College 4 Kids Course Descriptions

Knox College for Kids course descriptions provided below are for the 2025 summer program.

Grades 1-2: Junior Program

Grades 3-8: General Program

DAILY SCHEDULE
8:30-8:50 . . . Morning Gathering
9:00-9:50 . . . 1st Period
10:05-10:55 . . . 2nd Period
11:10-12:00 . . . 3rd Period

• Kids will begin the morning in the Fieldhouse or on the Track (location TBD) and transition to their 1st period classes with the guidance of program fellows. View the Knox College campus map.
• Families will be assigned a pick-up location and time. 
  • FYI: We are going to experiment with assigning rolling pick-up times at each location to alleviate traffic congestion, e.g., 12:00, 12:05, 12:10

Grades 1-2: JUNIOR PROGRAM SCHEDULE (TENTATIVE)

The Junior Program is for youth entering grades 1 and 2. In order to include young children and alleviate parental concerns, each child in our Junior Program is accompanied by program instructors or fellows at all times to ensure safety. To facilitate this full-time accompaniment, the children in the Junior Program are organized into groups, each group spends the entirety of the morning together (8:30-12:00), and their classes are predetermined by program leaders. Classes are inclusive of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Math & Sciences.

Art Fundamentals
Laci Klein
Experience drawing, painting, bracelet making, and more. We will focus on exploration of art mediums and the discovery process. Students will use their own ideas combined with teacher guidance, and have the chance to experiment with art materials and also produce finished artworks.

Scrapbooking
Leticia Camacho
We will be crafting in ways that reflect our lives! The course will provide opportunities to explore creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking via projects that will include drawing, painting, and paper crafting.

Nature Art
Tina Browder
Get inspired by the great outdoors in *Nature Art*! In this hands-on class, you'll create beautiful art using leaves, flowers, rocks, and more. Explore the wonders of nature while discovering fun new ways to turn natural treasures into your very own masterpiece!

Little Bookworms Club
Harley Spero
Come join the Little Bookworms Club, where every story is an adventure! Each day, we'll dive into fun and empowering books that help kids understand their feelings, build confidence, and embrace who they are. Through playful activities like drawing, journaling, and crafting, children will explore important themes like kindness, bravery, and self-acceptance. By the end of our club, each child will take home awesome creations that remind them of the amazing things they've learned. This club is all about having fun, feeling great, and learning how to be the best YOU!

Multicultural Story Hour + Improv/Movement
Angel Peterson
Learn about the world around us through a diverse set of books that will spark deep conversations and inspire connections to everyone around you. In this course, everyone will see themselves as a protagonist and engage in interactive activities or crafts to compliment the read-aloud. One interactive activity we’ll explore is improvisation. If you like to laugh, play games, and take risks, improv is for you! Get ready to work together, be silly, and go wherever our minds take us!

Move & Groove
Kathleen Ridlon
This course invites students to stretch, balance, reach, turn, walk, melt, slide, fall, freeze, jump, run, repeat. We use fun and lively music and creative physical games to develop our expressive imaginations. This movement class is designed for children rising into first and second grades. Wear comfortable clothing and be prepared to kick off your shoes and socks!

Mindful Moments and Character Building with Nature
Erin Hunt, Colleen Noonan
We will enhance our personal well being through aspects of nature.  We will focus on positive self image and social interactions with others while learning about nature.

Eco-explorers from Farm to Fork
Ellie Courtemanche
Calling all foodies! Dive into a journey of discovering the many ways food connects to our lives, relationships, culture, communities, and the environment. Through hands-on experiences of planting, harvesting, growing, and tasting at Knox Farm and the Galesburg area, we will develop a sense of curiosity for the food we eat and how it shapes our world!

Grades 3-8: GENERAL PROGRAM SCHEDULE (TENTATIVE)

The General Program is for youth entering grades 3 through 8. The courses and descriptions are listed under three areas: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences, and Math & Sciences. When registering, indicate courses of interest across all three areas to ensure exploration of both familiar and new areas of study. After registration closes, individual schedules will be created and shared with participants prior to the start of the program.

