CU Community Fab Lab Summer Camps

CU Community Fab Lab Summer Camps offer youth summer camps where participants work on video game design, creating digital art, storytelling, sewing, digital embroidery, 3D printing, making a 3D print from a Minecraft model, and creating an animated video. Camp activities use tools such as laser engravers, FDM and resin 3D printers, electronic cutters, sewing and embroidery machines, small board electronics, graphic drawing tablets, and advanced fabrication software. Campers are expected to have basic computer knowledge and to be able to independently problem solve, manage new tools, and engage in group work, and camps are built around design thinking and iterative prototyping.

• Ages: 10–18 years old (with an exception for 9-year-olds who will turn 10 on or before September 1 of the year)
• Schedule: Morning camps run from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM with drop off between 8:45–9:00 AM and pick up between 12:00–12:15 PM; afternoon camps run from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM with drop off between 12:45–1:00 PM and pick up between 4:00–4:15 PM; an aftercare option for afternoon camps extends pick up to 5:15 PM with no camp activities during that hour.
• Price: All camps require a $20 non-refundable deposit; up to 21 days before camp there is a full refund minus the $20 deposit, 20 to 8 days before camp there is a half refund minus the $20 deposit, and 7 days or less before camp there is no refund; camps may be switched to other sessions at no cost if seats are available; aftercare for afternoon camps has an additional weekly cost (amount not specified); access to the Fab Lab is free, and materials and area use fees are very low cost.

Campers need to bring their own snacks and water, and there is a 15–20 minute outdoor snack break each day, weather permitting. Campers attending both morning and afternoon sessions may either be picked up between sessions or bring a lunch to eat outside, weather permitting, and parents or guardians are asked to let staff know if the camper will stay for lunch. Campers must have all required camp forms completed and turned in on the first day of camp, either emailed in advance or brought with them, and snacks and drinks are not provided by the camp. Fab Lab staff reserve the right to turn away campers who display Covid-like symptoms.

The CU Community Fab Lab states its mission as “Access for all: Inspire creativity, discovery, and dynamic learning.” The lab is open to the public, employs staff, and encourages volunteers, and it is open to visitors from the community and campus during open hours. The CU Community Fab Lab supports campus and community members through research, university courses, community engagement and programming, professional development, youth summer camps, and design and fabrication support for students, staff, faculty, and community members. It collaborates with local community partners, including several public libraries and after-school centers, and works with units such as the iSchool, College of Education, College of Fine and Applied Arts, University of Illinois Extension, Department of Business Administration, and the National Center for Super Computing Applications on grants, classes, and research. The Fab Lab is a public engagement program as part of Informatics and is part of the global Fab Lab network connected to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Center for Bits and Atoms.

Last updated January 15, 2026.