fast. Making changes to the plan on the fly, different teams took different approaches. Hannah's team favored thinking and planning up front, which allowed them to stick to their plan and collectively agree on any major changes. On Josh's team, different kids each took charge of different parts. While some worked on the problem of the brushes, others built the cart itself. Adding the brushes to the cart would be the final challenge. And on Christopher's team there was a bit more improvisation and many more last second changes as excitement overcame planning.

Under the Awning

The entire camp had to fit under the awning at the Berkeley School. Rain makes things tricky.

Chops Saws Are Exciting

And so is well cut lumber.

Casters Everwhere

One day we will propery install casters with bolts and/or lag bolts. Today, fender washers will have to do.

Hot Glue

Aiden utilizes the hot glue gun to add a cozy seat cushion to his team's cart.

Casters Last

Was saving caster for a last a good idea? The team has mixed opinions.

Problem Solving

Sometimes you can't just think your way through a problem, you have to go out and touch it.

Sophia and Gabby attach their casters as the families start to file in. 

The project had proved a complex one for a short day building. When families started showing up for the final demonstration, the kids were still hard at work with finishing touches.  It felt like we had three Nascar pit crews on the scene, as each team flipped over their carts to add wheels before driving them over to the starting line.  Carson added a little design flair to the day with a custom gong mallet to signal the beginning of each team's round.  Congrats to all the kids for their inspired designs and hard work making the deadline.  And our thanks to The Berkeley School for hosting us on its beautiful campus!

Adam and Jack take the inaugural run through the blue tarp tunnel. 

Chloe and Lili take a second run with the pop-out print making roof.

Ben and Gabby are ready to give their design a test-run.

Aiden is ready to be this cart's engine. 

Only one group opted for a side-roller.  

Matthew's team designed a foot-power cart (Flintstones anyone?).