Yarn, cardboard boxes, two-liter bottles, toy cars … whatever you’ve got lying around your house, we can use for BASE Camp. Our staff and campers will take your trash and turn it into exciting STEAM education projects! Contact Amy Struckmeyer to arrange for pick up. Complete list: Visit our BASE Camp pages to learn how […]
We heard you! So many rising 6th graders (6th grade as of Fall 2018) have asked for more BASE Camp options that we have opened the following camps, previously only available for 7th & 8th graders, to 6th graders. The newly opened camps are: Lift Off: Aeronautics Week 1 June 11 to June 15 8:45-11:45 […]
It’s hard to imagine in January, but summer is just around the corner. We’re pleased to announce our 2018 schedule of camps for students in grades 1-8. BASE Camp 2018 is shaping up to be our best year ever, with STEAM-related camps ranging from Yoga to Programming, we have something for every interest. We have […]
On a beautiful fall evening that felt more like summer, about 50 people gathered at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School for the dedication of the Gwendolyn Brooks tribute mosaic. The 330-square-foot mosaic includes depictions of Brooks, Maya Angelou, Jane Addams, Malala Yousafzai and Michelle Obama, as well as hundreds of strategically placed tiles along two […]
One of the best things about BASE Camp is the way it connects students not only to each other, but to their community. This presentation was created by campers at Oak Park Go! under the guidance of D97 teacher John Colucci and with help from the OPRF Historical Society and the Oak Park Regional Housing […]
What does it take to have a fun, educational summer? Apparently it takes 35 empty 2-liter soda bottles, golf balls, CDs, a ton of newspaper, broken chairs and a bunch of other random items! These are just some of the hundreds of items on Base Camp’s wish list of supplies. To you, they’re just clutter, […]
National Poetry Month* is the largest literary celebration in the world, with tens of millions of readers, students, K-12 teachers, librarians, booksellers, literary events curators, publishers, bloggers, and, of course, poets marking poetry’s important place in our culture and our lives. The Academy of American Poets was inspired by the successful celebrations of Black History Month […]
OPEF is partnering with Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School and OPRF High School’s art teacher Tracy Van Duinen, a nationally renowned mosaic muralist to create a fanatic public art display. As part of OPEF’s Mosaic Mural Project BASE Camp, students will create a colorful and informative 600-square foot mosaic mural that will pay tribute poet Gwendolyn Brooks in […]
Looking for a great summer camp for your 1st-8th grader (as of Fall 2017)? We offer awesome camps right in your backyard! BASE Camp runs four weeks from June 19 to July 14 (no camp July 4). Choose from a wide selection of one-week and two-week morning, afternoon, and full-day camp sessions. Once you’ve reviewed the camp descriptions and narrowed down your selections, go to our registration website. What’s NEW this year? Our 25 […]
We had a big turnout for Maker Day 2017 on MLK Day with more than 200 kids participating! From the intricate mosaic pieces to the Arduino zoetropes, to the spontaneous Extended Camp cardboard marble runs (and more!), your kids brought so much energy and creativity to the day. Special thanks to all of the educators, youth, […]