Summer at SPA - St. Paul Academy and Summit School

Hands-on, active enrichment activities | Options for students grades 4-12 | Open to all Twin Cities students

The Summer at SPA program offers a wide range of summertime enrichment activities in the arts, academics, and outdoor activities. Enrichment Workshops are open to all Twin Cities students. For information regarding our COVID-19 health and safety protocols over the summer, please read our Summer Programs Participation Acknowledgement.

Summer at SPA Enrichment Workshops

ArtMarks: Drawing and Painting with Pizzazz (Grades 3-5)

Now in its third summer, this popular art class for grades 3-5 continues to inspire and challenge students who enjoy drawing and painting using a variety of materials. Children will be able to pursue and develop their drawing and painting skills in a relaxed and socially-distanced setting. We will have plenty of time to explore a variety of techniques, develop skills and experiment with lots of different media that will bring out the artist in every participant! Students will learn a variety of drawing techniques in the morning and will then create a painting in the afternoon that relates to what was explored earlier in the day. Children will discover color relationships by blending and mixing colors using tempera, acrylic, pastels and mixed media materials. Come with a creative and open mind...dressed in appropriate “art-making” clothing!

Date: July 19-23, 2021
Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Goodrich Campus
Teachers: Patty Paulus and Nancy Christenson
Open to: Students entering grades 3-5 in fall 2021
Enrollment Maximum: 12
Bring: All students should bring a bag lunch each day. SPA is a nut-safe campus; please do not send lunch items containing peanuts or tree nuts.
Tuition: $295

Art Marks: Summer Art Sampler (Grades 3-5)

This fun new Summer Art Sampler class offers a variety of art experiences for students entering grades 3-5. Each day children will explore and create art using different materials, and will learn various techniques and skills that relate to each activity. Art experiences such as acrylic painting, building 3-D constructions, inventive printmaking, tapestry weaving, and contour drawing will bring out the artist in every participant!

Date: July 26-30, 2021
Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Goodrich Campus
Teachers: Patty Paulus and Nancy Christenson
Open to: Students entering grades 3-5 in fall 2021
Enrollment Maximum: 12
Bring: All students should bring a bag lunch each day. SPA is a nut-safe campus; please do not send lunch items containing peanuts or tree nuts.
Tuition: $295

Collaborative Leadership Institute (Grades 10-12) WAITING LIST ONLY

Effective group leadership begins with knowing one's own strengths.and recognizing and getting the most out of the strengths of others. This one-week workshop is built around developing an understanding of oneself as a leader and as a member of a group. Mornings focus on theory and research, challenging students to explore their own strengths as well as working to understand and assess group dynamics and task needs in a casual, seminar-style setting with activities and discussions. In the afternoons, students will apply these lessons to group challenges that get them out in the community and practicing their leadership skills. Combining experiential learning with a theoretical approach, students will end the week with strategies for collaborative endeavors as well as an understanding of their own strengths and talents. It’s intended to be fun and challenging at the same time. No homework, but you’ll have plenty of food for thought as the lessons build on one another and the tasks demand increasing attention to all the areas of group and self-dynamics we explore. A certificate of participation will be given to students on their final day.

Date: June 21-25, 2021
Time: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Location: Randolph Campus
Teachers: Mollie Ward and Haseena Hamzawala
Open to: Students entering grades 10-12 in fall 2021
Enrollment Maximum: 18
Bring: All students should bring a bag lunch each day. SPA is a nut-safe campus; please do not send lunch items containing peanuts or tree nuts.
Tuition: $345

Debate (Grades 9-12)

Led by SPA's Head Debate Coach Vincent Cheng, with the assistance of Tom Fones (longtime SPA debate coach), and Suhail Rizvi, students will learn or deepen their skill with the Public Forum method of debate. The Debate Institute will also feature videotaped practice opportunities, guest speakers, and a focus on each individual's skill development. Prior debate experience is not required. Typically, beginning debaters work together while advanced debaters have more challenging skills work.

Date: July 26-30, 2021
Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Randolph Campus
Teachers: Vincent Cheng, assisted by Tom Fones and Suhail Rizvi
Open to: Students entering grades 9-12 in fall 2021
Enrollment Maximum: 30
Bring: All students should bring a bag lunch each day. SPA is a nut-safe campus; please do not send lunch items containing peanuts or tree nuts.
Tuition: $450

Rockets, Rockets Everywhere (Grades 4-6) WAITING LIST ONLY

In this exciting, hands-on, week-long summer camp, students will design, build, and test rockets of all shapes and sizes. Students will use Alka-Seltzer, water, and air to launch their ships into the sky. Rockets will be built out of different materials and campers can take them home when they are finished. It will be a BLAST!

