Based on last year’s enrollment, International Ivy Summer Enrichment Program is sharing the most popular summer STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) classes in the Short Hills / Millburn area.
- Robotics – Lego (Ages 8-10)
- 3D Printing (Ages 10-14)
- Video Game Creation – Beginners (Ages 8-13)
- Youngster – Left Brain Mix of Robotics, Singapore Math and Logic Games (Ages 5-7)
- Youngster – Right Brain Mix of Yoga, Country Study and Story Time (Ages 5-7)
- Minecraft Creative – The Engineer in You (Ages 8-13)
- Minecraft Survival for Beginners (Ages 5-10)
- Public Speaking and Youth Leadership (Ages 8-13)
- Engineering – Flight and Aerospace (Ages 8-11)
- Escape Room Creation (Ages 8-13)
Robotics – Lego (Ages 8-10)
Students learn how to build and program the amazing LEGO® Mindstorms® NXT robot. They use their new skills to meet challenges such following lines, processing sound, navigating a maze and building their vehicles or animals. The Robotics classes introduce programming concepts such as repeat loops, if/then statements, and the use of the external inputs such as touch, sound and light sensors. Logic, technology and creativity are combined to provide hours of learning fun! Creative robot construction, team-oriented challenges, variations of input sensors will stimulate your child’s imagination.
3D Printing (Ages 10-14)
3D printing is the technology that will change the way we live! Students will learn how to use Tinkercad, a design software used for creating 3D models. Students will learn to design, sculpt, texture, arrange and render their 3D models. Students in the past have created jewelry, phone cases and ornaments. At the completion of the course, every student will have at least one 3D object from their projects to take home.
Video Game Creation – Beginners (Ages 8-13)
Students create their very own computer video game from the ground up. Utilizing ClickStream Fusion® software, our teachers walk through every step of developing a customized functional arcade-style video game. This includes creating various objects such as the player, enemies, bonuses, designing multiple levels, assigning health and lives, and programming object movements. In addition to having fun and gaining a sense of accomplishment, students learn the elements of good game design, drag-and-drop programming, and incorporated logic such as repeat loops, conditional statements, object parenting.
Youngster – Left Brain Mix of Robotics, Singapore Math and Logic Games (Ages 5-7)
Students learn a mix Lego WeDo Robotics, Singapore Math and Logic/Strategy Games. Students are introduced to simple robotics through building models, attaching sensors and motors, and using a computer to program the model’s behavior. Students will also learn about simple engineering concepts such as pulleys, belts, gears and levels, while having a blast with their creations. We also teach Singapore Math because it covers fewer topics but in a more in-depth level, using greater visualization of math concepts and emphasis on solving word problems. Students are also taught logic, strategy and spatial games like Logik Street, checkers, Connect 4, Othello, Guess Who! and Blokus to enhance “thinking ahead” and reasoning skills.
Youngster – Right Brain Mix of Yoga, Country Study and Story Time (Ages 5-7)
Students will learn various yoga poses taking cues from animals and nature. They will roar, stretch and learn the tools to relax and strengthen their bodies. Each week, students embark on an imaginary adventure to a different country. They learn about the art, music, games, language and customs of that country (Mexico, Japan, Morocco, Brazil, France, Italy, China, Russia). Each week, a different author is showcased. Students will be exposed to a different picture book every day. After each story, the instructor will lead a discussion to help students further their reading skills. Topics include cause and effect, making inferences, drawing conclusions, point of view, character traits, character motivation, etc. Students practice their communications skills in related activities including “reader’s theater” or “reader’s reviews”.
Minecraft Creative – The Engineer in You (Ages 8-13)
Students will be building their dream home, setting up their village, replicating a famous building like the White House and building the Golden Gate Bridge as a team. Students will explore effective communications skills through discussions and group exercises in Minecraft.
Minecraft Survival for Beginners (Ages 5-10)
The class will cover the basics of Minecraft in survival mode, including basic controls, managing inventory, how to survive the first night, avoiding hunger, building, mining, farming, reaching the Nether and conquering the end. Imagine playing survival with all the players in the same room, working together for a common goal. The teacher will facilitate discussions on traits of good teamwork.
Public Speaking and Youth Leadership (Ages 8-13)
Student will look at world issues like “access to education”, “access to clean water”, “food safety” and “poverty” while students find their own “cause compass” – issues that they care about and actions they can take. Along the way, they will research, structure, craft and execute their speeches to inform and persuade. Students will be practicing their public speaking skills, working on speaking from the diaphragm, projection, breath control, structure and conquering the quivers. The goal is to make students more aware of their self-presentation as well as give them a level of comfort with speaking in public.
Engineering – Flight and Aerospace (Ages 8-11)
Aerospace engineers design things that fly both inside and outside of our atmosphere, while aeronautical (flight) engineers design things that only fly inside of our atmosphere. Students dive into aeronautical engineering by designing models of flying technologies that help collect aerial photographs. Students also learn how to engineer rovers that can be used to explore faraway worlds in space while addressing trade-offs and variables involved in engineering.
Escape Room Creation (Ages 8-13)
An escape room is a physical adventure game in which players solve a series of puzzles using clues to complete the objectives at hand by a certain time. Each day, students will participate in an escape room at the beginning of class. They will be exposed to a broad range of scenarios, clues and puzzles used in escape rooms. During the course of the week, students will team up and design their own escape room by creating their own scenario, clues and puzzles. Parents will be invited on Friday to see if they can “escape” from the students’ escape rooms.
About International Ivy
International Ivy promotes creativity and hands-on learning for students between the ages of 3-15 in subjects such as Robotics, Video Game Creation, Computer Programming, Science, Engineering, Math, Minecraft, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Digital Design and more.
All classes are weekly, Monday to Friday, between June 24 to August 16. Families can enroll for one week or multiple weeks, full-day (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM) or half-day (9:00 AM – 12:30 PM or 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM).
For more information, go to www.iisummer.org.
Short Hills
International Ivy in Short Hills is location at the Pingry School, 50 Country Day Drive, Short Hills, NJ 07078. To view the class schedule offered at this location, click here: https://iisummer.org/short-hills/
