YEL (Youth Enrichment League Programs)
{THINK}{LEARN}{PLAY WELL}
{YEL!} Youth Enrichment League
{YEL!} programs are offered multiple times a year in the Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall.
The Summer programs are week long camps.
SPRING PROGRAMS:
| Course | Ages | Date | Time | Location |
| Chess |
Entering 2nd - 3rd grades in Spring 2024 | March 22 - May 10, 2024 | 3:05 pm - 4:05 pm | Orchard Hills Elementary |
| Chess |
Entering 4th - 5th grades in Spring 2024 | March 20 - May 8, 2024 | 1:35 pm - 2:35 pm | Lakewood Elementary |
| Robotics: Muscle Bots |
Entering 2nd - 3rd grades in Spring 2024 | March 18 - April 22, 2024 | 3:05 pm - 4:05 pm | Orchard Hills Elementary |
| Robotics: Muscle Bots | Entering 4th - 5th grades in Spring 2024 | February 20 - April 9, 2024 | 3:10 pm - 4:10 pm | Lakewood Elementary |
| Extreme STEM: Wheels and Racers | Entering K - 1st grades in Spring 2024 | March 28 - May 2, 2024 | 2:55 pm - 3:55 pm | Oviatt Elementary |
For more information on each program see below!
{YEL!} Extreme STEM: Wheels and Racers
For students in K - 1st grades in Spring 2024.
Design and race multiple race cars and vehicles using LEGO® bricks. Then use those projects to investigate basic engineering concepts. {YEL!}’s Teach It! Practice It! Play It!® classroom method emphasizes 21st Century Learning skills like STEM and problem solving. Sign up today! Visit YELKids.com for more information.
LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site or program.
Oviatt Elementary
Registration times: February 11 - March 17, 2024
Program days/times:
Thursdays, March 28 - May 2, 2024
2:55 pm - 3:55 pm
Cost: $76.00 resident / $87.40 non-resident
Location: Oviatt Elementary.png)
{YEL!} Chess
For students in grades 2nd - 5th in Spring 2024.
New and returning students invited. Learn, Practice and Play chess each class. The {YEL!} Teach It! Practice It! Play It!® method keeps students on track with new chess lessons and puzzles each week as well as guided games and in-class tournaments. Class fee includes ChessKid.com membership for the session. Sign up today. Visit YELKids.com for more info.
Lakewood Elementary
Registration times: February 11 - March 17, 2024
Program days/times:
Wednesdays, March 20 - May 8, 2024
1:35 pm - 2:35 pm
Cost: $105.00 resident / $120.75 non-resident
Location: Lakewood Elementary
Orchard Hills Elementary
Registration times: February 11 - March 17, 2024
Program days/times:
Fridays, March 22 - May 10, 2024
3:05 pm pm - 4:05 pm
Cost: $105.00 resident / $120.75 non-resident
Location: Orchard Hills Elementary
{YEL!} Robotics: Muscle Bots
For students in 2nd - 5th grades in Spring 2024.
Get ready to flex some robot muscle! We’ll build a robot to compete in a tug-o-war competition, a truck pull, and haul heavy loads. Students use these robots to learn basic computer coding and engineering principles. Sign up today and FLEX!
Lakewood Elementary
Registration times: January 14 - February 18, 2024
Program days/times:
Tuesdays, February 20 - April 9, 2024 (no class March 5 & 12)
3:10 pm - 4:10 pm
Cost: $79.00 resident / $90.85 non-resident
Location: Lakewood Elementary
Orchard Hills Elementary
Registration times: February 11 - March 17, 2024
Program days/times:
Mondays, March 18 - April 22, 2024
3:05 pm pm - 4:05 pm
Cost: $79.00 resident / $90.85 non-resident
Location: Orchard Hills Elementary
SUMMER PROGRAMS:
| Course | Ages | Date | Time | Location |
| Chess 1.4 Summer Camp |
Entering 1st - 5th grades in Fall 2024 | June 10 - 14, 2024 | 9:00 am - 12:00 pm | Lakewood Elementary |
| Chess 1.5 Summer Camp (Advanced Camp) |
Entering 1st - 5th grades in Fall 2024 | June 17 - 21, 2024 | 9:00 am - 12:00 pm | Lakewood Elementary |
| Robotics: Scout 'Bots Summer Camp |
Entering 1st - 5th grades in Fall 2024 | June 24 - 28, 2024 | 9:00 am - 12:00 pm | Lakewood Elementary |
| Coding Kiddos 1.4 Summer Camp | Entering 1st - 3rd grades in Fall 2024 | July 8 - 12, 2024 | 9:00 am - 12:00 pm | Lakewood Elementary |
| Coding 2.4 Summer Camp | Entering 3rd - 6th grades in Fall 2024 | July 15 - 19, 2024 | 9:00 am - 12:00 pm | Lakewood Elementary |
| Bricktopia Master Builders Summer Camp | Entering 1st - 5th grades in Fall 2024 | July 22 - 26, 2024 | 9:00 am - 12:00 pm | Lakewood Elementary |
| Destination Mars: Rocketry Summer Camp | Entering 2nd - 5th grades in Fall 2024 | July 29 - August 2, 2024 | 9:00 am - 12:00 pm | Lakewood Elementary |
For more information on each program see below!
