The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation debuts revamped K-12 summer camps

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation Camp Taliesin West program returns this summer with an expanded lineup of architecture, science, engineering, art and photography camps for K-12 students.

In-person at Taliesin West, the World Heritage Site in Scottsdale, as well as virtually through Zoom, each summer camp features its own variation of hands-on projects and activities designed to encourage participants to think critically, creatively and sustainably, according to a press release, noting “just as Wright himself once did.”

Combining academic relevance with Frank Lloyd Wright’s famed principles of organic architecture and solutions-based design. For students interested in architecture and STEAM disciplines, the camp curriculums include various collaborative design experiments and model-building activities, site tours customized to each camp’s focus.

This year’s revamped program encompasses urban planning and interior design lessons as well as exclusive access to subject-matter experts and more, said the release, describing the iconic location of Taliesin West, which once served as Wright’s winter home and desert laboratory.

The site’s camp-like setting has been re-tooled to fit a virtual/immersive format, which begins in early June, with sessions through July.

Camp Taliesin West will feature the following full- and half-day camps:

Shaping a City | Ages 11 – 15 | June 20 – 24
Using Wright’s Broadacre City plan, which was created in hopes of establishing what parameters were necessary to guarantee healthy, safe and beautiful communities, campers will learn more about the history of urban planning and design. As they look at the numerous concerns facing cities today, campers will design 3D models of their very own cities to further explore the many ways that architecture can be used to improve a community.

• Dream in Color: Interior Design | Ages 11 – 15 | July 11 – 15
  Through Dream in Color, campers will learn the basic principles of interior design such as color, texture, pattern, balance, proportion and symmetry, and will deepen engagement with color theory including how various pigments complement each other.
• Two-Week Virtual Architecture and Design Camp | Ages 7 – 12 | July 11 – 22
  Featuring a myriad of special  architecture, engineering and history-focused activities that use basic household items, students have the option to attend camp from home. Through virtual experiments, guided 3D tours of Taliesin West, community lessons via Google Classroom and daily, live Zoom calls with an onsite educator, campers will examine the realm of architecture as they work to create digital models of their own dream spaces.
• Design Your Dream Space: Advanced | Ages 12 – 15 | June 13 – 17, July 25 – 29
  This camp offers students a chance to design their dream space and become junior architects through the discovery and mastery of incorporating the many needs and desires of clients, environmental concerns and sustainable practices into their designs. This session will also feature an expert architect guest speaker.
• Photographing Wright | Ages 12-16 | June 6 – 10, June 27 – July 1
  The landmark architecture of Taliesin West is the backdrop for this week-long photographic journey. Local Arizona photographer Andrew Pielage will guide students in capturing the surrounding Sonoran Desert and other aspects of the site as they learn about the tools needed to best use a DSLR camera, including aperture, shutter speed, ISO, creative composition, image framing and the challenges of working with light and shadow.

“We really focus on making learning fun and engaging through hands-on activities that reflect the architecture and nature here at Taliesin West,” said Abbie Wilson, Education Manager for the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation. “We also appeal to so many different kids with varied interests, from photography to architecture to interior design to urban planning. And our virtual camp brings those activities into the home for kids who can’t make it to Taliesin West.”

Summer camps are open for registrations, with enrollment fees ranging from $50 to $350 per session. Spots are expected to fill quickly. Scholarships are available for qualifying individuals through the Foundation’s Community Access Program; to apply or learn more about financial assistance, campers and parents can contact Education@FrankLloydWright.org. Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation members also receive a 10% discount on all camp enrollment fees.

For more information on Camp Taliesin West: FrankLloydWright.org/Camp.