Education & Community Services

Join us for “Building Bonanza!” STEM and Creativity Summer Camp! Our camp offers an engaging and immersive experience delivered in four 8-hour days. Campers will develop teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills through mixed-grade and mixed-age, hands-on, project-based learning. Campers will learn STEM concepts and work to solve challenges with creative solutions. We offer fun but focused learning, giving campers daily opportunities to experience engineering and creativity projects using a mix of standard LEGO and LEGO TECHNIC parts, Apple iPads and stop-motion animation apps, LEGO Mindstorms robotics, competition games, and more. Students will have an opportunity to eat a packed lunch and packed snacks with their fellow campers. Students should bring a water bottle, a bag lunch, and snacks for morning and afternoon breaks. Students should leave their own LEGO at home. All other supplies are provided. There are no take-home projects. Please let us know on your registration if your child has a latex allergy, as one project uses a latex balloon.

Lunch Bunch provides lunch supervision from 12:00 PM to 12:15 PM (for a student enrolled in an AM class and continuing with a PM class). Students are required to bring a non-refrigerated lunch each day. Hot lunches are not provided during the summer. Please include a water bottle for your child and nut products are prohibited due to allergies. Students enrolled in the Bonanza program do not need to enroll for Lunch Bunch because lunch supervision is included.

Enroll in POSITIVE to give your students the head start they need to succeed in the new year. This engaging and interactive course will help students develop and practice strong executive functioning skills. Students will learn how their brain functions best and why these skills are important to thrive in school and life. What are executive function skills? We use the POSITIVE acronym to learn, practice, and grow these essential life skills: Planning, Organization, Self-Initiation, Time Management, Inhibition, Vision and Goal Setting, Evaluating priorities Scholarships are available for qualified students through the generous support of Kiwanis of Carefree. For questions or additional information, please contact the ECS Office, Monday–Thursday, from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM at (480) 575-2440.

Enroll in POSITIVE to give your students the head start they need to succeed in the new year. This engaging and interactive course will help students develop and practice strong executive functioning skills. Students will learn how their brain functions best and why these skills are important to thrive in school and life. What are executive function skills? We use the POSITIVE acronym to learn, practice, and grow these essential life skills: Planning, Organization, Self-Initiation, Time Management, Inhibition, Vision and Goal Setting, Evaluating priorities Scholarships are available for qualified students through the generous support of Kiwanis of Carefree. For questions or additional information, please contact the ECS Office, Monday–Thursday, from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM at (480) 575-2440.

Sunset Club is the perfect way for students to end their day—relaxed, social, and fun. Children can explore arts and crafts, play games, solve puzzles, and enjoy time on the playground with friends. The final half hour (5:00–5:30 PM) transitions to quiet activities near the front of campus, creating a calm environment and a smooth, convenient pick-up.

Be informed. Be prepared. Be empowered. Learn about the evolution of the smartphone, hidden online risks including predators and manipulation, how to set smartphone boundaries, and gain other helpful real-life tools. Today, 95% of teens are online daily. Screen time has reached 20+ hours per week, while anxiety, bullying, and sextortion continue to rise. Presenter: Stephanie Siete FBI National Community Leadership Award Recipient Education Consultant and educator for students, parents, educators, and law enforcement nationwide Expert on drug trends, smartphones, and teen brain impact Contact: stephanie.siete@gmail.com | 602.377.4591

Vaping is a behavior, not just a drug. More than 1 in 4 youth e-cigarette users vape every single day. Learn the real risks and gain tools to make empowered choices. Discover why vaping can damage lungs faster than smoking and learn the truth about how wax pens and high-potency cannabis impact the developing teen brain. Pizza will be available for students at 12:15 PM. Parents are invited to join the presentation at 1:15 PM for a recap and Q&A session. Parents do not need to register. Let’s build safer kids and stronger futures together! Presenter: Stephanie Siete FBI National Community Leadership Award Recipient Education Consultant and educator for students, parents, educators, and law enforcement nationwide Expert on drug trends, smartphones, and teen brain impact Contact: stephanie.siete@gmail.com | 602.377.4591

