Nueva Summer
Nueva Summer 2026: Weeks of June 22, June 29, July 6, July 13, and July 20
Nueva Summer’s Camp program is designed to spark student creativity and inspire learners from all over the San Francisco Bay Area.
Join us to deeply explore literature, art, debate, design thinking and engineering, and math! Our program is a fun, multidisciplinary camp experience designed for high-ability learners. It is led by Nueva teachers and visiting educators and incorporates Nueva’s teaching practices developed through more than 50 years of experience.
Enroll in one week of enriching, hands-on activities, games, and learning, or join us for the entire program! Our extensive selection of classes allows you to have a new experience each week.
2026 Nueva Summer Pricing: $850*/week + $50 registration fee per student.
*Week of June 29 = $680
Registration Information
Registration will open at 9 a.m. on February 27 to Nueva families and at 9 a.m. on March 3 to the general public. In order to register a camper, you must be prepared with the following information & documentation.
Evidence of Academic Standing (Lower and Middle school programs only)
To ensure that all Nueva Summer students are equipped to succeed in our programs, we require that campers meet certain academic eligibility. If you are new to Nueva Summer, and aren't a school year Nueva student, you must upload the following documentation at the time of registration. We strongly prefer option 1 because it's easier to assess if your student is a good fit for our program.
If your student does not meet the requirements, we will cancel your registration and issue a full refund. Note that international students are welcome to register but our camp is not equipped to support students without English fluency.
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Option #1 (strongly preferred): Recent Standardized Test Score We look for students who have scored in the 90th percentile on any recent standardized test (i.e. MAP, isee, ERB, IXL Diagnostic, i-ready, etc). A document must be uploaded at the time of registration. *We do not require WISC-V, or other IQ test scores, for Nueva Summer. |
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Option #2: Recent School Report Card + Teacher Recommendation If standardized test scores are not available, please submit a copy of your child's most recent report card and a current teacher recommendation at the time of registration. It's okay if your child's assessment doesn't include letter grades. |
Morning and afternoon class options (Middle School program only) – We hope your middle school student will join for a full day which means you need to register for a morning and an afternoon class. We will accommodate half-day registration in any remaining spots starting June 1. You can review the options on the middle school tab.
Financial awards (FA) are available for families who qualify. Nueva families will receive the same FA as during the school year and do not need to submit additional documentation. Non-Nueva families will receive FA for up to two weeks of camp; additional weeks may be purchased at full cost. Steps to apply for these funds:
- Submit the FA Application Form; note that you will be asked to upload copies of the first two pages of your 2025 federal tax return and we cannot process your application without this documentation.
- Once you've submitted a complete application, allow a week for our team to review your application. When an award amount is determined, we will add it to the registration platform as a credit which you can use at check-out.
- We require payment at time of registration. If you choose to register before confirmation of the award, you will have to pay full cost and wait for a partial refund.
Questions?
Email summer@nuevaschool.org.
Lower School
Lower School Camp (Grades 1–4)
Each week, a team of Nueva educators will learn alongside our campers as we embark on thematic study designed to be immersive and fun. The program consists of five unique weeks of content, rooted in the Nueva Way: interdisciplinary, project-and-inquiry based, student-centered, led by expert faculty, and grounded by our principles. Join us for one week or for all five!
In Summer 2026, the Lower School program will be held at our Hillsborough campus and will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lunch will be provided to campers. There are also several supervised and programmed recess breaks built into the day to help keep our campers active and engaged. Early Day (8–9 a.m.) and Extended Day (4–5:30 p.m.) services are available for an extra fee.
Note that Middle School camp has a staggered, earlier start/end time this year due to campus construction. Lower School campers may attend Early Day from 8:30 to 9 a.m. at no additional cost if they are arriving to campus with an older sibling. Middle School campers may attend Extended Day from 3:30 to 4 p.m. at no additional cost if they are departing campus with a younger sibling.
We will announce 2026 weekly themes in February. In the meantime, you can explore the 2025 camp themes to get a sense of the type of programming we offer.
