There are certain things that just feel like summer to me. Popsicles melting a little too fast. Long evenings outside. The smell of sunscreen and fresh-cut grass.
And here at Talent Maker City? Summer sounds like laughter, excited shouts of "It worked!,” the hum of a sewing machine, the whirr of a lathe, the clank of a wrench on a bike, and the clamoring of a group of students scrambling to build a catapult.
Catapult Camp with instructors Brian, Joseph and Victor (2024)
Our summer camps bring all of the feels. Our partnership with Phoenix-Talent Schools has been incredibly special to me - not only because it was one of our earliest community partnerships, but because they believed in us when Talent Maker City was still mostly an idea with a lot of enthusiasm behind it. I often think back to those first years of summer camps and the foundation that was laid beforehand in the eight wonderful years I spent teaching health at Talent Middle School alongside amazing educators and administrators. Before TMC was a twinkle in the eye, a groundwork of trust was being built.
And we've been creating summer magic together ever since.
Learning Through Curiosity
Over the years, we've designed camps that have invited students to imagine, build, experiment, create, and occasionally make a glorious mess.
TMC partnered with Darryl Thomas and Code Dance Create. Students programmed rhythmic blinking lights and learned hip-hop dance moves. (2022)
We've built Rube Goldberg machines that sent marbles tumbling, pulleys spinning, and students into fits of laughter.
We've explored robotics and engineering - programming vests to light up in time to hip-hop music.
We’ve tinkered, redesigned, and discovered that sometimes the best learning comes from trying something that doesn't quite work the first time.
At our infamous CSI Camp, students became forensic investigators, analyzing fingerprints, measuring footprints, interviewing suspects, and solving mysteries involving a very convincing "bloody crime scene" and a rather unfortunate "victim." The enthusiasm for scientific investigation was ‘solid evidence’ of how hands-on learning inspires.
CSI Forensics Camp with TMC instructor, Heather (2018)
Adjusting the trucks on a hand-built skateboard with custom paint job (2019)
Students have built skateboards from scratch, learning measurement, geometry, and precision while creating something they were genuinely excited to ride.
We've explored health and wellness by bringing in guest speakers, we created stop-motion videos, made quilts, designed mosaics, and even built ukuleles.
We've welded manzanita branch sculptures.
We've painted community murals.
We've built solar cars and windmills.
We've turned pens on the lathe.
And yes, we once built go-karts from scratch and raced them around the middle school track.
Go-Kart Camp with TMC instructor, Hector. (2021)
We cover a wide range of activities, yet somehow, it all makes perfect sense in the world of TMC.
Summer 2026: Preparing for 300 Young Makers
This summer, we're working with nearly 300 students from kindergarten through ninth grade, and preparations have been underway for months.
By the time students arrive, an incredible amount of behind-the-scenes work has already happened.
We've recruited and trained instructors, ensured everyone is current on First Aid and CPR certification (thank you, Carolena!), completed Mandatory Reporter training (thanks to Jackson County Sexual Assault Response Team!) and we’ve revisited and deepened our trauma-informed knowledge and practices that help make TMC feel safe, welcoming, and joyful for every student.
All of this is because while camps are full of fun, silliness, and creativity, we know that feeling safe and supported is what truly allows young people to learn, take risks, and thrive.
TMC Instructor Sara taking a break with her students. (2025)
This year, our youngest makers will dive into science experiments, engineering challenges, and creative projects (including 3D printing miniature figures that look just like themselves!).
Our older students will learn by doing - bike repair and maintenance, sewing a mini quilt, screenprinting their own designs, creating custom beaded bracelets, and so much more!
Creativity During Uncertain Times
One of the things I'm most proud of is that during COVID, we didn't stop creating together. Instead, we got creative.
Working with K–8 students, we delivered STEAM kits directly to students' homes, transforming driveways, kitchens, and backyards into tiny makerspaces.
Our youngest students built garden beds and planted gardens. We delivered lumber, soil, Talent Tomato plants, and all.
Volunteer Lawson and our interns with loaded soil and garden bed parts to be delivered to students’ homes. (2020)
Happy student after constructing his garden bed and planting his tomatoes.
They sewed pocket monsters.
They programmed robots.
They learned CNC design and built speakers remotely, with our team fabricating and delivering finished components.
Students became treasure hunters, receiving metal detectors and using mathematical clues through triangulation to find hidden coins that we had secretly planted near their homes.
We even had students designing and 3D printing water bottle rocket nose cones.
Each day, students watched short instructional videos, then joined their instructors on Zoom in the evenings to share progress, troubleshoot challenges, and celebrate completed projects.
Looking back, it still feels a little unbelievable.
And honestly? A little magical.
Why Summer Camps Matter
I remember teaching some of our earliest camps with Emily, including a NASA-inspired mapping camp where students manipulated sand in a virtual sandbox and watched topography shift in real time as mountains and valleys appeared beneath their fingertips.
NASA mapping camp - Mt.Shasta demo (2018)
That sense of wonder has never left me. Summer camps have always been about more than projects. They're about giving young people space to explore who they are.
To be curious. To try something new. To laugh. To fail safely. To make friends. To discover they can build something they never imagined they could.
Kids in the summer are different.
They're hilarious, creative, endlessly curious, and wonderfully unfiltered.
And every year they remind us why this work matters so much.
To Phoenix-Talent Schools - thank you for believing in us from the beginning and for continuing to trust us with your students.
To our incredible instructors, staff, and families -thank you for helping create summers filled with creativity, confidence, and connection.
And to the students who show up ready to experiment, imagine, and build alongside us each year - thank you for making summer at TMC one of the best parts of our year.
I leave these camps feeling just as inspired as I hope our students do. Thanks for taking a peek inside one of my favorite parts of the year.
I hope you'll stop by this summer to see what our young makers are creating - we’ll be showcasing their work at this month’s Art Walk on July 24th. (Maybe you can say hello to my 3D-printed mini-me while you're here - it’s similar to the ones the students are making with our instructor, Aiden).
With gratitude,
Alli
Thanks for being part of our story and community — together we're building a more connected, creative, and resilient place through hands-on making.
