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Fourteen elementary students from across Polk County spent a week in June learning to crack codes, solve puzzles and save their fictional school from an enemy threat.

The summer camp, called Mystery, Danger and Heroism and part of the AIG Summer Seminars series, ran June 2-6 at Tryon Elementary School and brought together rising fourth, fifth and sixth-graders from the county’s four elementary schools.

Students immersed themselves in a fictional scenario where they had to protect their school, Silverquicken, from an enemy attempting to steal the institution’s knowledge and technology. To complete their mission, campers learned skills including decoding ciphers, water displacement and siphoning, magnetism, engineering design and group problem-solving.

“This camp helped our creativity and makes us thinking in different ways,” one student said.

Another camper noted the academic challenge: “In a good way, this was harder than both EOGs (tests) combined – tested my brain.”

The hands-on activities included construction projects, science experiments and creative design challenges. Students said they enjoyed using their imagination through activities like coloring, making “amorpheggs” and working with playdough.

“Nice to have these camps because we don’t rot our brains all summer,” one participant said. Others highlighted making new friends and learning to be open-minded while solving problems.

Andrea Walter, the district’s Advanced Learning/AIG Coordinator, led the camp with assistance from counselors Amelia and Nate LeCompte.

The program was funded through a grant from the Polk County Community Foundation.