Digital Natives: Teens, Tweens, & Digital Media: Bored with Summer? Attend Maker Camp for Teens on Google+

Make magazine’s virtual camp for teens starts today, presenting 30 projects in 30 days with instructions, rocket launches, online hangouts, and virtual camp counselors. Don’t miss it.

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Filed by Sarah Jackson

Bored teenagers, librarians, camp directors and educators need to check out Maker Camp, a virtual summer camp that starts today on Google+. Sponsored by Make magazine, the camp aims to involve teenagers in creating, building and discovery using digital tools.

Maker Camp is free and open to all. It’s designed for kids ages 13-18, but there’s nothing prohibiting adults from joining in as well. You’ll need a profile on Google+ to participate (add Make Magazine to your circles). The camp will offer 30 days of projects each weekday through Aug. 24.

“Making is a wonderful way for kids to explore and experiment,” said Dale Dougherty, founder and publisher of Make magazine. “A maker-themed camp is a great way to accomplish this, especially for teens who are avid users of social media. They can make amazing projects and also meet new friends by sharing their Google+ circle of friends with others through Maker Camp.”

Each weekday morning, a virtual camp counselor will post a new project and walk campers through the instructions.

Today’s project is a vinegar and baking soda rocket, led by rocket guru Rick Schertle who will launch rockets from the New York Hall of Science to kick off the camp, along with Dougherty. You can tune in here to watch at noon PST.

Future projects include everything from a pinhole panoramic camera to a mason jar biosphere. For more previews, check out Make magazine’s special issue “School’s Out,” or the camp schedule. Materials lists are provided in advance online, and most projects can be done using common household items like duct tape, pliers and glue.

And each afternoon, campers can show off what they’ve made by uploading photos and videos and joining the camp counselor in a Hangout on Google+ to talk about the project. The days are themed by project type: Maker Monday, Tinkering Tuesday, Weird Science Wednesday, Theoretical Thursday and Field Trip Friday.

Earlier this year, Make magazine’s publisher, O’Reilly Media, launched the Maker Education Initiative, a new nonprofit that aims to help bring hands-on learning experiences—where kids get the opportunities make, build and create—to more students in schools, science centers, museums and afterschool programs around the country.

Educators interested in integrating Maker Camp into their summer programs should contact Courtney Lentz at clentz@oreilly.com.

And if you do participate, we’d love to hear from you. What did you or your teens make? How did it turn out? Is anyone planning on adapting these projects for the classroom?