Peoria Campus - July   

Step into the world of digital design with this hands-on introduction to computer-aided design (CAD) using Onshape. Learn how to create 3D models, explore geometric shapes, and bring your ideas to life in a virtual workspace.

Practice designing objects, experimenting with dimensions and structures, and solving real-world design challenges. Gain skills in spatial thinking, precision, and problem-solving that can be applied to engineering, product design, and creative projects. This class is perfect for anyone curious about technology, design, and making their ideas move from imagination to digital reality.

Please note: all students must have access to their own personal email address to create their individual account with the software.

Get ready to explore the outdoors through hands-on discovery and real-world science. Nature Adventures invites students to step outside and investigate the living and non-living parts of our environment, from plants and animals to water, soil, and air.

Each day brings a new outdoor adventure across the ICC campus as we explore grasslands, woodlands, prairies, and wetlands. Use hand lenses to examine prairie flowers up close, bug catchers to observe insects, dip nets to discover wetland creatures, and trowels to dig into the soil beneath our feet. Expect to get a little wet, a little dirty, and a lot curious.

This class is perfect for students who love being outside, asking questions, and learning through exploration.

Take center stage and explore the many sides of live performance in this high-energy introduction to theater. Theater Mania is a beginner-friendly acting class that gives students the chance to try a wide variety of theatrical styles while building confidence, creativity, and stage presence.

Explore skits, duets, short scenes, improvisation, pantomime, and monologues while learning how actors use voice, movement, and expression to tell a story. Practice audition-style activities and performance techniques that support school plays and other performance opportunities. The class wraps up with a live performance on a real stage for friends and family, bringing everything together in a fun and memorable way.

Build confidence and prepare to become a trusted babysitter. Learn how to care for infants and children, respond in emergencies, choose age-appropriate activities, and manage common behaviors with confidence.

Explore the basics of starting and marketing a babysitting business while building a professional babysitting portfolio. Practice essential safety skills, including CPR and basic First Aid concepts.

Students will have the opportunity to pursue American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR certification. Certification is not guaranteed and requires successful completion of all AHA course requirements. Students who complete the class will receive a printable certificate of completion for their portfolios.

Pair this class with The Art of Storytime, Part 1 and Part 2, to expand creative skills for working with children.

Ever wonder why people think, feel, and act the way they do? Dive into the fascinating world of psychology and explore how the mind influences behavior, decisions, and everyday choices.

Discover what happens inside the brain—and how the world around us shapes the way we learn, interact, and choose our paths. Explore topics like emotions, habits, and decision-making, and try simple research activities to uncover patterns in human behavior. This class encourages curiosity, critical thinking, and a deeper understanding of ourselves and others.

Slow down, tune in, and experience nature through creativity and the senses. Nature Flow invites students to connect with the natural world through touch, sound, sight, and movement while exploring how nature can inspire art, reflection, and mindfulness.

Across the ICC campus, students will practice forest bathing to mindfully experience the woods, use nature journaling to record observations and reflections, experiment with flower pounding and natural dyes, and create nature mandalas using found materials. These hands-on activities encourage careful observation, creative expression, and a deeper awareness of the environment.

Nature Flow is ideal for students who enjoy creativity, reflection, and exploring the outdoors in a calm, thoughtful way.

Put on your safety glasses and get ready to experiment! Learn how to think like scientists by exploring and applying the scientific method. Ask questions, form hypotheses, test ideas, and analyze results through a series of fun hands-on experiments. Along the way, discover how careful observation, logical thinking, and repeated testing help scientists understand the world around them.

This class combines instruction and hands-on learning to help students build curiosity, problem-solving abilities, and confidence in the lab.

Sports are more than games. They reflect culture, shape identity, and influence history. In this course, explore how sports have been shaped by cultural, political, and technological changes over time and how athletes and teams have influenced society beyond the playing field.

Examine key moments in sports history, from groundbreaking athletes to major innovations that changed how games are played and watched. Analyze how sports intersect with social movements, media, and technology, and discuss why certain moments still matter today.

Put learning into action by creating a project, such as a timeline that traces the influence of a sport, team, or athlete across history. This class is ideal for students who enjoy sports, history, and big-picture thinking.

Take center stage and explore the many sides of live performance in this high-energy introduction to theater. Theater Mania is a beginner-friendly acting class that gives students the chance to try a wide variety of theatrical styles while building confidence, creativity, and stage presence.

