Venture Academy is 30 years old this year!

Virtual Camp is the pivot of our in-person summer camp program to an online platform. In our Virtual Camp, we are staying true to our core values in that all students will receive engaging STEM content from our enthusiastic and dedicated Staff. This year’s Virtual Camp fee includes the cost of a Camp Kit that is unique to each program and will be sent to each registrant.

Venture Academy Virtual Camp is hosted on Google Classroom. This platform is accessible and an easy to use tool for participants of any age, and only requires a Gmail address. Participants' Gmail addresses will be added to their respective Google Classrooms the week prior to their registered program. The Google Classroom will include all of the necessary project resources and will be the main method of communication with Instructors. All live calls will be hosted on Zoom, and the links are provided on the respective Google Classrooms.

Virtual Camp time commitments vary based on age group, where Grades 3-8 live content is 1.5 hours long, and Grades 9-12 is 2 hours long. The specific start time for all live content is outlined under the respective program, where some programs are in the morning and others are in the afternoon. Live content runs from Monday to Thursday and there is an asynchronous project released every Friday (except for Week 5).  We ask all participants to join the Zoom call 15 minutes early to allow for attendance and safe call entry for all participants..

There are two Virtual Camp programs available for each age group. There is an Engineering Science stream offered for Grades 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8, which turns into Engineering Physics for Grades 9-12. Additionally, there is an Engineering Technology stream offered for Grades 3-4, 5-6 and 7-8, which turns into Computer Science for Grades 9-12. The projects in each specific program will be repeated for all 8 weeks of Virtual Camp.

All of our sessions are recorded to accommodate for those in different time zones or who are having trouble with internet connections. The session recordings are posted on their respective Google Classrooms once they are available to Instructors. Additionally, if students are late or having trouble following along, they are encouraged to watch the session recording to best support their learning.

Camp Kits are a set of materials that are included in the cost of Virtual Camp. The Camp Kits will correspond directly to the live projects of each Virtual Camp program. Each Camp Kit will include a variety of materials and a main tech item, such as an Arduino. In order to encourage and support participants who have registered for the 2 available programs of their age group, the Camp Kits will not contain the same materials and tech items. Please note batteries will not be sent in Camp Kits as required due to Mailing Services Guidelines.

Each of the 8 programs offered include a unique Camp Kit. In the Camp Kit you can expect to find a variety of materials, which differ between programs. For example, a Camp Kit for a Grade 7-8 program may include an Arduino, Breadboard, Circuit Wires, Resistors, LED’s, a Buzzer and more. The materials are specifically designed to accompany all live projects. It asked that participants do not touch the Camp kit materials until instructed to do so.

Camp Kits will be sent to all registered participants' home addresses prior to the start of their program. We ask participants to not use Camp Kits prior to the program as we cannot ensure they are being used properly. We are unable to re-send any Camp Kit materials. There will be sufficient materials for project completion, and we have provided duplicates when fragile content (such as LED’s) are used.

We are shipping Camp Kits out of Mailing Services at McMaster University. The Camp Kits will be mailed out through Canada Post and a tracking number will be provided upon availability. We have scheduled registration deadlines to best ensure that Camp Kits arrive on time. However, once a Camp Kit has been mailed, it is out of our control to ensure the date of arrival.

The registration deadlines are as follows to enable Camp Kits to arrive on time:

Canada

Virtual Camp Weeks 1-4: Deadline to Register - Monday May 31, 2021 11:59PM

Virtual Camp Weeks 5-6: Deadline to Register - Monday June 28, 2021 11:59PM

International

Virtual Camp Weeks 1-8: Deadline to Register - Monday May 31, 2021 11:59PM

After the outlined deadlines, we cannot guarantee that Camp Kits will arrive on time.

The total cost of each Virtual Camp is $100. This price is to offset the cost of Camp Kits and Instructor salaries. We were very fortunate to receive sponsorship in summer 2020 allowing us to offer free Virtual Camps and appreciate your understanding in this change of finances. We hope you appreciate the value of our programs and that of the Camp Kits which serve to promote lifelong STEM learning.

All cancellations must be made at least 21 days prior to the start of the registered week of camp.

There is a $25.00 administration fee that will be applied for ANY cancellation. No refunds in the event of a university closure. Refunds to credit cards may take up to 60 days to appear.

There is no fee for transferring to a different week.