A cutting-edge, collaborative summer science camp announces openings for July 

Tech Trek, a new and unique summer camp program for children ages 6 to 12, is slated to run July 14 to 25 at the Lemberg Children’s Center at Brandeis University.

The children at the science-focused camp will explore drones, robotics and 3D printing in a setting that emphasizes teamwork, questioning and leadership. Campers will work collaboratively on projects with real-life applications. They will also have time for arts and gym.

The curriculum flows from the center’s philosophy. According to Howard Baker, the center’s executive director, the camp focuses not on “the right answer but on the process. We value kids’ investigations and value their ideas. They learn that they can speak up.” He uses the example of Legos: “You made something. Now how do you take it apart, and how can someone else replicate it? They learn to make maps.”

The camp director is Gerry Gagnon, chair of Newton South High School’s science and technology department. Working with him is Ian Roy, the director of design and  innovation at Brandeis University and founder of the Brandeis MakerLab. With a 1:6 teacher-student ratio, Tech Trek will give each child the chance to follow their own curiosity, they said. 

The program plans to take advantage of Brandeis University resources, including activities at the Gosman Sports Center and the MakerLab and tours of other labs. 

Andrew Li, a 2024 Brandeis graduate and part-time administrator at the center who “grew up going to the Lemberg Children’s Center,” noted that the original conception of the Tech Trek program was to draw families internationally but that this goal “has been a bit difficult” this year, thus leading to late openings at the camp.

The cost of the Tech Trek camp is $900 for one week and $1,700 for two weeks. 

An approach grounded in psychology 

The nonprofit Lemberg Children’s Center operates inclusive childcare programs year-round for children ages 6 weeks to 6 years, who are placed into three age groups. 

The center also has arms devoted to research, professional development and parent education. One component of parent education is the ACT Raising Safe Kids Program, a national violence-prevention program. 

The center’s roots go back to 1961, when the renowned psychologist and Brandeis professor Abraham Maslow founded the Lab School to research play and its impact on children and their learning. In 1970 Brandeis faculty, students and staff founded a preschool. Five years later, Brandeis merged the Lab School with the preschool and renamed it the Gersh & Sarah Lemberg Children’s Center. 

“Maslow’s work is still much a part of what we do,” Baker noted. Maslow is best known for his theory of the “hierarchy of needs.” This psychological theory proposes that humans must first satisfy basic needs (such as food and shelter) before they can address their higher needs (such as safety, love and self-actualization). “If people are relaxed, they are more open to interactions,” Baker said. For the summer program, the goal is “communication, connection skills and the scientific method.”

“We want to promote positivity,” Li said. “When a child feels positive, they learn best.”