Arts

Quilted Adventure and Crossbody Bags (grades 3-8)
Annie Maier
Students will learn the history of American Quilting and practice piecing a cross body bag or tote bag. Students will learn the rudiments of hand sewing with a needle and thread, running a sewing machine, cutting fabric, designing their piece, and sewing it together.

Crochet for Beginners (grades 3-8)
Anna Hinton
Students will learn the basic stitches of crochet as well as how to choose yarn and hooks for specific projects. Students will make their own hat or scarf or small blanket. This class will consist of hands-on learning, and we will also explore the possibilities of crochet through videos and books!

Advanced Crochet (grades 6-8)
Anna Hinton
A continuation of Crochet for Beginners (see description above).

Dream Weavers (grades 3-8)
Kathleen Bashem
Dream Weavers is the class for the student interested in learning the basics of weaving! Weaving is a fun way to "free your inner fiber artist." Want to know the difference between your warp and your weft? This is the place for you! Students will use a cardboard loom to learn basic weaving techniques including plain tabby, vertical tabby and Rya knotting. They will learn color combinations, patterning and dye yarn, too! Students may choose a mug rug or wall hanging as a final project. Join Dream Weavers and turn your yarn art dreams into reality! Returning students are welcome to repeat the class.

Drawing Adventures! | grades 3-5 
Tina Browder
Embark on a creative journey with *Drawing Adventures*! In this fun-filled class, you'll explore exciting drawing techniques, from magical creatures to epic landscapes. Unleash your imagination and discover new ways to bring your wildest ideas to life on paper! Perfect for young artists ready to draw their own adventure.

Manga Drawing for Beginners (grades 6-8)
Tina Browder
Step into the world of Manga with this beginner-friendly class! Learn the basics of creating dynamic characters, cool action scenes, and expressive emotions, all while mastering the unique style of Japanese comics. Whether you're a total newbie or just looking to sharpen your skills, this class will help you bring your manga dreams to life!

Photos are fun! A Hands-on Class about Photography (grades 3-8)
Tom Foley
From the history of the first photo made in France in 1826, to making better digital photos with a cell phone. Students will make their own unique photograms in a real black and white darkroom. They will learn about photographic composition using the rule of thirds.  How to direct and pose subjects will be covered. After attending Photos are Fun, students will know photography's place in art history. Experience with analog light sensitive materials will help them understand how photography works. They will know how to make a black and white print. Being able to make better photos of their families and their lives will help them become better communicators.

Air Dry Clay Art (grades 3-8)
Jessika Cullett
Create air dry clay pieces from start to finish. The first week we will be creating our pieces and the second week we will focus on decorating the pieces we created. If time allows we will also do 1 day of a baked clay project.

Jewelry Making (grades 5-8)
Jessika Cullett
Come make jewelry with us! We will be making our own beads, creating necklaces and bracelets! You can share or keep for yourself!

Self Expression: Headbands and Hair Bows (grades 3-8)
Jill Bradford
Clothing and jewelry are a form of expression and also part of the fashion industry. Learn how to make trendy accessories: bows, ribbons, headbands, flowers, and more … We'll start with the basics of DIY projects by making headbands out of recycled t-shirts and hair flowers from felt and buttons. Ribbons, bows, hair flowers, and more intricate braided headbands will all be demonstrated and optional projects based on time and demand.

Sing it Out! Introduction to Singing (grades 3-4)
Corgan Ball
Discover the joy of singing in this fun and supportive class! Whether you're a beginner or just love to sing, Sing It Out! will teach you the basics of vocal technique, breath control, and pitch matching. Through fun vocal warm-ups, group songs, and interactive activities, you'll gain confidence in your voice and learn how to sing with expression. No experience needed—just bring your enthusiasm and get ready to make some music!

Showstoppers Show Choir (grades 5-8)
Corgan Ball
Get ready to take the stage in this high-energy show choir experience! In Showstoppers, you'll learn fun vocal techniques, exciting choreography, and performance skills that will bring your favorite songs to life. Whether you love pop hits, Broadway tunes, or classic favorites, this class will have you singing and dancing with confidence. No experience needed—just bring your enthusiasm and get ready to shine under the spotlight!

