Camp Courses

Updated in 2020: Hugely successful as a course for our youngest campers in 2019, Mod Makers is back to introduce rising 2nd and 3rd graders to Minecraft's secret abilities... making your own version of blocks, items, recipes, and much more. By the end of the week, campers leave with their own "mod" (modified version of the game) that can be played on any PC or Mac version of Minecraft. The course is filled with multimedia authoring concepts such as graphics, audio, and simplified coding elements.

Experience Recommended: Just a curiosity or love of Minecraft.

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.

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Updated in 2020: Don't be fooled by its placement in our Designers Track. Since our inception in 2003, this game design software has inspired thousands of children to pursue a career in computer science and game design. Using Clickteam's Fusion software, students make 2D videos games for computers, tablets, phones, and websites. No coding experience is needed, as this software allows beginning and passionate technology fans to build applications and games using "click and create" computer science principles. This course is one of the most rewarding year after year because students have functional and impressive products by the end of the first day of camp.

Experience: None needed; but a curiosity of how video games are made is a plus.

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.

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Updated in 2020: Now in its 9th summer with PlanetBravo, Minecraft Modding continues to allow campers to hack into Minecraft and make it their own. As campers have proven, this updated course can be taken over and over with new material each time. This summer, the course introduces some brand-new content including mini-game (spleef) activities and new modding challenges. This course is perfect for anyone who loves Minecraft and wants to continue to exercise their creative and logical sides.

Experience: No experience needed; a love of Minecraft is a bonus!

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.

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Updated in 2020: Despite the name of the popular video game "Roblox" being in this title, it's anything but playing the game here. This is a course that uses the impressive Roblox Studio software to create full-fledged 3D games. For those who want to learn how to make a professional game, but do not have the in-depth coding experience, this program uses all the same tools as professionals, but makes them easier and faster to grasp. This is a great stepping stone for all who want to see how a 3D game is made and leave camp with an impressive and fun game for friends and family to play.

Experience: None needed; not even knowledge of Roblox.

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.

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Updated in 2020: Adobe is the leader in entertainment pro tools, and After Effects is arguably the most important software to learn if one wants to pursue a career in Hollywood production. In this course, campers create their very own special effects in scenes they shoot on day one! Much of the week is spent in "post" where they learn to make mind-bending and eye-popping visual effects that they take home in digital format.

Experience: None needed, but comfort being silly in front of a camera makes it even more fun.

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.

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New in 2020: If you know PlanetBravo, you know we love to animate. For the past few years, our focus shifted to classic 2D animation, but we're thrilled to return to the animation we began teaching in 2003! It's 3D animation time! If you are wowed by 3D-animated entertainment such as Toy Story, Trolls, or Star Wars Rebels, this courses teaches how to make your own 3D-animated shorts using a free and expansive tool called Blender. If you have never seen Blender before or haven't seen it in a year, wait until you see the newest version! Campers leave this course with one or more 3D-animated films of their very own.

Experience: None needed, but comfort with a mouse and an artistic side are helpful.

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.

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New in 2020: You've been asking for years and it's finally here. Adobe is the industry leader in graphic design tools, and in this course we are proud to teach the big three that all designers need to know: Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Campers in this course will edit photos, custom-make logos, design posters, work in both raster and vector formats, and learn the latest tools in these powerful programs. A great course for the middle schoolers!

Experience: None needed, but a love of art is helpful.

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.

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Updated in 2020: PlanetBravo is proud to have begun using Scratch to teach young programmers coding since the software was created in 2007. Over the years, thousands of budding computer scientists have gotten their first taste of developing fun and creative coding projects through this drag and drop ""block"" code. Scratch was created by MIT to teach all facets of code without mastering a specific language with complex syntax. Scratch is the #1 tool to get students learning how to code. If coding is your ultimate goal for your young child to learn, this is still the course to take.

Experience: None needed.

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.
If you have a Chromebook, you may take this course, but some features of the camp day may not be available.

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Updated in 2020: Coding 101 is PlanetBravo's go-to for campers who want to quickly learn how to officially code their own cool text-based applications. Coding 101 introduces students to Python, one of the most intuitive general purpose programming languages in existence. It's great for beginners but is also used by the pros in the fields of AI, Big Data, Data Science, Web Development, Automation, and much more. This course will help campers build a foundation of computer science principles. Warning to participants: this course is the real deal when it comes to coding. We are typing code into the computers to make our own projects. This is not drag and drop code like Scratch.

Experience: None needed, but a very basic comfort with the keyboard is a plus. Formal typing is not required and in fact, this course helps the student quickly familiarize themselves with the key positions.

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.
If you have a Chromebook, you may take this course, but some features of the camp day may not be available.

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New in 2020: This course was a long time coming for PlanetBravo. Perfect for all who already have a basic understanding of Python code and want to take it to the next level, Coding 201 explores the use of the Pygame library for Python where students begin making graphics-based games for computers. For those who already have experience with some basic code (in any language), this course will end with a small set of visually fun video games that students hand-coded themselves.

