For the third summer in a row, AAPS high school students are running a free Academic Games summer camp for elementary students. This year’s camp serves 60 campers in two one-week sessions and is led entirely by 15 volunteer high school students.
The camp introduces younger students to Academic Games, a program that combines strategy, teamwork, and critical thinking through competitions in math, language arts, social studies, and logic. Although Academic Games already has a strong presence across AAPS—with teams at King, Logan, Thurston, and A2 STEAM elementary schools, Clague Middle School, all three comprehensive high schools, and participating students from Scarlett Middle School—Camp AG was created to introduce even more children to the program.
What makes the camp unique is that it is almost entirely student-driven. High school volunteers wrote the proposal, developed the curriculum, and serve as instructors and coaches, partnering with AAPS Rec & Ed to offer the program free of charge. Eliminating the cost has made the camp accessible to any interested elementary student in the district.
The camp was founded by Huron High School senior Jessica Wu, who has played Academic Games since fourth grade and now coaches the A2 STEAM elementary team. What began as a local summer camp has since grown into a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. In addition to the Ann Arbor camps, the organization now operates a week-long program in Detroit.
Each year, the volunteer staff creates a new curriculum before spending two weeks teaching younger students. Wu called the experience “such a magical moment,” bringing together fellow Academic Games players to share their passion for learning with the next generation.
Skyline senior Sophia Zheng says she didn’t have the opportunity to participate in Academic Games when she was in elementary school, so leading Camp AG has been especially meaningful to her.
“It’s so rewarding to help create the experience I wish I had as a kid and to watch students become more confident in themselves as they discover what they’re capable of learning.,” said Sophia. “AG has also given me some of my closest friendships and has allowed me to grow as both a competitor and a coach. I love the way it challenges you to think in ways you don’t experience in a typical classroom, and getting to share that with younger students has been the best part of Camp AG.”
Campers were chosen via a random lottery process to ensure equity in the selection process.
A2 STEAM teacher and Academic Games co-coach Brittany Sayles said she and fellow coach Tierra Jackson support the elementary teams throughout the school year, with Jackson coaching at Logan and Thurston and Sayles coaching at A2 STEAM. Sayles first discovered Academic Games as a middle school student in Detroit, an experience that sparked a lifelong love of math and learning and ultimately inspired her career in education.
Since becoming a teacher, Sayles has started an Academic Games team at every school where she has worked. But she emphasized that the success of Camp AG belongs to its student leaders.
“The true credit goes to the high school students,” she said.
Their leadership has inspired younger players to become mentors themselves, including students in Detroit, where the program has expanded. Many members of this year’s graduating senior class have earned prestigious scholarships and been admitted to universities including Yale and the University of Michigan.
Beyond teaching Academic Games, the high school volunteers model leadership, teamwork, and a genuine enthusiasm for learning, allowing 60 elementary students to discover a new academic passion.
Caleb Lee, a Huron High School senior and the camp’s chief financial officer, said organizers are grateful to AAPS for providing classroom space at A2 STEAM over the summer, as well as to Ann Arbor Dance Classics, the King Elementary PTO, Clague PTO, Zingerman’s DJ’s Bakery, Barry’s Bagels, and Kumon for supporting the camp.
“The activities are extremely mentally challenging,” Caleb said. “We try to make them as engaging and as fun as possible.”
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