The Playwright’s Playground (grades 3-5)
Ellie Courtemanche
Come join us on the Playwright’s Playground, where imagination comes to life! This exciting course invites students to dive into the world of creative writing and drama by learning the art of playwriting and dramatic roleplaying. Together we will explore storytelling, character creation, dialogue writing, and acting, inspiring a desire to bring stories to life! And hopefully have a small production to show for it! This course is perfect for any young artist who loves to write, act, or just have fun with stories —your stage is waiting!

Theatre Adventure for Young Stars (grades 3-5, grades 6-8) 
Sarah Rozny
Students will learn the basics of acting through a variety of games. Young performers will learn to work with others in an ensemble, make the most of movement and space in developing a character, prepare their voice for the stage and much more. This course is good for both beginners and experienced actors alike.

Humanities and Social Sciences

Be a Word Explorer! (grades 3-8)
Heather Hellenga 
Unlock the power of language through a fun, interactive study of Greek and Latin roots. Students will explore these important building blocks of the English language through writing, art, and low-stress drama activities. All students will create and maintain a valuable interactive notebook vocabulary resource which will be theirs to keep.

Crash Course in Greek Mythology (grades 5-8)
Anna Hinton
The gods and goddesses of Greek Mythology are everywhere in literature and popular culture. Students in this class will learn about the major players in Greek Mythology, read some of the myths, and have a chance to escape from the underworld!

Exploring Scotland (grades 3-8)
Adyson Eastburg
Explore and celebrate Scotland with me! Living in Scotland was a wonderful experience that I am eager to share. In my class we will explore the culture, geography, famous landmarks, music, and food. Together we will use multimedia resources, engage in interactive activities, and fun, exciting hands-on activities!

Intro to German: Language and Culture (grades 3-5)
Alicia Condreay  
Ich Bin Frau Condreay! I am eager to teach students all about German culture, food, education and most importantly the GERMAN LANGUAGE. In this class we will explore the country and by the end of class students will be able to introduce themselves, they will know the alphabet, colors and count to 100. They will also be able to label foods and objects in the home and at school. **On the last day of class we will sample German foods**

Expand Your Spanish (grades 6-8) 
Leticia Camacho 
We will practice the basics of Spanish! Students will practice speaking and writing independently and with guidance. Listening and reading will be done as a whole group. Multilingualism is an important asset and will be nurtured in this class! Some Spanish is needed. 

Social Emotional Learning: Writing a book about ME! (grades 3-8)
Alicia Condreay  
Students will learn a variety of calming techniques in this class. The most important thing will be journaling. We will use a variety of breathing techniques, stretches, music and art to inspire writing a story “All about Me” Social and Emotional needs are very important and this class will help students feel valued and appreciated as they learn more about themselves.

The Legend of Me: Art Therapy through D&D (grades 3-5)
Harley Spero
Roll for initiative! In this exciting adventure, students will create their own characters, drawing on their personal strengths and challenges. Through role-playing, they’ll explore their emotions, overcome obstacles, and build important skills like teamwork and communication. Using a fantasy-based lens, students will tap into their creativity and coping strategies to work through challenges and gain self-insight. This program combines art therapy, role-playing, and Dungeons and Dragons-inspired adventures to help students embark on an emotional journey, while also teaching them how to design their own campaigns along the way. 

Story uniVERSE (grades 3-8)
Jill Bradford
Wait - is this a book? Like, a novel? Or is this a poem? Could it be both at the same time? This course will explore the uniVERSE of story poems. We’ll read from many books, including The Crossover by Kwame Alexander, Love That Dog by Sharon Creech, and Locomotion by Jaqueline Woodson. Once we understand the ideas, we’ll practice reading aloud and even write our own stories!

Calling All Swifties: Explore the Eras! (grades 6-8)
Christinel Cain
Explore all of the TS eras by engaging in research about Taylor Swift, her albums, and her tours. Engage in mathematics with Taylor’s favorite numbers and important dates, creating timelines of Taylor’s career.  Explore ELA by reading books about Taylor Swift and writing our own song lyrics. Engage in the latest Taylor Swift trends, by creating friendship bracelets and jamming out to tunes!

