Get ready for a summer of curiosity and connection!  Our summer camp offers gifted students the opportunity to dive into highly enriched activities alongside a community of intellectual peers.

Every course is thoughtfully designed and led by expert gifted-trained teachers, ensuring your child is both challenged and inspired in an environment where learning feels like an adventure.  It's more than a camp - it's a place for bright minds to SHINE together!

Who Can Join:

Gifted Students: Open to both DVUSD and non-DVUSD students.                                                                                                                                Siblings: Brothers and sisters of gifted attendees are also welcome.

Registration Details:

DVUSD Students: We will automatically verify your scores after enrollment.                                                                                                                             Non-DVUSD Students: Please email your gifted qualifying scores (Psychologist's report or CogAT) to giftedservices@dvusd.org for  approval before registering.

COURSES OFFERED:

STEAM SHIP: CREATIVE PORT OF DISCOVERY! (Grades 1-3)   All aboard the STEAM Ship! Set sail on a creative journey around the world as we dock at a new port each day and explore the wonders of science, technology, engineering, art, and math through hands-on projects and imaginative adventures.

ISLAND ORIGAMI: THE ISLAND IN MY POCKET! (Grades 1-3)  Pack your bags for a journey of the mind! This week, our young explorers will engineer an entire tropical world out of a single stack of paper. Using the art of 3D pop-up engineering, students will map uncharted territories.

ARTISTIC WATERWAYS! (Grades 1-3)  Exploring with Art. In this visual arts based course, students will use multiple media to examine the relationships between waterways and the people who rely on them.

CALM SEAS, FOCUSED MIND! (Grades 1-3, 4-6, 7-8)   Calm Seas, Focused Minds supports the affective needs of gifted students. This class provides a gentle blend of mindfulness practices, movement (yoga) and quiet focus activities. In an ocean-inspired environment, students will learn to recognize emotional “tides,” steady their bodies, and reset their minds.

SEASIDE STUDIO VOYAGE! (Grades 4-6, 7-8)  All aboard for creativity and fun! In our Cruising into Summer Camp: Games & Crafts Adventure, campers will set sail on an exciting journey packed with hands-on projects, team challenges, and high-energy games.

SEA-NANIGANS & SIGHTSEEING! (Grades 4-6, 7-8) Throughout the session, campers “travel” to different global regions, studying water science, ecology, sustainability, geography, and cultural traditions—all while engaging in fine arts and performance-based projects.

CRUISING INTO CODING! (Grades 4-6, 7-8)  Set sail on the S.S. Intelligence! Using the latest Code.org curriculum, campers navigate the high seas of computer science. Chart a course from block-based to text-based coding while mastering algorithms and AI.

BOTS AHOY! (Grades 4-6, 7-8)   For this class we'll be using Legos, Sphero experiments, and 6th grade robots to create ocean scenes.

LYRIC JOURNEY! (Grades 4-6, 7-8)  Students will go on a voyage where inspiration can be found at every port! Each day of camp will represent a different "docking city" where students will learn and practice a new kind of poetic technique. Students will walk away with many self-authored poems and a fresh perspective of the world of poetry all around us.

CAPTAIN CALCULATE! (Grades 4-6, 7-8) Set Sail on a Math-Adventure! Ready to discover your own high-seas journey? This summer, climb aboard as we design the ultimate interactive cruise vacation! Over five days, you’ll use math and tech to build a multimedia masterpiece.

RECLAIMED REEF ART STUDIO: SAVE OUR SEAS! (Grades 4-6, 7-8)  Let's set sail for an immersive, interdisciplinary course where gifted learners explore ocean ecosystems, human impact, and environmental advocacy through collaborative art. Students investigate real-world ocean challenges, then transform recycled materials into powerful 3D sea creature sculptures and a large-scale collaborative mural.

MYTHICAL SEAS & LEGENDARY CREATURES! (Grades 4-6, 7-8) Embark on a legendary voyage across the world’s oceans—both real and imagined. In this interdisciplinary course, students explore myths, folklore, and historical tales of sea monsters, mermaids, water dragons, and heroic explorers from diverse cultures.

EXTREME OCEAN SCIENCE: SURVIVING EARTH'S MOST DANGEROUS WATERS! (Grades 4-6, 7-8)  During this class, we'll look into physics and Earth science of the ocean’s most extreme environments. Students would investigate deep-sea pressure, rogue waves, polar ice, and ocean storms through research and engineering challenges, discovering how life and technology survive in the planet’s harshest waters.

Even more excitement is on deck.  Stay tuned......

Breakfast and lunch included.  Questions? Please email giftedservices@dvusd.org.

**Our classes like to keep learning new moves, so the course rotation may occasionally change. Teachers are hired based on student registrations to ensure we have the right instructors for each class. Because staffing is arranged according to enrollment, refunds are not available.**