Young Dragons
Coronavirus Program Update
We are very disappointed to announce that because of health and safety concerns raised by COVID-19, we will not be offering an in-person program this summer. We are exploring opportunities for online content and virtual engagement.
About the Program
The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation has expanded its partnership with Drexel University offering a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Design/Athletics, and Mathematics) summer program, called Young Dragons. Participating students will have the opportunity to examine technology and science through visual and performance arts and athletics, utilizing the methodology of the holistic STEAM approach.
Initially piloted with the ExCITe Center in 2016 as Summer STEAM, this summer camp collaboration offers middle school students living near Drexel’s campus the opportunity to participate in a six-week program with three-weeks of focused STEAM enrichment. This summer’s camp merges the STEAM curriculum piloted in 2016 with the established literacy and enrichment programs of the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement.
Activities
Each week of the program features different STEAM-themed activities. Click below to learn more about each activity:
Monday, June 22nd - Thursday, June 25th
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Dornsife Center - 3509 Spring Garden St.
The Young Dragons Climate Week will equip students with the scientific evidence for understanding and explaining the impacts of climate change, and learn what can be done in our homes, neighborhoods and cities, to mitigate and adapt to the changing climate. Through interactive games, local field trips, and engaging scientific discoveries and discussions, students will learn to ask critical questions about the causes and solutions to climate change, diving deep into four themes: energy, water, food and heat.
Monday, June 29th - Thursday, July 2nd
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Dornsife Center - 3509 Spring Garden St.
M.A.D. (Make/Master/Manipulate A Drum) Innovation!: Bring to life whatever sounds come to mind in this one-week camp led by Marcus Bryant, a professional songwriter and producer who has collaborated with artists such as John Legend, Ludacris, David Guetta, Estelle, and many more. Students will make and use their own drum, as well as explore the world of making music with non-traditional sounds. Students will then take those sounds and learn how to record, mix, and manipulate them on music software to create an original song, which they will present at the end of class.
Monday, July 6th - Thursday, July 9th
9:00 am - 3:00 pm
ExCITe Center - 3401 Market Street, Suite 100
The goal of the Sneaker Engineering module is tap into the cultural and engineering aspects of the sneaker industry and explore STEM opportunities. Particularly for minority students their cultural capital is being tapped to shape the industry for both fashion and performance. A career in footwear design combines fashion expertise, design skill, and business knowledge in the design, engineering, and marketing of footwear for corporate or independent shoe retailers.
Monday, July 13th - Thursday, July 16th
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Dornsife Center - 3509 Spring Garden St.
We will design and build a remote-controlled LEGO robot to battle and compete against others in head-to-head matches! Learn basic mechanical design, motors and movement, and coding to create the best fighting bot. Each day, we’ll battle in our special arena, which poses additional challenges to keeping your creations operational. The last day is a full bracket tournament, and the last robot standing wins!
Monday, July 20th - Thursday, July 23rd
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Dornsife Center - 3509 Spring Garden St.
In this program, young people will have the opportunity to document how “making” and science exist within their communities while developing photography skills through challenging, interactive, and fun activities. The main goal of this camp is to introduce students to shoot and film images while providing them a platform for telling “visual stories” about their lives in relation to STEM.
Monday, July 27th - Thursday, July 30th
9:00 am - 12:30 pm
Dornsife Center - 3509 Spring Garden St.
West Philly Virtual Reality (WPVR) Camp offers students the opportunity to design and develop their own VR environments. Students also have the chance to learn how to code using block coding and then move onto text-based coding. During WPVR Camp, students will explore technology related careers through real-world activities including design, development, and coding.
Program Partners
The Young Dragons program is a partnership between The Malcolm Jenkins Foundation, Drexel University, and the West Philadelphia Promise Neighborhood initiative.
