The IMAGINE Program
Art Park™
The Art Park module, combining science, math, art, and creative problem solving, has participants designing and building sculptures for an art museum’s sculpture garden. On each day of the curriculum, children explore a different type of sculpture and build their own version of it. Throughout the week, children work in teams to design and create sculptures that employ mathematics, science, and creative problem solving in their construction. The use of art to emphasize science concepts and math is designed to show the interrelatedness of multiple content areas in the construction of one area – art.
Saving Sludge City™
In the Saving Sludge City™ module, children are introduced to ecology and the concept of conservation when they are challenged to rebuild a cleaner, more eco-friendly city that has been polluted to the point of ruin. Before construction begins, children investigate and demonstrate the actions that polluted the city and determine effective methods to clean it up. Children explore green city design, water filtration systems, safe waste disposal, conservation techniques, and renewable energy as they completely reconstruct the town.
M.A.R.S. (Moving at Rocket Speed)™
A trip to Mars is the premise for a week of space, science, and fun during the M.A.R.S. (Moving at Rocket Speed) module. From utilizing the science of space travel to build spaceships and living quarters, to creating craters that pocket the planet and building a Mars rover, to practicing communication skills necessary to bridge the distance (approximately 34.8 million miles!), children discover the difficulties and rewards of space travel. Through science experiments and brainstorming, children discover that rocket science really is much more complicated than most people realize!
I Can Invent III™
The I Can Invent III module illustrates the joys (and frustrations) that real inventors face during the process of creating totally new inventions. During the week, younger children create fantasy inventions using pieces and parts of broken appliances and other provided materials. Older children spend the week creating multi-step, Rube Goldberg-type machines that solve a given challenge. Both age groups use and develop creative and critical-thinking skills as they encounter problems or unfamilar situations throughout the week.
Global Games™
During the Global Games module, children explore cultures from around the world. Throughout the week, children discover the link between the games of ancient civilizations and the sports of this generation. The Global Games module fuses physical activity and history. Modern games have evolved from ancient and sometimes prehistoric games into the games we now play. Children employ strategy and teamwork as they play games and explore how changing the rules can create a new experience! Children learn about how most ancient cultures used the materials they had to create games and how, even now, found objects can be used to create new challenging games.