Explore skits, duets, short scenes, improvisation, pantomime, and monologues while learning how actors use voice, movement, and expression to tell a story. Practice audition-style activities and performance techniques that support school plays and other performance opportunities. The class wraps up with a live performance on a real stage for friends and family, bringing everything together in a fun and memorable way.

Step into the world of one of history’s most famous scientists. Explore the life and discoveries of Isaac Newton through hands-on experiments and playful investigation.

Discover how gravity works, experiment with light and color, and explore the basic laws of motion that explain how objects move. Along the way, connect Newton’s big ideas to everyday experiences, from falling apples to rolling balls.

This class blends science, history, and curiosity, making big concepts accessible and exciting for young scientists who love to ask “why?”

Dive into the vibrant world of paint and color! In this hands-on art lab, students will explore how colors mix, how brush techniques create different effects, and how artists use color to express mood and tell stories.

Through guided lessons and creative exploration, young painters will experiment with blending, layering, and texture while creating their own landscapes and expressive artworks. Along the way, they’ll learn how artistic choices can completely change the feeling of a piece.

Perfect for students who love bold colors, creative freedom, and getting a little messy while making masterpieces.

Life can feel busy, loud, and overwhelming, especially as the brain grows and changes. Explore how thoughts, emotions, and stress affect the developing brain, and learn practical ways to slow down and stay focused.

Discover the difference between growth and fixed mindsets and practice mindfulness through hands-on activities like breathing exercises, creative coloring, and making giant bubbles. Build self-awareness, emotional balance, and confidence while learning tools that can be used at school, at home, and in everyday life.

Step up to the mic and explore the exciting world of speech and debate. In this interactive course, students will be introduced to a variety of speech events, including radio speaking, impromptu speaking, dramatic interpretation, humorous interpretation, debate, and more.

Learn practical tips and strategies for each event while building skills in organization, delivery, and audience engagement. Practice speaking in a supportive, low-pressure environment designed to help students grow in confidence and creativity.

Whether preparing for a school speech team or simply wanting to become a more confident communicator, this class offers a fun and empowering way to strengthen public speaking skills.

Bring stories to life and create memorable experiences for young children through the art of storytelling. Explore ways to make characters like Pete the Cat, Love Monster, and Corduroy jump off the page while helping kids connect with the story.

Combine storytelling with hands-on crafts using paper crafting and everyday household supplies to make each story interactive and engaging. This class pairs perfectly with Babysitting Safety to strengthen skills for students interested in caring for and entertaining children.

The Grow Period is a relaxed, screen-free afternoon experience designed to give students time to unwind, connect, and explore their interests in a supportive, supervised environment. Open to all grade levels, this mixed-age time encourages creativity, cooperation, and independent play while being guided by Curiosity Lab facilitators and staff.

Each day offers a rotating mix of optional activities so students can choose how they want to spend their time. Activities may include art and crafts, games, building challenges, reading corners, outdoor play, or quiet creative projects. Some days can be active, others can be calm, giving students space to recharge after a full day of learning.

Parents can feel confident knowing students are safely supervised, engaged in meaningful activities, and enjoying a screen-free transition at the end of the day. Students will enjoy the freedom to try new things, spend time with friends, and grow independence in a fun, low-pressure setting.

Explore the stories of women who used their voices, courage, and choices to shape history and influence the world. This class highlights influential women from different time periods and backgrounds, showing how leadership and impact can take many forms.

Discover the lives and legacies of figures through videos, games, discussions, and short performance-based activities. Reflect on the challenges these women faced, the decisions they made, and the lasting impact of their actions. This class encourages critical thinking, empathy, and connection while helping students see how history continues to shape the present.

Get ready to take your balloon game to the stratosphere! Join our advanced balloon twisting class and unleash your inner artist! If you're ready to level up from the basics, this class is your ticket to creating mind-blowing, multi-balloon masterpieces. Learn pro techniques, tackle complex designs, and push your creativity to new heights. It's time to 'pop' your limits and create something truly epic.

Beginning class experience is encouraged.

Explore what it means to be a leader in school, in the community, and in everyday life. Inspired by The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey, this class encourages students to reflect on their strengths, set meaningful goals, and develop habits that support positive leadership.

Dive into interactive activities like role-playing, skits, and group discussions to explore decision-making, teamwork, responsibility, and communication. Designed for students who enjoy thoughtful discussion and self-reflection, this class supports personal growth while helping young changemakers discover how their choices and actions can make a real difference.

