About | Hollingworth Science Camp | The Hollingworth Center | Teachers College, Columbia University

At a Glance

Location:

Our program is located on the Teachers College, Columbia University campus in Morningside Heights.

Campers:

Every Year we welcome 200 campers from the U.S and abroad. Our campers are rising 1st graders to 5th graders.

Camp Groups:

Camp is made up of 8 camp groups. Each group studies a unique science topic for the duration of camp.

Camp-Wide Theme

Every summer we select a camp-wide theme to explore as an all-camp community. Each camp group examines the camp-wide theme through the lens of their specific group topic.

Date & Time:

Camp runs on weekdays from 8:30am to 3:15pm during the month of July.

Accessibility:

Our classrooms are nut-free and fully accessible.

OUR APPROACH TO SCIENCE

Our curriculum is designed to put campers into the role of scientists.

With hands-on activities and guided experiments, we challenge and support our campers as they learn through their own experiences. We cultivate meaningful discussions by listening to our campers and building on their knowledge. We present questions and thrive on discoveries made in the classroom. We embrace failure as an opportunity to grow and we always encourage campers to try and try again. Every lesson at Hollingworth is carefully designed to ensure it is both engaging and developmentally appropriate for our young learners.

Our curriculum is informed by three educational approaches:

Inquiry-based Science

The underlying philosophy behind Hollingworth Science Camp is inquiry-based. We adopt an approach to teaching and learning where students are provided with opportunities to investigate the world around them. Through this process, campers learn to ask questions, make observations, test out ideas, think creatively, and collaborate with others. Some of the hallmark features of an inquiry-based science approach are using hands-on materials for investigation, linking new concepts to the preexisting ideas of the campers, and encouraging student talk as a means of communicating scientific findings, which all lead to higher student engagement. It is our goal for all campers to continue growing their curiosity about the world around them, and feel empowered by the fact that they can design their own investigations to answer scientific questions.

The Engineering Design Process

The engineering design process is used by engineers to address and solve problems, and ultimately create new innovations. Unlike inquiry, which typically answers a question, this process is used to identify an issue and methodically approach its solution.

At camp, we use the engineering design process to guide our problem-solving and creation. Campers identify real-world issues, brainstorm ideas, build prototypes, test, and then improve their design, before testing again. Cooperation and embracing failure are at the very heart of this approach, and we practice these skills every day. When engaged in this process, campers come away with increased confidence and perseverance that helps them approach problems by generating and evaluating potential solutions, a skill that will help them in countless settings.

The Maker Movement

The Maker Movement is a celebration of creativity and community that centers around the act of creating, designing, building, testing, and sharing ideas. Born out of DIY culture, making is all about taking the materials around you and using them in novel ways to create something new.

At camp, the maker movement is a part of every classroom. Maker spaces bring campers together to “tinker” and stretch their creative muscles as they imagine, design, and build. We find that this approach weaves right into science and engineering, supporting the development of similar skills. For example, the Maker culture emphasizes taking risks, learning from failed attempts, being comfortable with the unknown, and finding or building communities of sharing. Our campers come away with a “tinkering” mindset that supports their joyful discoveries. In celebration of our maker community, we host a Maker Gallery every year during camp where campers display their creations and share their process with loved ones.