FOCUS Camp
2023 FOCUS Dates:
July 31-August 4
2023 FOCUS Costs: $150
2023 Schedule (subject to change):
Camp will meet each day from 9 am-4 pm
9-9:30 am: Drop-off at Exploratory Hall, GMU Fairfax
9:30-10 am: Morning Team Session
10:15-11:45 am: STEM Workshop Session 1
12-1 pm: Lunch
1:15-2:45 pm: STEM Workshop Session 2
3-3:30 pm: Afternoon Group Session
3:30-4 pm: Pick-up at Exploratory Hall, GMU Fairfax
FOCUS Camp*
The original FOCUS program!
The FOCUS camp for middle school students began in 2014. It is a week-long camp which is held on the Fairfax campus of George Mason University for rising 6th-8th graders. Each day the participants engage in four different interactive and hands-on STEM workshops and on the last day, the participants present what they learned in these workshops in a conference-style setting. Camp is held from 9 am-4 pm each day. Drop-off in the morning begins at 9 am.
Sample Schedule
Monday (Science Day):
Registration
Camp pre-assessment
Team building activities
Science workshop 1
Buffet lunch in university dining hall (included in camp price)
Science workshop 2
Team building activities and review
Tuesday (Technology Day):
Team building activities
Technology workshop 1
Buffet lunch in university dining hall (included in camp price)
Technology workshop 2
Team building activities and review
Wednesday (Engineering Day):
Team building activities
Engineering workshop 1
Buffet lunch in university dining hall (included in camp price)
Engineering workshop 2
Team building activities and review
Thursday (Mathematics Day):
Team building activities
Mathematics workshop 1
Buffet lunch in university dining hall (included in camp price)
Mathematics workshop 2
Team building activities and review
Friday:
STEM Leadership and Entrepreneurship workshop
Camp post-assessment
Preparation for poster presentations
Buffet lunch in university dining hall (included in camp price)
Poster presentations and closing ceremony
Examples of past workshops:
Monday (Science Day):
Anodization of Niobium (jewelry-making)
The Genetics of Sickle-Cell Anemia
Forensic Science: The Real CSI
Astronomy and Telescopes
Sustainable Action Survey and River Sample Analysis with US Fish & Wildlife
Tuesday (Technology Day):
HTML Programming
Bioinformatics
Map Making and Geographic Information Systems
Squishy Circuits
Robotics and Coding
App-building
Facial Reconstruction using FACES Software
Wednesday (Engineering Day):
Electrical and Mechanical Engineering with Aerospace
3-D Printing
Computer-Aided Design (CAD)
Underwater ROV Construction
Thursday (Mathematics Day):
Mason Experimental Geometry Laboratory
Applied Mathematics with Mitre
The Law of Large Numbers: Testing Probability
Snowflake Symmetry
Friday:
Using STEM to Solve Real-World Problems
Speed Mentoring
College Application and Admissions Panel
FOCUS Academy Panel (junior counselors from the residential high school program)
*While the program is designed for girls, the program is open to all gender identities.