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Neuron Garage FAQs
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We hire college students and graduates with a passion for education and child development, and a love of learning and summertime. Every team member is background checked and trained to deliver the Neuron Garage curriculum in a supportive environment.
If you are not satisfied with the program for ANY reason by the end of the day Tuesday, you can request a full refund. Each week at Neuron Garage is another opportunity to practice and apply the tools and strategies that build a Growth Mindset. One week is great, but practice is essential, so multiple weeks are better. We want to make sure that our Campers come back summer after summer and work hard to create a positive experience. The Garage Guarantee is our way of making sure we are delivering on that promise.
We want to make sure your child gets to experience the joy and transformation of Neuron Garage, but we also understand how difficult it is to coordinate summer plans. Flexible Booking allows you to reserve space early without worrying about losing your money if things change as your summer plans evolve. We offer full refunds, with no deposits or material fees, on any camps cancelled by May 31st — and after that, you receive credit good for the current summer or the following summer.
Some children come for just a week, though many stay for several weeks, and some for the whole summer. We have found that while we can see growth in a child from just one week of Neuron Garage, we have seen much larger gains from children who come for multiple weeks. We surveyed our staff and 95% of them “Agreed” or “Strongly Agreed” that campers who attend two or more weeks of Neuron Garage leave the experience better creative thinkers, collaborators and with more resilience.
The camp serves students entering Kindergarten – 6th grade. (Campers must be 5 by the start of the camp week they are attending.)
Campers entering K-2nd are in our Tinkerers program where we focus on stoking curiosity and creativity at a time in a child’s life when all of a sudden, those innate gifts are often taking a backseat to the more serious endeavors of growing up.
Campers entering 3rd-6th are in the Makers program focused on learning and applying good strategies as they build each week towards solutions to an open-ended challenge.
2023 camps will run from June 5th through August 11th. Dates may vary by location.
Each of our locations is open for campers from 8:30am-5:30pm.
The core camp hours are 9:30am-3:30pm, with Extended Hours until 5:30pm. We have a flexible drop off from 8:30-9:30 each morning because we know mornings with children don’t always go according to plan, and it can be difficult to get everyone up, fed, dressed and out of the house at a precise time. And it’s summer, so sometimes a slow morning is just what you need. However, this time at camp is put to great use. If you are able to get here before 9:30, children have the opportunity to connect with each other and the staff on a personal level and enjoy time together. This seemingly casual part of the day is actually a very purposeful way to create community and forge relationships that become important during the challenging, and sometimes frustrating, building times when campers often need to collaborate in order to succeed.
The regular camp day ends at 3pm. Between 1/3 and 1/2 of campers are picked up from 3-3:30pm, while the rest stay for what campers have dubbed “The After Party”. Our goal for this time is that when parents arrive, campers beg for just five more minutes. We believe that campers need some down time in the later afternoon, so this time is a bit different from the rest of the day. During Extended Hours, we take a break from the weekly Building Challenges and offer crafts and other fun activities that reinforce creativity and fine motor skills, which leads to more successful building. There is also plenty of time for campers to play games inside and run around outside (weather permitting).
We have locations in the Austin area including North, Northwest, Central, Westlake, and South Austin. Click here to see a map of all locations
Campers should come in comfortable clothes that can get messy. They will be moving around and working with a variety of materials, some of which may end up on their clothing.
Campers will have time outside each day, so if you would like them to wear sunscreen, please apply it in the morning before they come. You are welcome to send them with additional sunscreen to reapply in the afternoon. We will remind campers of this option and do our best to facilitate.
Campers should bring a lunch and a water bottle with them each day. We provide simple, packaged snacks during the day, though you are welcome to send additional snacks. Campers are free to help themselves to a snack in the morning and one in the afternoon and are encouraged to hydrate throughout the day.
There will be 1 adult counselor for every 10-15 campers.
Capacity varies by campus, as does the capacity for individual classrooms at each campus. Please reach out to the Director at the campus you are considering for more details.