STEMpowered Summer Camps
For the third year in a row, STEMpowered offers summer day camp programming for self-identifying Black Youth entering grades 2 to 12. We are proud to partner with BrainSTEM Alliance and the Caribbean Canadian Association of Waterloo Region to address the increasing need to create more inclusive and accessible opportunities in STEM education for Black children and youth.
Our FREE summer camps will feature STEM Mentors, and include a variety of hands-on activities, designed by our staff of engineering, science and education university students, that explore science, technology, engineering and math!
All our university level staff have received first-aid training within the past two years, and are screened via vulnerable sector checks and an interview process.
We run the majority of our programming at the University of Waterloo campus.
STEMpowered will not operate in-person camps on the following dates: Monday July 3rd, Week of August 7th - 11th.
Registration for Summer 2023 STEMpowered Camps is currently open. Follow our mailing list, our social media, and this page for all summer updates.
2023 Camps
Grade ranges are based on the grade the camper is entering in Fall 2023. We are unable to make exceptions for requests to register outside of a camper's grade range.
We are unable to accommodate requests for repeating a given camp. This is in order to ensure that as many campers as possible are able to experience STEMpowered.
In-person camp times run from 9:00am to 4:00pm. Campus drop off is from 8:30 - 9:00am and pick up is from 4:00 - 4:30pm. Extended care for drop-off (8:00 - 8:30am) and pick-up (4:30 - 5:00pm) is available. Transportation (optional) drop-off (8:15am) and pick-up (4:15pm) is available.
We will share drop-off/pick-up locations with registrants before their camp week.
Please see our STEMpowered Registration Guidelines page for links to register as well as additional registration and camp policies.
| Grade (entering Fall 2023) | Camp Name | Dates | Notes |
| Grade 9-12 | Bouchet | July 10-14 | |
| Grade 7-8 | Vaughan 1 | July 17-21 | Vaughan 1 and Vaughan 2 will have have the same content |
| Grade 4-6 | Ball 1 | July 24-28 | Ball 1 and Ball 2 will have have the same content |
| Grade 2-3 | Turner | July 31-August 4 | |
| Grade 7-8 | Vaughan 2 | August 14-18 | Vaughan 1 and Vaughan 2 will have have the same content |
| Grade 4-6 | Ball 2 | August 21-25 | Ball 1 and Ball 2 will have have the same content |
Optional Additions
| Item | Details |
| Morning Drop-off Extension | Extended hours for morning drop-off. Please note that if you intend to drop off your child between 8:00 - 8:30am you must select this option to ensure Staff availability. |
| Afternoon Pickup Extension | Extended hours for afternoon pick-up. Please note that if you intend to pick up your child between 4:30 - 5:00pm you must select this option to ensure Staff availability. |
| Lunch (Monday to Thursday) | We will provide a different lunch each day of the week (Mon-Thurs). The lunch includes a meal, snack and juice box. Options will accommodate the following dietary restrictions: Regular, Gluten Free, Vegetarian (see below for more details) |
| Pizza Lunch (FRIDAYS ONLY) | Handed out to students on the Friday of their camp week. Options include 2 slices of: Pepperoni (Halal), Cheese, Gluten Free Cheese |
| STEMpowered Transportation | Daily pick-up (8:15am), and drop-off (4:15pm) at a Kitchener Community Centre. Specific details and locations are provided in the CampBrain registration portal |
STEMpowered Summer Camp Lunch
STEMpowered Summer Camp includes lunch free for participants. We are partnering with Engineering C&D to provide unique lunch options Monday through Thursday. On Fridays, we will be serving Campus Pizza.
Menu Options: The menu is set and cannot be adjusted. Please note there are four dietary options per day. Unfortunately, beyond this, individual allergy requests or preferences cannot be accommodated, we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We ask parents/guardians please pack a lunch for their child if the lunch options below do not accomodate their dietary needs. If unforeseen circumstances exist which restricts food items being available, an alternative to the meal outlined will be provided.
Meal Selection: All lunches must be selected in Camp Brain during registration. An order cut-off will occur two-weeks prior to the Camp week. There will be no option to purchase lunches during the camp day.
| Option | Monday (Wraps) | Tuesday (Subs) | Wednesday (Pasta) | Thursday (Sandwich) | Friday (Pizza - 2 Slices) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular 1 | Chicken Wrap | Ham and Cheese | Macaroni and Cheese | Egg Salad Sandwich | Cheese |
| Regular 2 | Egg Salad Wrap | Turkey with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise | Lasagna | Roast Beef and Cheese | Halal Pepperoni |
| Vegetarian | Roasted Vegetable and Hummus Wrap | Falafel Wrap | Pasta with marinara sauce | Curried Chick Pea Salad Sandwich | Cheese |
| Gluten-Free | GF Egg Salad Wrap | Quinoa Salad | GF Macaroni and Cheese | Roast Beef and Cheese on GF bread | Gluten-Free Cheese |
STEMpowered Transportation
STEMpowered Summer Camp includes optional transportation free for participants (both LIT’s and Camp participants). The transportation will include a pick-up and drop-off from a City of Kitchener Community Centre with a STEMpowered Staff member for supervision.
We ask that you please select this in your registration forms if you plan to have your child use the free transportation. Parent/Guardian pick-up and drop-off procedures will include the same processes and safety procedures as on-campus.
The transportation will not be be able to accommodate late arrivals as it must maintain structured timing to ensure all participants arrive to Camp on time. We will share specific details with registrants before their camp week.
Please note: if there are less than five participants registered, alternative modes of transportation may be explored.