DREAM IT BE IT FOR GIRLS is a Soroptimist International program for preteens and teens offered by the local Happy Valley of the Sun chapter and sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Carefree Benefit Foundation. Research shows that girls and women are most successful in every stage of life when they enjoy what they do and choose paths that reflect their personal values. We believe that it is never too early for pre-teens and teens to develop, in addition to their academic skills, self-understanding of what is important to them and what they value most, to start forming a more complete sense of who they are and what personal and career paths they might wish to choose for their most successful and fulfilling lives, now and in the future. In this workshop students will interact with experienced career professionals and peers in a variety of creative and informative age-appropriate activities designed to: ❖Explore and Voice Values ❖Picture Dreams for Now and the Future ❖Learn to Set Achievable Goals ❖Turn Challenges into Growth Opportunities ❖Build Resilience ❖Explore Careers with Encouragement from On-Site Career Leaders ❖Develop Confidence Program content will be presented by Soroptimist co-facilitators, with club members present as group leaders for related activity and small student team interactions. Co-Facilitator Pat Ciriello has a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Dayton and an MSW from the University of South Florida. Her first career years were spent in retail leadership with Saks and The Gap. She began her dream career as a clinical social worker in Florida where she ran a program for abused children and their parents and was the Program Director for the lead agency in a five-agency federally funded program for young children exposed to violence. She has specialized training in both play therapy and trauma. In Connecticut she opened a private practice in Sandy Hook, CT, and worked with all ages. She retired to Arizona in 2016 and devotes her time to helping young girls and women succeed in their lives. Co-Facilitator Rev. Carole Williams earned a B.A. in English & a B.S. in Secondary Education from Memphis State University, a Master of Divinity from Memphis Theological Seminary, completed Clinical Pastoral Education & a Spiritual Care residency at Banner-University Hospital in Phoenix, & became a Board-Certified Chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains. Her first career years were spent as a secondary school English teacher in several Memphis public schools. As an ordained pastor, she served in associate and senior pastorates in Tennessee and Mississippi, with extensive ministries development for children, youth and families. She moved to Arizona in 2013 and began her third career focus in hospital chaplaincy with Banner Health, retiring as a supervisor chaplain in 2023. Through many life challenges due to family dynamics, traumas, single parenthood, and as a female pastor, she encountered many opportunities to overcome obstacles and to develop the type of resilience our program teaches. She continues to seek ways to encourage the growth of hope in others.

Jump start is a two-day camp focused on making the transition from elementary to middle school as positive, exciting, and productive as possible. The camp will teach students organization techniques, study skills, and effective technology use as well as help them to identify disrespectful/inappropriate behavior, handle difficult situations, and cope with stress. Additionally, they will learn the layout of the middle school campus, how to read their schedules, and what to expect on a typical middle school day. They will also get an overview of their opportunities to "join in" at STMS. Ideally, each student will come away from this camp with the skills and ability to choose a leadership role in maintaining an excellent learning environment at their school. Instructors are STMS Teachers: Shelley Kniffen, Alison Yadon, and Ashley Fauss

Get ready for a fun-filled week of creativity at our Summer Craft Camp! Incoming 6th-8th graders will explore a variety of hands-on projects, from painting and DIY art to making slime, bath bombs, no-bake treats, watercolor painting, Tie Dye t-shirts (bring your own shirt), and more. Whether you're a seasoned crafter or just love trying new things, this camp is the perfect place to express creativity, make new friends, and take home unique handmade creations each day. Join us for an exciting summer adventure of color, creativity, and fun! This program is similar to the Pinterest Club at STMS during the school year.

Total Sports Camp for grades K-3 (entering grades 1-4) This camp focuses on a variety of sports including flag football, basketball, baseball, kickball, soccer, capture the flag, dodgeball, ninja warrior obstacle course, relay races, and other group running games. Each day camper's focus on skill development and fundamentals for each respective sport, followed by fame play. Coaches ensure a fun and energetic atmosphere while promoting teamwork and good sportsmanship. Each camp week will bring new variations. Campers should bring a snack and water bottle each day. Every camper will receive a t-shirt.