Experience: At least a formal coding course such as our Coding 101 or any Python, Lua, Ruby, or JavaScript class in the past.

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.

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Updated in 2020: One might place this course in our "Design" track since campers begin by creating gameplay elements and designing levels of their very own video game. The development begins shortly after, as the campers create the logic for all events of their game. The games created in this course are 2D, perfect for mobile apps and desktop gaming.

Experience: None needed.

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.

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New in 2020: Thanks to Epic Games' success with Fortnite, the tool that created that title and many more comes to campers for its 4th consecutive year here at camp. In this course, campers use the Unreal Game Engine to code their very own professional 3D video game. These are third-person 3D platformer games set in the future, and students are trained to not only design the gameplay, but intricitately code the intelligence of the application through Unreal's Blueprints Visual Scripting tool.

Experience: None needed.

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.

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Updated in 2020: There are few coding languages used in the world more powerful than Java, which is why this important course needs two weeks to instill the basic principles and concepts. Many of PlanetBravo's courses ease the campers into coding languages by implementing graphics-based output, but not this one. This course is for the serious coder who wants to be prepared for high-school and college level computer science courses. Students in this course will create text-based games that teach the core concepts of java math, string manipulation, methods, constructors, object-oriented design, boolean logic, input from users, arrays, loops, and more.

Experience: None needed, but a previous coding course (Python, Ruby, Lua) is highly recommended.

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.

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New in 2020: PlanetBravo welcomes our youngest campers into the world of engineering by offering our very first "CAD" class for Grades 2 and 3. This course uses the awesomely simple Makers Empire to teach the concepts of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and 3D Modeling to the campers. In this course, campers design their own three-dimensional structures, objects, and even a 3D maze in which they can control their characters.

Experience: None needed.

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.

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New in 2020: Campers in this course build and program several robots using the LEGO WeDo kit. Robots include the Snail, the Windmill, the Drag Racer, the Motion Detector, and the Projectile Launcher to name a few. This is the perfect course to introduce hands-on engineering skills while having a ton of fun. Campers work in pairs building robots, but program them individually on their own workstation.

Experience: None needed.
Lab Fee: $25 included in price.

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Updated in 2020: This popular course gets better each year as 3D printing technology improves and becomes better-priced. In this course, campers design toys with movable parts using the flexible and popular online service called TinkerCAD. For flexibility this year, we use Shapeways.com to send the students their 3D Models after camp. The onsite 3D Printers will return in 2021.

Experience: None needed.
Lab Fee: $25 included in price.

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.
If you have a Chromebook, you may take this course, but some features of the camp day may not be available.

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Updated in 2020: We return to our roots with this one-week, fast-paced collaborative robotics course. Since 2006, PlanetBravo has offered this FIRST-style robotics engineering course, and has inspired countless students to join their high school robotics teams with great prior knowledge. Students design, build, and code their own team robots based on a challenge issued the first day of camp. Much like the global robotics competitions, students exhibit "gracious professionalism" as they work to meet the challenge.

Experience: None needed.
Lab Fee: $25 included in price.

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New in 2020: At long last, PlanetBravo has a course track committed to treating gaming as an artform, rather than a past time. In this Minecraft-based course, campers participate in team survival challenges, free build in PlanetBravo's plot server, as well as master the art of "redstone engineering." Special attention is paid to emphasizing digital citizenship, proper gameplay, and cooperative learning. This course brings the students on and off the computer various times during the work periods to exercise team-building and cooperative planning.

Experience: None needed.

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.

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Updated in 2020: This isn't just playing games; this is making them a form of entertainment by recording your progress and learning how to broadcast your gaming personality. Designed for both gamers and vloggers, this "YouTuber" course focuses on showcasing several gaming techniques for audiences like those found through YouTube. If you're not into gaming, no problem! This course also allows for special screencasts in the traditional vlogger style. Come with a theme and we'll help make your recordings a reality.

Experience: None needed, but an on-screen personality is extremely helpful for success while playing the game.

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.

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New in 2020: The esports industry is projected to exceed $1 billion dollars in worth by 2021, taking gamers out of the living room and thrusting them into lucrative careers in gaming. With multi-million dollar prized tournaments, newly developed collegiate programs and talk of Olympic inclusion, it’s undeniable that there are serious opportunities. Campers in this course will develop their skills playing some of the most renown games in the esports universe (such as Heroes of the Storm, Starcraft, Hearthstone, and Fortnite), learning essential gameplay strategies to help them compete. They will also learn how to maintain healthy gaming practices and engage in team building activities. Suffice it to say that this will be a journey from just playing games, to becoming a serious esports athlete.

Experience: None needed. Some gaming accounts may be needed before camp begins. We will notify you in advance of any specific needs.

PB@HOME SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: If taking this course online, you will need a PC (Windows) or Mac computer meeting the base requirements found here.

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