What parents ask us most.

The academy is for middle schoolers in grades 5 to 8, ages 10 to 13. The age group is flexible, so please contact us if you would like to see whether your child can join us.

Many engineering, computer science, physics, chemistry and biology topics are introduced. If you feel your child already has a basic understanding of some of these at a younger age and wants a more hands-on experience with STEM, feel free to join us.

Pre-registration secures a spot on our roster so that we save a seat for your kid(s). You receive an automated reply confirming your pre-registration status, and then an email with all the registration forms that need to be filled out (this may take a few weeks).

Once you have completed the registration forms and the payment, you receive a confirmation email that your kid(s) has been successfully registered.

Ready to hold a seat? Pre-register here.

Pre-registration for Summer 2027 opens January 1, 2027, and registration opens February 1. Ask for the first email and we will let you know when it does.

Yes, starting spring 2027. It meets once a week from 3:30 to 5:30 PM at Next Generation School, for grades 5 to 8. Dates are to be released, and enrollment details will be posted on the NGS website. Everything we can tell you so far is on the Afterschool page.

A new summer academy is coming to the Chicagoland area. Full details will be released soon. You can see what we know on the Experience page, or ask for the first email and we will let you know when they are out.

No. Technology & Engineering Week and Science Week are completely different schedules, with different guest speakers, lessons and projects. You are welcome to register your kids for both weeks or for just one.

If you want your child to have a unique experience each week, we recommend one week of Technology & Engineering and one week of Science, since the lesson plans and projects mostly repeat within a theme. You can mix and match, though: in 2026, for example, a family could pick the June 1 to 5 Technology & Engineering week and the June 22 to 26 Science week. The sessions do not have to be back to back for your child to have fun and learn something new.

See how each themed week is built on the Experience page.

Instruction, projects and activities officially run from 9 AM to 4 PM. We also offer an 8 AM early drop-off and a 5 PM late pick-up for parents who need it.

During this “free range” time, before 9 AM and after 4 PM, kids have the flexibility to play sports and games, do arts and crafts, and put extra time into their summer projects.

Tuition for Summer 2027 is $500 per student for one week and $900 per student for two weeks. Extended hours, 8 AM drop-off and 5 PM pick-up, are included at no extra charge. Lunch from Sumo Kitchen is an optional opt-in at extra charge. Deposit and refund terms for 2027 will be published with registration; the terms below are the ones that applied in 2026.

Once pre-registration closes, the website is updated with a payment option and you complete the payment for your kid(s) here on the site. We email you the registration forms together with a link to the page where you pay.

After that, your balance and payment status are always visible in the Parent Portal, and any remaining balance can be paid from there.

There is a $30 non-refundable deposit when you register for this camp. The following cancellation policies apply:

• If you request cancellation 30 or more days before your selected session, a full refund (minus the $30 non-refundable deposit) will be given.
• If you request cancellation 3 to 4 weeks before your selected session, a partial 50% refund (minus the $30 non-refundable deposit) will be given.
• If you request cancellation 1 to 2 weeks before your selected session, a partial 25% refund (minus the $30 non-refundable deposit) will be given.
• No refund is given if cancellation is requested 48 hours before the session start or later.

Yes. The Understory Award is a partial scholarship, supported by ID8 Lab, for students enrolling in two weeks of the academy. The name comes from the grove itself: the understory is the layer of young growth beneath the canopy, which is exactly who these students are. To ask about eligibility and how to apply, email innovgrove@gmail.com. The amounts and the application rules for 2027 will be published with registration.