From Castles to Campaigns: Real-World Learning in Session 2

For the second session this year, every Studio is taking on a Quest that looks and feels like real work in the real world. Heroes will step into authentic roles, dig into rich disciplinary learning, collaborate in mixed-age teams, and iterate—make, share, get feedback, revise, and improve—before unveiling their work at Exhibition. Here’s what’s coming.

spark studio: The Rising of the Phoenix

Our youngest heroes will time-travel to a living medieval village where they don’t just learn history—they become it. As knights, blacksmiths, jesters, healers, lords, and villagers, they’ll research daily life, craft tools and costumes, rehearse skits, and design games for guests. Along the way they’ll practice the habits of makers: try, test, tinker, and try again.

Deep learning shows up in historical understanding (roles, work, community), early design and fine-motor skills, and speaking with confidence. Collaboration happens in mixed-age guilds that plan stations and performances. Iteration is built in: heroes draft props and acts, gather feedback from Guides and visiting experts (actors and set designers), revise, and ready their stations for a public Medieval Festival—where their work will be seen, experienced, and celebrated.

lower elementary: Story Arts—Developing Vivid Characters

Lower Elementary heroes will serve as Historical Consultants and dramaturgs for our Renaissance Festival. Their job: ensure the characters guests meet—kings, queens, merchants, knights—feel accurate, layered, and alive. With guidance from guest experts (writers, actors, and an architectural historian), heroes will build 3-dimensional characters, practice voices and movement, and craft short scenes.

The disciplinary core spans history (daily life and culture), literacy (character, conflict, point-of-view), and performing arts. Collaboration unfolds in troupes that script, rehearse, and block scenes together. Iteration happens through portfolios, rehearsal notes, and expert feedback as heroes refine costumes, props, and performances. At Exhibition, families will step into a bustling festival where every conversation reveals research, creativity, and care.

upper elementary: The Elixir of Life—The Chemistry of Scents

Upper Elementary guilds will operate like small R&D labs, blending essential oils to design purposeful aromas for real users: our high school Haunted House team and a local wellness business. Heroes will run safe experiments on mixtures and solubility, study how the brain perceives scent, and translate data into decisions about ratios, names, and labels.

This Quest sits squarely in science (chemistry of mixtures/solutions), with communication and entrepreneurship woven through. Collaboration lives in guild roles—Lead Mixer, Recorder, Tester, Marketing Designer—so everyone contributes to the final product. Iteration is visible at every station: test strips, feedback cards, dilution logs, and revised formulas. At Exhibition, expect a “Potion Cabinet” of signature blends, a scent-testing bar, and clear, kid-led explanations of the science behind the smells—including a signature Forest School scent for calm and focus.

Middle School: Gaming for Good

Middle School teams will act as junior developers responding to a real brief from Thrust Interactive: build a purpose-driven mini-game that’s fun and teaches or solves something in health, education, or well-being (chemistry welcome). Every role codes. Teams will use AI as a partner—generating ideas, debugging, and then editing code to fit their design.

Disciplinary depth includes computer science (logic, systems, UX), applied math, and scientific thinking. Collaboration looks like real Studio culture: paper prototyping, sprints, peer play-tests, and checkpoints with Thrust. Iteration happens weekly—concept → prototype → test → refine—culminating in a live pitch, a playable demo station, and a postmortem reflection. Guests will play, vote, and offer feedback that teams will capture like true developers.

High School: Brand Media Campaign for A New School

High School heroes will work as creative agencies to design and launch a real social media campaign for Chrissy Keck’s planned Meliora School in Gwinnett County. Teams will conduct empathy interviews, craft brand guidelines, plan content for Instagram/TikTok/Facebook, produce photo/video assets, and forecast engagement with simple analytics.

The learning runs deep across media studies, storytelling, design, and marketing strategy. Collaboration thrives in clear roles—Creative Director, Content Strategist, Media Producer, Engagement Analyst—mirroring professional teams. Iteration means drafts, critiques with branding experts, A/B ideas, edits, and pre-Exhibition polish. On Exhibition day, expect a live campaign reveal with assets, rationale, projections, and a confident Q&A—evidence that heroes can think, create, and communicate like pros.

How You Can Support at Home

Ask about the user they’re serving and what problem they’re solving. Invite a quick show-and-tell of a draft (a line reading, a scent test strip, a game mechanic, a post caption) and offer one warm “worked well” and one “try next.” Celebrate revisions as progress. The magic isn’t just the final product—it’s the growth between versions.

Session 2 is about authentic work that matters. Your hero will research like a scholar, create like an artist, test like a scientist, collaborate like a teammate, and present like a professional. We can’t wait for you to experience what they make—and who they become—by Exhibition.

From Castles to Campaigns: Real-World Learning in Action