Hundreds of students from throughout the Merced City School District are enjoying a variety of fun and interactive learning opportunities during Summer Academy.
They’re getting a chance to program robots, build marshmallow catapults, launch paper towel roll rockets, make ice cream, design Rube Goldberg machines, and create their own instruments. There are also special performances, assemblies, and learning excursions to places such as local zoos, performing arts centers, colleges, and universities.
All of the activities and other classroom instruction are based around integrated STEAM learning – science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics. This approach is designed to help students develop 21st century skills including critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity.
The five week session started June 12 and will continue through July 14. The classes are open to children who were in transitional kindergarten through seventh grade during the 2016-2017 school year. They are being held at Reyes Elementary, Rivera Elementary, and Rivera Middle School.
Summer Academy also offers online programs for foreign language and mathematics. Students enrolled in those courses can work from home at their own pace but also have the option of attending classes at the school sites for extra support and unique learning opportunities that incorporate art into both subjects.
Fourth grader Lily Tupuanai says, “My favorite part about coming to Summer Academy is to learn new things, and Summer Academy helps me go over the things I just learned in the recent grade.”
Eighth grader Jade Velasquez adds, “I enjoy the activities that they have us do, our art projects, and the experience we have in our science classes.”