Complete STEM Adventures
Learn to run emotionally engaging STEM adventures for summer camps, after school programs, and recreation programs
Run Your Own 1-2 Hour Educational Adventures
Guardian Adventures creates online and in person courses for summer camps, school & afterschool programs, and recreation departments which teaches them how to run exciting live action roleplaying (LARP) adventures.
The Complete STEM Adventures are self contained courses that are quick to implement and designate which age range the program is designed for. These courses are geared towards teachers and counselors who want to spend minimal time learning
There’s our STEMventures Bridges curriculum which can be run both in-person or online. This 5 hour curriculum can be divided into 1 hour sessions where students ages 10-13 have to figure out how to construct bridges to get from the islands to the mainland before an army closes in on them!
If you want a longer 7.5 hour program that can be divided up into 1.5 hours a day for 5 days, try out Merlin Mystery STEM Adventure for ages 8-10 where students use the power of science and math and the cryptic journals of Merlin to solve a mystery.
If you would like an example of what our Complete STEM Adventures look like, try our free course Phantom Physics which can be run with just a video display in the classroom or over Zoom. There is also our more involved in-person Elixir of Life adventure. Please note that Elixir of Life is considered a high level immersion program so it involves a significant amount of materials and preparation. This program is best suited for locations with more resources than a typical classroom but the course does give you an idea of the type of instruction you will receive.
Other programs are much less materials intensive or allow for paper substitutions. We also have an online Zombie Escape Room adventure for when your campers or attendees are only on Zoom. Just log into our training center and the learning platform will teach your staff how to run the adventure, step by step, along with all of the graphics, story elements, and training videos.
These individual programs contain all of the instruction necessary for running one or more 1.5 – 2 hour STEM based adventures. Each program covers the following:
- Curriculum and overview
- Full curriculum pdf manual
- Full PPTX presentation slideshow for either teacher training or student learning
- Videos that walk the teacher through the story background
- Videos that walk the teacher through the curriculum
- Instruction on how to present the material in a way that is exciting and engaging
- Instruction on how to scale adventure up or down depending on student skill
- List of necessary materials or equipment
- Friendly quizzes to challenge your knowledge of the material
We recommend a minimum ratio of 1:8 for ages 7-10, 1:10 for ages 11 -15, and 1:15 for ages 16+ However, we also suggest that there is either an older teen or another adult present to be the Antagonist for each group. If you are running a summer camp, your state may mandate lower ratios.
Why should you be interested in these programs?
- The planning and development is done for you
- You don’t have to teach your staff – the course does that for you
- Lean on our expertise – tested and refined by dozens of experts since 1999
- Make education exciting with engaging stories and memorable interactions
- Increase retention of your clients with online events in between seasons or sessions – no matter their location
- Roleplaying can be adapted and integrated into just about any activity or lesson
Find out more about our 2 other types of programs:
The Universal Game System is a full game system that allows you or your staff to create your own programs based on our interactive rules and various themes. Adventures can be designed for ages 7 and up (although instructors can also run a simplified version for ages 4 and up).
The Online Birthday Parties are self contained courses that teach you how to run a fun and collaborative online adventure geared towards ages 8-11. Almost everything you need is provided including marketing materials, training, and digital assets. You just need a laptop with internet access, camera and microphone, zoom, and of course, your heroes!
What’s being said about us…
“Simply put, Guard Up changed my life. From the first moment I stepped into the ‘tavern,’ to my last glimpse of the camp before I left, I was totally engulfed in the story, characters, and experience.” – Saul Rosenthal
“What some might dismiss as a geeky alternative to more traditional camps, where sports and art classes rule, is actually a precious, even irreplaceable resource to the population it serves… these kids get to engage in more physically challenging and socially interactive versions of the [computer] games they already love. For many, the excitement comes from playing characters of their own creation in a multilayered adventure story their actions help shape. For others, it’s about sword fighting. But everyone seems to agree on the value – and fun – of turning video-game materials into real-life play,” – The Boston Globe
“The affordance to play in a responsive environment is key to engaging players in video games, but [Guardian Adventures] exports the method off the screen and into the real world. Immersive narratives and embodied actions combine to engage players in a range of learning. This illustrates how an informal, story-driven environment can motivate students to take ownership of their learning. Research supports the approach,” – NPR
“What (Guardian Adventures has) accomplished, seems to me, is to have done what Campbell would want us to with his work: synthesize it into our own work which puts us in service to our passion to the fulfillment of not only ourselves, but to the larger community,” – Joseph Campbell Foundation
Reach Out!
Guardian Adventures is a company specializing in STEM education and culturally relevant story-based programs as well as program design and consulting for summer camps, schools, educational organizations, and entertainment companies.
(c) 2024 – Guardian Adventures, Inc. All rights reserved.