Arkansas Tech - Academic Camps

Mission: Innovation Core, Rising Above Ordinary

Calling all superheroes! A mysterious villain known only as Dr. Disruptor has created chaos on Arkansas Tech campus, stealing the powerful Innovation Core, a component that powers creativity, teamwork, and learning across the city. Without it, inventions stop working, lights flicker, and imagination begins to fade! 

The only way to stop this villain is to complete a series of STEAM challenges that reveal hidden clues to the villain’s identity.

Get ready to think, create, and solve like never before! At Arkansas Tech’s STEAM Camp, you’ll jump into an exciting mystery where every experiment, design, and discovery helps you get closer to uncovering a hidden “villain.” 

You’ll explore science, technology, engineering, art, and math through hands-on activities that challenge you to solve problems, think creatively, and work as a team. In the afternoons, you’ll bring your ideas to life through fun, creative art projects!

From designing and 3D printing your own key to unlocking secret clues and building awesome creations, this camp is all about using your imagination, trying new things, and having fun while you learn.

Morning = STEM

Afternoon = Art

STEAM Camp Activity Plans

STEM Activities Descriptions

Crack the Code | Engineering
Can you outsmart the villain? Students will design and 3D print a custom key to unlock a mystery box—using circuits, LEDs, and problem-solving. The catch? Only the right color combination will reveal the hidden clue.

Color Clues & Secret Solutions | Math & Physical Sciences
Step into the role of a scientist and uncover hidden evidence through chemistry. Campers will analyze colors, measure solutions, and even build their own spectrometer to identify unknown substances.

Think Like a Detective | Biological & Earth Sciences
Not everything is as it seems… Explore how different animals see and experience the world while learning how perception can mislead us. Students will compare brains and vision systems to sharpen their investigative skills.

ART Activities Descriptions

“Spin into Action” Spin Art Robots
Bring engineering to life by building a spinning robot that transforms motion and mechanics into dynamic, one-of-a-kind artwork.

“Mold the Mystery” Molding + Casting Workshop
A rare “artifact” linked to the villain has been discovered, but it’s too fragile to handle! Students will create a model and cast duplicates to preserve and share it. They’ll learn how real-world designers, toy makers, and engineers reproduce objects using molds.

“Design the Disguise” Creature Creations
Use recycled materials to design and build imaginative creatures, bringing biological concepts and unique perspectives to life.

Schedule of Events

During registration, families will be asked to rank the three afternoon art activities in order of interest from 1–3, one being the highest, three being the lowest. Each activity is thoughtfully connected to one of the morning STEM disciplines, engineering, chemistry, or biology, allowing students to explore how science and artwork together in creative and exciting ways. Whether students enjoy building, designing, experimenting, or creating, they can indicate the experiences that best match their interests. We will use these rankings to place students in activities that align with their preferences whenever possible. While every effort will be made to honor each student’s top choice, final placement is based on group sizes and availability, so students may not always receive their first selection.

Morning STEM Rotation Schedule

Afternoon Art Rotation Schedule

Day 4: Parent Presentation

• 9:00am - 10:00am | Project Setup + Rehearsal
• 10:00am - 11:00am | Parent Showcase / Social Hour
• 11:00am - 12:00pm | Recognition, Awards, Closing Remarks + Villian Reveal