Opportunity Information
Genuis Hours - STEM Camp - July 13-17, 2026
MindFuel’s Genius Hours brings young creators an exclusive, high‑energy STEM camp combining real biotech experiments and hands-on drone engineering. Designed for youth ages 9–13, this camp is your child/ren’s ticket to exploring two frontier STEM fields in one camp.
Morning Sessions: Drone Engineering Lab – Build, Wire, Fly!
Each day will start in engineering mode. Throughout the week, campers design, assemble, and test their own mini‑drones.
They will:
- Build a mini quad‑copter from the frame up
- Install motors, circuits, and propellers
- Learn how drones balance, lift, and stay stable
- Master joystick basics before taking flight
- Take on engineering challenges to test their skills
- Bring home a working drone they built themselves!
It’s engineering, physics, design, and problem‑solving wrapped into an adrenaline‑boosting afternoon experience.
Afternoon Sessions: Biotech Lab
After lunch each day, campers will step into the world of real scientists using the DNA Playground and Amino Labs kits.
Campers will:
- Extract DNA using real lab tools
- Create glowing or colourful living art
- Engineer bacteria with guided, safe biotech techniques
- Explore how synthetic biology shapes medicine, food, and climate solutions
This is hands‑on lab work normally reserved for older students, however, adapted to be completely safe, wildly fun, and incredibly inspiring for young learners.
Why It’s Awesome:
- Real-world lab and engineering tools
- STEM exploration and creativity
- Fun, immersive challenges every day
- Perfect for curious thinkers, builders, inventors, and experimenters
- A week that fuels confidence, curiosity, and lifelong learning
Who It’s For: Students ages 9 -13. No prior knowledge in drones or biotech required.
What do participants need to bring:
- Readiness to do hands-on learning through experiments and building
- Clothing for working in a makerspace: no loose-fitting clothing, jewelry, straps or ties; wear closed toe shoes, and long hair tied back
- Lunch (if applicable) and snacks, and water bottle (water only)
There is a max. 20 campers; and the camper-instructor ratio is 7:1.
Dates: Monday, July 13 – Fridays, July 17, 2026.
Register your child for a half-day or full-day:
- AM Half-day Camp only: 9:00am – 12:00pm
- PM Half-day Camp only: 1:00pm – 4:00pm
- Full-day Camp: 9:00am – 4:00pm
Pick-up / Drop off times:
- AM Half-day Camp only: arrive between 8:30-8:50am, and pick up between 12:00-12:15pm
- PM Half-day Camply only: arrive between 12:30-12:50pm, and pick up between 4:00-4:30pm
- Full-day Camp: arrive between 8:30-8:50am, and pick up between 4:00-4:30pm
Location: “The Create Room” @ The MindFuel Foundation, Suite 260, 3512 33 St. NW, Calgary
Fee: $199 per half-day camp, or $349 for the full-day (to cover camp materials)
Questions? challenge@mindfuel.ca