Date: June 14-18, 2021
Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Goodrich Campus
Teacher: Rick Magnuson
Open to: Students entering grades 4-6 in fall 2021
Enrollment Maximum: 12
Bring: All students should bring a bag lunch each day. SPA is a nut-safe campus; please do not send lunch items containing peanuts or tree nuts.
Tuition: $350

Roleplaying Games (Grades 7-9)

Tabletop roleplaying games first gained popularity in the late 1970s with the publication of Dungeons and Dragons. Since then, millions of fans have enjoyed taking on the roles of heroes in adventure stories featuring magic and monsters. During this week-long workshop, you will learn to play one of these games, the Dungeon Fantasy Roleplaying Game. You can play a chivalrous knight, flashy swashbuckler, mysterious sorceress, or devious thief (among many other options) overcoming challenges using your imagination, your character’s powers, and the luck of the dice. You will learn the rules of the game, how to create unique characters, and how to take on the role of the Game Master, creating exciting adventures for your peers. No experience is necessary. Bring a lunch from home each day.

Date: July 5-9, 2021
Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Randolph Campus
Teacher: Andrew Roy and Vito Sauro
Open to: Students entering grades 7-9 in fall 2021
Enrollment Maximum: 16
Bring: All students should bring a bag lunch each day. SPA is a nut-safe campus; please do not send lunch items containing peanuts or tree nuts.
Tuition: $295

Rube Goldberg Machines (Grades 6-8) WAITING LIST ONLY

A Rube Goldberg machine is “A comically involved, complicated invention contrived to perform a simple operation.” In this exciting, hands-on summer camp, we will spend the week working to create an impossibly funny, complicated machine to perform a simple task. Each participant will be able to design and build different steps to complete the process. Will you have a spiral staircase of dominoes or a pulley that releases a car? These are just 2 examples of steps in a Rube Goldberg machine. We will use 3D printing and Laser cutting to design pieces that do not already exist.

Date: June 28 - July 2, 2021
Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Goodrich Campus
Teacher: Rick Magnuson
Open to: Students entering grades 6-8 in fall 2021
Enrollment Maximum: 12
Bring: All students should bring a bag lunch each day. SPA is a nut-safe campus; please do not send lunch items containing peanuts or tree nuts.
Tuition: $350

The Science and Art of Candy Making (Week 1; Grades 4-6) WAITING LIST ONLY

It's going to be the tastiest science project ever! This camp will focus on the science and art of mixing, melting, baking, shaping, caramelizing, dissolving and decorating a variety of candies and other sweet treats. Students will learn how to follow a recipe, work with different equipment, roll, cut, and decorate with edible ingredients. Our students will meet local business owners and design their own brand, logo and packaging. For students with dietary restrictions or allergies, some of our ingredients will include dairy, eggs, or foods that are processed in the same facility as nuts.

Date: June 14-18, 2021
Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Goodrich Campus
Teachers: Natalie Leeman and Rita Gauscheman
Open to: Students entering grades 4-6 in fall 2021
Enrollment Maximum: 12
Bring: All students should bring a bag lunch each day. SPA is a nut-safe campus; please do not send lunch items containing peanuts or tree nuts.
Tuition: $395

The Science and Art of Candy Making (Week 2; Grades 4-6) WAITING LIST ONLY

Date: June 21-25, 2021
Time: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Location: Goodrich Campus
Teachers: Natalie Leeman and Rita Gauscheman
Open to: Students entering grades 4-6 in fall 2021
Enrollment Maximum: 12
Bring: All students should bring a bag lunch each day. SPA is a nut-safe campus; please do not send lunch items containing peanuts or tree nuts.
Tuition: $395

Spartan Summer Games (Week 1; Grades 4-5)

Come join the first annual Spartan Summer Games! Participants will have the chance to connect with friends, compete in a variety fun summers-style outdoor games and activities. Outdoor activities will involve plenty of water, and a chance to play games that you may not get the chance to do in PE class. Cooperation is a must for the minute-to-win-it games, so be ready to socialize and unlock your competitive side! We will end the week with a pizza party and some fun awards!

Date: June 14-18, 2021
Time: 9-11:30 a.m.
Location: Randolph Campus
Teachers: Kellan Minter and Taylor Tvedt
Open to: Students entering grades 4-5 in fall 2021
Enrollment Maximum: 25
Tuition: $225

Spartan Summer Games (Week 1; Grades 6-8)

Date: June 14-18, 2021
Time: 12:30-3 p.m.
Location: Randolph Campus
Teachers: Kellan Minter and Will Johnson
Open to: Students entering grades 6-8 in fall 2021
Enrollment Maximum: 25
Tuition: $225

Spartan Summer Games (Week 2; Grades 4-5)

Date: June 21-25, 2021
Time: 9-11:30 a.m.
Location: Randolph Campus
Teachers: Kellan Minter and Taylor Tvedt
Open to: Students entering grades 4-5 in fall 2021
Enrollment Maximum: 25
Tuition: $225

Spartan Summer Games (Week 2; Grades 6-8)

Date: June 21-25, 2021
Time: 12:30-3 p.m.
Location: Randolph Campus
Teachers: Kellan Minter and Will Johnson
Open to: Students entering grades 6-8 in fall 2021
Enrollment Maximum: 25
Tuition: $225

Make sure to check out our Spartan Athletic Camps too!

Cancellation policy: Cancellations made by April 1 will be refunded 100% of workshop tuition. Cancellations between April 2 and May 15 will be refunded 50% of workshop tuition. After May 15, refunds will not be issued. Please contact Vito Sauro for help processing any cancellations.

Terms and conditions

In This Section