{YEL!} Chess 1.4 Summer Camp
For students in grades 1st - 5th in Fall 2024.
All levels welcome. The {YEL!} Teach It!…Practice It!...Play It! method keeps chess students progressing with 60+ chess lessons and thousands of puzzles as well as guided games and an end-of-week in-class tournament. Class fee includes ChessKid.com membership for the session. Battle summer brain drain...sign up today. Visit YELKids.com for more info.
Registration times: April 1 - June 2, 2024
Program days/times:
June 10 - 14, 2024
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Cost: $147.00 resident / $169.05 non-resident
Location: Lakewood Elementary Library
{YEL!} Chess 1.5 Summer Camp (Advanced Camp)
For students in grades 1st - 5th in Fall 2024.
Prerequisite: Previous chess classes, chess summer camps, or an 800+ ChessKid.com rating. We start in with advanced chess lessons right away. We will study opening theory, end game scenarios, and deeper strategic concepts. If you have previous experience with chess and want to take your game up a notch, this is the summer camp for you!
Registration times: April 1 - June 9, 2024
Program days/times:
June 17 - 21, 2024
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Cost: $147.00 resident / $169.05 non-resident
Location: Lakewood Elementary Library
{YEL!} Robotics: Scout 'Bots
For students in 1st - 5th grades in Fall 2024.
Build and code space rovers to scout out Mars, the moon, and other extraterrestrial environments. Also, create a dragster and volcano alarm to learn basic computer programming while having fun! Let’s go!
Registration times: April 1 - June 16, 2024
Program days/times:
June 24 - 28, 2024
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Cost: $127.00 resident / $146.05 non-resident
Location: Lakewood Elementary Library
{YEL!} Coding Kiddos 1.4 Summer Camp
For students in 1st - 3rd grades in Fall 2024.
Designed for 21st Century learners in grades k-2. Each {YEL!} Coding class introduces kiddos to new coding, animation, and video game design concepts like movement blocks, animation, dialogue, timing, and more. {YEL!} Coding Coaches use Scratch® Junior to guide kiddos through our lessons and create their own animated stories and video games. If your kiddo loves to code or wants to learn, sign up for Coding Kiddos today to THINK, LEARN and PLAY WELL with {YEL!}.
Scratch® is an MIT created and monitored, kid-safe web interface. It uses a drag and drop programming interface to teach students of all levels coding practices. Your child will receive a Scratch user name and password so they can access their projects from any computer at anytime. Scratch® is not affiliated with {YEL!} nor does it endorse this program.
Registration times: April 1 - June 30, 2024
Program days/times:
July 8 - 12, 2024
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Cost: $142.00 resident / $163.30 non-resident
Location: Lakewood Elementary Library
{YEL!} Coding 2.4 Summer Camp
For students in 3rd - 6th grades in Fall 2024.
STEM Video Game Enrichment for the 21st Century learner. Each {YEL!} Coding class follows three basic components:•Teach It!…Students learn different video game and storytelling design techniques (movement blocks, control blocks, basic animation, adding scores, etc.) •Code It!… Students use Scratch® to code their own story and video games. •Explore It!…Students can write their own story and video game code, experiment with it and test new options. Our collaborative learning environment encourages students to learn from each other. Sign up today to THINK, LEARN and PLAY WELL with {YEL!}.
Scratch® is an MIT created and monitored, kid-safe web interface. It uses a drag and drop programming interface to teach students of all levels coding practices.
Registration times: April 1 - July 7, 2024
Program days/times:
July 15 - 19, 2024
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Cost: $142.00 resident / $163.30 non-resident
Location: Lakewood Elementary Library
{YEL!} Bricktopia Master Builders Summer Camp
For students in 1st - 5th grades in Fall 2024.
Are you up for a LEGO® Brick challenge? Do you have what it takes to be a Master Builder? If so, you are in the right place. We’ve saved our most challenging engineering projects (a robotic dog, motorized bug, race cars and more) for this camp. Battle summer brain drain. Sign up today!
LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site or program.
Registration times: April 1 - July 14, 2024
Program days/times:
July 22 - 26, 2024
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Cost: $142.00 resident / $163.30 non-resident
Location: Lakewood Elementary Library
{YEL!} Destination Mars: Rocketry Summer Camp
For students in 2nd - 5th grades in Fall 2024.
Launch and watch your very own rocket speed 300 feet into the air! Then it is yours to take home! Students will make and take home multiple rockets of varying difficulty throughout this session. We will use these rockets and airplanes to investigate basic aeronautical concepts including: propulsion, thrust, lift, drag and more. We will also hypothesize about travel in outer space, how to get a United States astronaut to Mars and life on Mars. Do you have the right stuff? Please visit YouthEnrichmentLeague.com for more information.
NOTE: Parents will be asked to contribute two, 2 liter soda bottles (empty) for 2 different experiments. Fee includes $25 materials fee.
Registration times: April 1 - July 21, 2024
Program days/times:
July 29 - August 2, 2024
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Cost: $167.00 resident / $192.05 non-resident
Location: Lakewood Elementary Library
For information on more programs offered by Norwalk Parks and Recreation see our Playbook.