Get It in Galesburg! Explore Galesburg History & Businesses (grades 6-8) 
Christinel Cain 
Galesburg has a lot to offer with its rich history, and continues to offer opportunities to its residents with local businesses and employers. Did you know when and why Galesburg was founded? We will explore famous individuals from Galesburg, visit locations close to campus significant to Galesburg history and to the Galesburg economy.  We will explore literature written by local authors and make connections to Galesburg locations. Looking forward to instilling pride in our local community by exploring the history of Galesburg and connecting it to the current gems found in Galesburg.

Can you survive? Interactive U.S. History Simulations (grades 3-8)
Heather Hellenga
Students will travel back in time to experience important historical events through simulations. Students will be faced with the same choices and challenges that early Americans faced in activities including Jamestown, the Oregon Trail, the Lewis and Clark expedition, and the California Gold Rush. Will you survive and be successful in this new country?

Babysitting 101 (grades 6-8)
Angel Peterson
Learn necessary skills to safely and responsibly care for children of various ages, including child development stages, basic first aid, emergency response procedures, age-appropriate activities, effective communication techniques, and how to maintain a safe environment while supervising children in a home setting

Acts of Kindness (grades 3-8)
Jessika Cullett
We will dive into the world of giving. We will have a canned food drive and collect diapers for the Loving Bottoms diaper bank. We will create a kindness rock garden at Knox College for the community, make cards for local nursing homes, and talk with community non-profits about why charities are important in the community.

Science & Math 

Can You Survive a Week in the Woods? (grades 3-5)
Sarah Rozny
Students will experience a wilderness camping simulation during this course. Integrating STEM challenges, compass reading, shelter building, and knowledge of animal behavior, students will try to beat the odds in this simulation and find out if they can survive a wilderness adventure!

Are you a Wildlife Detective? (grades 3-4)
Cyrus Salazar
A Galesburg farmer has asked for your help with identifying a mysterious animal that has been destroying his farm! Can you figure out what this mysterious animal is? Students will put their investigative skills to the test as they examine key clues to identify and classify the mystery animal. The course will introduce the differences between carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores through hands-on activities. Students will work in teams to explore the features that separate carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores like diet and anatomy. Hands-on activities will include (fake) poop dissection, exploring animal skeletons, and an investigation worksheet.

Our Cousin the 'Strawberry' (grades 5-8)
Cyrus Salazar
Students will explore DNA and how this "blueprint of life" explains how we are halfway related to strawberries. The course will cover the characteristics of plant and animal cells and basic DNA concepts. Students will compare and contrast plant cells and animal cells under a microscope and be guided through a hands-on DNA extraction from strawberries.

So you want to be an herbalist? ... Delve into the Art and Science of Herbalism! (grades 3-8)
Tina Hope
Explore and deepen your relationship with the local plants that live among us in a magical journey of wildcrafting and herbalism. Observe, identify, and harvest local medicinal herbs in the landscape and learn how to make herbal remedies. Create your own, hands-on preparations of herbal lip balms and healing salves to take home at the end of the 2 week journey. Botany basics and drawing tips will serve as a guide for sketching some of your favorite local medicinal plants for your individual herbal field guide.

Eco-Explorers: Discover How to Give the Planet a Helping Hand! (grades 3-5)
Emme Patton
Calling all Eco-Explorers! Dive into the fascinating world of sustainability as we discover ways to help the place we call home: the Earth! Together, we will deepen our relationship to the planet and learn how to live our lives in a more environmentally- friendly way by being stewards of the Earth. Through interactive lessons, nature walks, games, scavenger hunts, and crafts, students will discover the everyday importance of the environment and how to care for it through practices such as composting, recycling, renewable energy, biodiversity, and so much more! We’ll see you out there, the planet is ready to be explored!

Kitchen Adventures in the Recipe Room (grades 5-8)
Ellie Courtemanche
Gear up for Kitchen Adventures in the Recipe Room, an exciting culinary quest where young chefs become food explorers on a thrilling journey through the world of cooking! This adventure-packed course invites students to embark on a delicious expedition, learning essential cooking skills, discovering new flavors, and mastering the art of creating meals from scratch. From basic culinary techniques to developing a “food-to-fork” relationship, every day will bring new challenges, surprises, and tasty rewards!

