SUMMER - MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMP
For students entering grades 6-8, O’Dowd’s Middle School Camp offers a fun and enriching experience on the O’Dowd campus. Our holistic program encourages self-exploration – creating opportunities for students to grow academically, creatively, socio-emotionally, and physically, through hands-on learning, engaging activities, small group work, and sports (basketball, football, soccer, running, and more.) See our sample list of courses below! Most classes average about 15 students, and families can choose to enroll students in as many or as few classes as they like!
Session Dates and Schedule - 2025
This summer we are offering two Middle School sessions:
Session 1: June 16-27, 2025 (no classes June 19)
Mini-Session: June 30 - July 2 tentative
Session 2: July 7-17
Daily Schedule
Block One 9:00 - 10:00am
Dragon Community 10:00 - 11:00am
Block Two 11:10am - 12:10pm
Lunch 12:10 - 12:55pm
Block Three 12:55 - 1:55pm
Block Four 2:00 - 3:00pm
Adventure Time 3:00 - 4:30pm
Dragon Community Time
Students who choose to take a morning class also participate in Dragon Community Time guided by trained teen camp counselors and supervised by adult staff. In Dragon Community Time, students participate in various fun social and camp activities.
Lunch
Middle School Camp provides a daily lunch option made with organic produce, some sourced from O’Dowd’s on-site Living Lab. For students who enroll in 3 or more courses, daily lunch is included!
2024 FAQ here
Middle School Classes - Sample List
Full list and details will be available on registration site
Basketball (Boys and Girls)
Basketball fundamentals and team dynamics, including offensive and defensive concepts.
Public Speaking
Develop public speaking skills while becoming a critical thinker and an informed global citizen.
Drama
Master the basics of acting and musical theater in a fun and safe environment. All skill levels welcome!
Edible Garden Adventure
Learn to grow seasonal vegetables using sustainable agricultural principals.
Health and Wellness
This fun and interactive class teaches students the essentials of staying active, making nutritious food choices, and managing stress through hands-on activities, games, and challenges.
History of Popular Music
From the birth of rock ‘n’ roll to the rise of hip-hop, pop, and today’s viral hits, students will discover how music has shaped culture and inspired generations.
Lights, Camera, Critique!: The Art of Movie Analysis
From cool camera angles and special effects, to the music and sound that set the mood, students will learn how filmmakers create amazing stories to capture our imagination.
Math 1
Fundamental skills for high school algebra, including fractions, decimals, ratios, percentages, and graphing.
Math 2
Algebra skills including order of operations, exponents and radicals, ratios and proportions, algebraic notation, and solving linear equations and inequalities.
Math 3
For students who have successfully completed Pre-Algebra, topics include solving linear equations, slope and graphing linear equations, polynomials and factoring.
Photography
Learn the basic elements of a “Wow!” photograph, with outdoor and indoor shoots, and photo editing programs like Adobe Lightroom.
Reading the Write Way
Improve reading comprehension by analyzing fiction and writing short stories.
Reduce, Reuse, Reimagine: An Intro to Sustainability
This course introduces students to the principles of sustainability and equips them with the knowledge and skills to reduce waste, reuse resources, and reimagine a greener future.
Science of Motion: How and Why Things Move
Students will explore the fascinating world of motion and physics through hands-on experiments, creative challenges, and teamwork.
Spanish Language & Culture
Learn the basics, practice listening and pronunciation, and create fun skits.