Water Day isn’t only for Camp Galileo. Galileo Summer Quest gets in on the good times, too

From GSQ Palo Alto.

Instead of spending the summer sitting around playing video games, the Galileo Summer Quest Video Game Design Majors learn to create games. Okay, so they get to play the games too, but it takes nearly two weeks to get the games completed.

No two games are the same. Not only do the students learn about design and software, they get a lesson in the video game rating system. They’re reminded to think about the levels of violence they use in their game and what type of rating their game would elicit.

When I visited GSQ Saratoga, the Video Game Design Majors were playing around with sound, adding music and sound effects, in preparation for Parent Presentations. By the next day, the room would be transformed into an arcade, allowing parents to try out the different games (no quarters or tokens required!). The amount of collaboration between the students was impressive. While each game was unique, any time a snag was hit, another student would make a suggestion or help fix the problem. Everyone was hard at work and fingers were working the keyboards at a fast pace, as the students flipped back and forth between the visual part of their game, and the screen with the code behind it, making adjustments, then checking the results.

Here’s a look at a few of the games as they neared completion:

The Junior M.D. Majors of Galileo Summer Quest are a fearless tribe. They love to delve in to examine things closely, really closely. Not only do they use microscopes, but these kids are excited about dissection and the chance it provides to see how organs connect and work. When the instructors at GSQ Saratoga announced that the frogs were ready for dissection, a group of Junior M.D.s hurried over, with one girl beginning before a single instruction was issued. “I want to be a doctor,” she explained. Two boys working together quickly asked, “Can we start? Can we start?”

New virus were imagined and models of them were made.

No surprise, many of the kids made deadly viruses.

DNA was extracted from kiwis and strawberries.

Like any medical student can attest, not everything goes according to plan. One Junior M.D. from GSQ San Mateo had a little surprise during a dissection:

A lot of designing and planning goes into constructing a go-kart at Galileo Summer Quest. The Go-Kart Makers pride themselves on stylistic differences, setting their go-kart apart from the rest. Maybe it’s wood cuttings or two cans that could be used for storage, the Makers love adding details to make their individual go-kart unique.

Kids learn to use saws, drills, and rasps, among other tools.

Painting the go-karts is one of finishing touches before the big race day.

As with any race, there’s some strategizing. The race track isn’t revealed until the final day, but to win, a go-kart doesn’t necessarily have to be the fastest or the most agile. The Go-Kart Makers can earn points for teamwork, for helping fellow drivers by taking turns pushing, for instance.

The fun of the Go-Kart Makers Major continues beyond camp because the campers get to drive off with their go-karts at the end of the GSQ session.

Don’t forget the hula hoop!

Digital Photography Majors at Galileo Summer Quest not only learn about camera features, but they get to explore photo editing and software to turn a picture into something greater. Here’s the work of a few GSQ Saratoga students:

The Magazine Makers of Galileo Summer Quest, Saratoga create a publication from start to finish, building editorial skills while learning to use industry software.

Editorial discussion, sometimes with fancy hats.

Taking photos for the Quasars’ fashion magazine. The Pulsars are creating an eco-friendly living magazine, Going Green.

Editorial meetings, photography, writing, and design. After two weeks, a publication will be complete!