Foxtails, Frisbees, and Field Games (grades 3-8)
Jill Bradford
Our focus? Fun and fitness with friends on the field ! It's a simple ball with a nylon flag for a tail. Hours of games can be played with The Foxtail - and we'll do just that! We'll also learn the basics of both ultimate frisbee and frolf (frisbee golf). Plus, cornhole, kickball, ladders....and whatever other lawn and field games we want to play!

Unplugged: Technology and Our Brains (grades 3-5)
Harley Spero
Screens are everywhere and demanding of our attention at all times. In our society where children are raised with screens in their hands, it's important for children to learn how technology impacts their brain and overall function. In this class, students will learn how technology changes the way they think and feel and develop tools to manage their emotions. Each day will be spent on learning a new coping strategy to add to their "Tech-Free Toolbox" that can help them learn how to feel fulfilled in the present moment. Students will be able to express themselves through art, writing, reading, breathing, and physical activity as guided by an empathetic and experienced professional counselor.

Strategizing, Puzzling, and Problem-Solving (grades 3-8)
Heather Hellenga
Come experiment with all kinds of puzzles. We’ll do number puzzles, search and find puzzles, word puzzles, and, of course, traditional jigsaw puzzles. Solving puzzles can help reinforce existing connections between our brain cells and increase the generation of new relationships. This, in turn, improves mental speed and thought processes. Puzzles are especially good for improving short-term memory. Join this class to get in the puzzle zone and have fun! 

Around the World with STEM (grades 3-8)
Teresa Nelson
Embark on a global adventure with STEM activities inspired by iconic landmarks from around the world! Students will journey through Australia, France, Italy, Sweden, Russia, Egypt, and America, earning passport stamps as they complete each challenge. This is perfect for exploring different cultures and enhancing collaboration skills.

Three, Two, One Blast Off: Build your own Estes model rocket! (grades 6-8) 
Christinel Cain 
In this interdisciplinary study of aeronautics, pilots will explore flight by building and testing paper airplanes. Students will also build and launch film canister rockets, experimenting with different variables. Students will discover information about the history of aeronautics through research based instruction. Engineers will construct model rockets and become model rocket hobbyists. If you want a class that is out of this world, this one is perfect for you!

Crime Scene Investigation for Kids (grades 5-8)
John Van Nieuwenhuyse
Do you like trying to solve a good mystery? Do you like science? What about putting the two together in the same class? We are going to be doing just that! We will learn about the different types of fingerprints, learn to collect fingerprints, learn about different teeth impressions, and learn about different lip prints, figuring out shoe print impressions, handwriting characteristics, blood spatters…all leading up to piecing together clues to help solve a mystery. There are several aspects of solving a mystery, and we are going to learn about several of them in this class. So, put on your thinking cap and join us for a crime solving journey!

Flying High with Soda Bottle Rockets (grades 4-8)
John Van Nieuwenhuyse
Have you ever seen a soda bottle flying through the air...well if you take this class you will see several! We will start off by figuring out what makes a paper airplane soar across the room. Then, we will figure out what makes the plane stay in the air, come in for a landing, and what makes it fly really fast! We will then take what we learned and have a competition to see who can make a rocket that will stay in the air the longest. Your rockets will go as high as a three story building...maybe higher. Sign up for this class and find out!

A STEM Approach to Bridge & Jet Toy Challenge (grades 4-8)
John Van Nieuwenhuyse
Teams will learn through the STEM approach, which uses Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics to build the strongest bridge and fastest toy car.  This class will work on designing and building bridges for the first week, then designing and building toy cars the second week.  The students will start by building simple bridges to understand the basic structure and forces of a bridge. We will be using computer programs and games to help design the strongest bridge. After the students learn what makes a bridge strong, they will be able to begin building. We will be using a variety of building materials including paper, tooth picks, coffee stirrers, and popsicle sticks. Next, we will be working in design teams, students will build and test model JetToys using different nozzles, and collect and analyze data to understand the effect of nozzle size on the performance of the toys. The engineering process we will be following is to design, build a prototype, test, and repeat.