Zoom out beyond Earth and get an introduction to our solar system (which contains more than just planets!). In this exciting space adventure, students will also learn about stars, explore constellations, and discover the vastness of the Milky Way galaxy we call home. Learn where stars are born and how a star can change over its lifetime. Discover where our solar system fits into the Milky Way galaxy and just how vast space really is! Students will be introduced to how scientists learn about space when they explore the wonders beyond the planet we call home.

Perfect for curious learners who are ready "blast off" on a space adventure!

Explore the building blocks of everything around us! In this exciting chemistry lab experience, students will investigate how matter behaves, changes, and reacts.

Build 3D molecular models to understand atoms and compounds. Experiment with natural indicators to create color-changing reactions. Stretch the limits of the states of matter by making non-Newtonian “slime.” Then cap off the week with a dramatic exothermic “Elephant Toothpaste” reaction to see chemical energy in action.

Through safe, hands-on experiments, participants will discover how tiny particles create big reactions and why chemistry is happening all around us every day.

Perfect for students who love to mix, measure, and experiment.

Put on your lab coat and goggles and get ready to investigate the building blocks of matter. In this inquiry-driven course, we will explore the foundations of chemistry, from atoms and molecules to the periodic table and the pH scale.

Through hands-on experiments and interactive demonstrations, discover how substances combine, react, and change. Test acids and bases, model atomic structures, and uncover the patterns that organize the elements. Along the way, build scientific reasoning skills and learn how chemistry explains the world around us.

Perfect for curious students who enjoy experimenting, asking questions, and discovering how things work.

Speaking in front of others can feel intimidating, but it doesn't have to be scary. This introductory public speaking class focuses on helping students feel more comfortable sharing their ideas in a supportive and low-pressure environment.

Practice simple speaking activities, short presentations, and fun group exercises designed to build confidence step by step. Learn how to organize thoughts, speak clearly, and manage nervous feelings while discovering that everyone can find their own voice. This class is perfect for students who want to feel more confident participating in class, presentations, or everyday conversations.

What if you could tell a whole story without saying a single word? Step into the world of pantomime and discover how movement, facial expression, and body language can bring ideas to life. This highly interactive class explores the basics of silent performance through games, challenges, and plenty of laughter.

Learn classic pantomime techniques and practice using them in charades-style activities that make communication clear, creative, and fun. Build confidence, observation skills, and expressive movement, all while gaining skills that can be taken home and put to use at family game nights. Perfect for students who love being active, expressive, and a little dramatic, without needing to memorize lines.

Think beyond paper! In this hands-on art experience, students will combine materials like cardboard, clay, and paper to create imaginative 2D and 3D artwork.

Young artists will learn how to build sturdy sculptures, add texture, and use mixed media techniques to tell visual stories. Through creative problem-solving and experimentation, students will design and construct original pieces that showcase their ideas in exciting new ways.

Perfect for creators who love to build, shape, layer, and think outside the canvas.

Blast off into an exciting exploration of space. Discover how astronomers study the night sky and learn about the stars, planets, moons, asteroids, comets, and other objects that make up our solar system.

Through hands-on activities, models, and interactive challenges, explore what makes each planet unique and how everything in our solar system works together. Ask big questions, make observations like a real scientist, and build a deeper understanding of the universe beyond Earth.

Perfect for curious learners who love space, science, and discovering how things work.

Dive deeper into the art of telling stories and bring new characters and stories to life for young children. Explore creative ways to engage kids through interactive reading and hands-on crafts using paper crafting and everyday household supplies.

Learn techniques to make stories memorable and fun, build confidence leading activities, and discover new ways to connect with your audience. This class is perfect for those who want to expand their storytelling skills, whether or not they have taken Part 1.

The Grow Period is a relaxed, screen-free afternoon experience designed to give students time to unwind, connect, and explore their interests in a supportive, supervised environment. Open to all grade levels, this mixed-age time encourages creativity, cooperation, and independent play while being guided by Curiosity Lab facilitators and staff.

Each day offers a rotating mix of optional activities so students can choose how they want to spend their time. Activities may include art and crafts, games, building challenges, reading corners, outdoor play, or quiet creative projects. Some days can be active, others can be calm, giving students space to recharge after a full day of learning.

Parents can feel confident knowing students are safely supervised, engaged in meaningful activities, and enjoying a screen-free transition at the end of the day. Students will enjoy the freedom to try new things, spend time with friends, and grow independence in a fun, low-pressure setting.