Camp founder Jessica Wu, a Huron High School junior, is hoping to see more diversity in the Ann Arbor Academic Games, which she has enjoyed since 4th grade
In an impressive display of initiative and leadership, high school students from Huron, Skyline, and Pioneer have been running a free Academic Games Camp at Scarlett Middle School. This innovative program, which has been in full swing all last week, was open to 30 elementary students across AAPS.
What sets this camp apart is not just its content, but its origin and execution. The high school students themselves wrote the proposal, developed the program and curriculum, and served as volunteer coaches.
Student-founded and student-led, this summer camp’s purpose was to inspire a new generation of curious learners through games that teach academics and to introduce AG to a wider audience of young learners.
Academic Games, a series of educational competitions that challenge students in subjects such as math, language arts, and social studies, has already found a home in several AAPS schools. King, Logan, Thurston, and A2 STEAM elementary schools, along with Clague Middle School and all the high schools, have active Academic Games programs. A handful of students from Scarlett Middle School also participate. However, the high school organizers saw an opportunity to expand this enriching activity to even more students across the district.
To make their vision a reality, the teens partnered with AAPS’ Rec & Ed Department to offer the camp. By making it free and accessible, they’ve removed potential barriers to participation, ensuring that any interested elementary student can benefit from the program.
“Camp was a huge success in that all the campers seem to be highly engaged and interested in continuing AG during the school year,” says Huron junior Jessica Wu, who founded the camp, secured sponsors and volunteer coaches and got it rolling last week at Scarlett Middle School. “Both campers and coaches had a lot of fun interacting with each other. I’m happy to look back and report that our hardest challenge was probably pushing tables into groups on the first day of camp.”
Experienced high schoolers and graduates of the Ann Arbor Academic Games team volunteered to teach the week-long course detailing the basics of games that teach core subjects, such as math through Equations, set theory through On-Sets, English language arts through OnWords or LinguiSHTIK, US history through Presidents, and more.
Academic Games is huge in Ann Arbor, says Wu, who has participated in AG since fourth grade and is the head coach and founder of A2 STEAM AG.
“A lot of the high school volunteers for this camp have a similar history with AG,” she says. “As I transitioned from elementary school to middle school to high school, AG has remained a constant in my life. AG has been not only an education sphere for me, but also a safe haven. My fondest memories of childhood have stemmed from AG: the sleepovers at State and National competitions, the victorious feelings of seeing the dedication to the game morph into wins, and the constant heartwarming team dynamic.”
She says coaching has been a way to re-experience AG from a completely different perspective. “These heartfelt memories fuel my passion for coaching,” she says, “and motivate me to be an even better leader.”
Camp AG was definitely not an easygoing summer camp, coaches say.
“In the span of five days, we had to teach campers from 3-5th grade how to play four completely different games, as well as teach the supplementary material needed to play the games,” says Huron junior Jayeun Lee, CMO of Camp AG. “For example, while teaching the math-based game Equations, we also had to teach campers what square roots and exponents were, which was high above the math level they were learning in school. One of my fondest memories was of a camper struggling to understand why 5^0=1. I explained to them that you could divide 5^1 by 5 to get 5^0. They looked down at his paper and muttered, “5^1 is 5, divided by 5 is…1!” When they looked up at me to return a high-five, their mouth was stretched into the first of countless smiles that I would witness in the coming days.”
Thirteen high school students have volunteered their time this week to serve as AG counselors to the 30 students in grades 3-5.
Huron junior Mike Yimer, a curriculum developer for Camp AG, says that helping to create an environment that benefits and enriches the lives of students was not easy.
“However, for many of the coaches, teaching and helping these students was a fulfilling and rewarding experience,” he says. “I know that for me, the hours I put into planning lessons and games paid off when I saw the faces of my students light up. Every child should have the opportunity to participate in academic games, and I’m glad we’ve worked with our sponsors to keep the camp tuition-free and as accessible as possible.”
Throughout the week, campers have been engaged in hands-on learning experiences, critical thinking challenges, and team-building activities. The high school instructors bring not only their expertise in Academic Games but also their enthusiasm and ability to connect with younger students.
“Academic Games, as silly as it may sound, has completely changed my life for the better. There is nothing that could bring me more joy than knowing that this week has introduced 25 more brilliant young people to this absolutely fantastic community of learners. Hopefully, we can do the same for many more!”
Jennifer Tang
The success of this camp not only benefits the elementary participants but also provides valuable experience for the high school students in project management, teaching, and community service, says Tierra Jackson, who coaches the Logan/Thurston Academic Games team and teaches third grade at Logan. “It’s a win-win situation that showcases the best of what student-led initiatives can achieve.”
And she is eager for more students from more schools to participate.
“The A2AG Board wants to introduce Academic Games to all students across Ann Arbor Public Schools,” she says. “It is so important that we have students of all races and cultures represented and know that they can participate. Although I am a parent/teacher volunteer, Academic Games is a paid club at the middle and high school levels.”
She asks that AAPS teachers interested in hosting, sponsoring, or starting their own academic games team reach out to her.
Jennifer Tang, COO of Camp AG, said the week passed like a whirlwind.
“As I’ve grown from a player into a coach, there is nothing more rewarding than watching these students get to that “a-ha!” moment when something finally clicks in their mind,” she says. “Academic Games, as silly as it may sound, has completely changed my life for the better. There is nothing that could bring me more joy than knowing that this week has introduced 25 more brilliant young people to this absolutely fantastic community of learners. Hopefully, we can do the same for many more!”
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