2025 Weekly Themes
Week 1 (June 23-27): Enchanted Forest
Explore the flora, fauna, and magic that surrounds us. Classes this week include:
Grades 1–2 (WAITLIST)
- Animal Exploration
- Farm-to-table Cooking
- Grove Groove: Steel Drums
- Nature Storytelling
- Outdoor Movement
Grades 3–4 (WAITLIST)
- Entomology
- Farm-to-table Cooking
- Grove Groove: Steel Drums
- Outdoor Adventures
- Storytelling: Tales from the Enchanted Forest
Week 2 (June 30-3*): Ancient Civilizations
*no camp on July 4
Travel back in time to encounter cultures and traditions of early societies. Classes this week include:
Grades 1–2 (WAITLIST)
- Entomology
- Outdoor Adventures
- The Art of the Sword: Fencing
- The History of Cooking: Recipes From Around the World
- Timeless Creative Art
Grades 3–4 (WAITLIST)
- Ancient Greek History & Mythology
- Math Games & Puzzles
- Myth Makers
- The Art of the Sword: Fencing
- The History of Cooking: Recipes From Around the World
Week 3 (July 7-11): Design Thinking
Unleash your creativity to make the world a better place. Classes this week include:
Grades 1–2 (WAITLIST)
- Body & Mindful Innovation
- Creative Problem Solving with Design Thinking
- Math Games & Puzzles
- Movement with Purpose
- Puppeteering
Grades 3–4 (WAITLIST)
- Body & Mindful Innovation
- Creative Problem Solving with Design Thinking
- Eco-Creators: Art for a Better World
- Outdoor Adventures
- Puppeteering
Week 4 (July 14-18): Patterns, Patterns, Patterns
Look around and you may be surprised to see patterns all around us! Let's explore them together. Classes this week include:
Grades 1–2 (WAITLIST)
- Environmentalism
- Footwork & Flow: Fencing
- Outdoor Adventures
- Pattern Play: Art, Math & Science in Motion
- Unraveling the Patterns of the Mind
Grades 3–4 (WAITLIST)
- Animal Exploration
- Footwork & Flow: Fencing
- Math Games & Puzzles
- Patterns in Art, Nature, and Culture
- Unraveling the Patterns of the Mind
Week 5 (July 21-25): Super Senses
This week is all about sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. Classes this week include:
Grades 1–2 (WAITLIST)
- SIGHT: Outdoor Education
- HEARING: Steel Drums
- SMELL: Whiffs of Wonder
- TASTE: Food Design
- TOUCH: Art
Grades 3–4 (WAITLIST)
- SIGHT: Outdoor Adventures
- HEARING: Steel Drums
- SMELL: Whiffs of Wonder
- TASTE: Food Science
- TOUCH: Environmentalism
Middle School
Our Middle School program is designed to be fun, rigorous, and engaging, showcasing the best of Nueva's "learn by doing" philosophy. Each offering aims to provide campers unique opportunities to explore academic passions in greater depth while working with Nueva teachers and students. Campers will experience Nueva's constructivist, project- and inquiry-based learning environment, and cultivate new skills and interests.
In Summer 2026, the Middle School program will be held at our Hillsborough campus and will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided. There are also several supervised and programmed recess breaks built into the day to help keep our campers active and engaged. Early Day (8–8:30 a.m.) and Extended Day (3:30–5:30 p.m.) services are available for an extra fee.
Note that the Lower School camp has a staggered, later start/end time this year due to campus construction. Lower School campers may attend Early Day from 8:30 to 9 a.m. at no additional cost if they are arriving to campus with an older sibling. Middle School campers may attend Extended Day from 3:30–4 p.m. at no additional cost if they are departing campus with a younger sibling.
We will announce 2026 classes in February. In the meantime, you can explore the 2025 classes to get a sense of the type of programming we offer. Many of these topics will be offered again.
2025 Weekly Offerings
Campers sign up for two classes: one in the morning and one in the afternoon (we will accommodate half-day registration starting June 1). Registration closes 1 week ahead of each camp. Click on each class title to learn more!
Week 1 (June 23-27)
Grades 5–6
Morning
Grades 7–8
Morning
Week 2 (June 30-3*)
*no camp on July 4
Grades 5–6
Morning
Week 3 (July 7-11)
Grades 5–6
Morning
Grades 7–8
Morning
Week 4 (July 14-18)
Grades 5–6
Morning
Grades 7–8
Morning
Week 5 (July 21-25)
Upper School
Upper School Parliamentary and Public Forum Debate Camp (Grades 9–12)
July 13-24, 2026
Ideally, students will attend for the full two weeks. However, the course is divided into two week-long blocks (five days of instruction), and students are welcome to sign up for either or both weeks.
Our Upper School Debate Camp is designed for high school students (rising ninth through twelfth grade) who are interested in competitive parliamentary debate. Rising 8th graders are accepted on a case-by-case basis and require teacher approval. We welcome beginners — we delight in introducing debate to new students, and we give them our very best attention. We also welcome strong, experienced students who are ready to extend themselves and move to the next level, guided by our deeply experienced coaching staff. Nueva's teachers have led students to great competitive success at both Indivitationals and CHSSA States tournaments. Nueva's students were the 2023 NPDL-TOC Champions and have been in the top five at NPDL-TOC three years running. Nueva also placed in the top eight at the Kentucky Tournament of Champions in Public Forum in 2021 and won the Kentucky TOC in Public Forum in 2017.
The schedule for Upper School Expedition this summer will be Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m on Nueva's Hillsborough campus. Lunch will be provided.
Camp Coaches
Nueva's Debate camp is led by Les Phillips, a seven-diamond NSDA coach. Les has been the director of debate at The Nueva School since 2014. He has coached national champions in policy debate, Lincoln-Douglas debate, and public forum debate. Les has taught at more than twenty summer workshops; in 2008, he became the founding director of Stanford’s Public Forum Institute, a post he held through 2015. Les is also the author of two well-regarded books, BASIC DEBATE (1995), and A DICTIONARY OF DEBATE AND PUBLIC SPEAKING (2015). He has described debate teaching as “the very best way to model critical thinking.” Under his direction, Nueva’s parliamentary debaters have distinguished themselves at major invitationals, including NPDI and the Parli TOC.
Les will be joined by several Parli and Public Forum coaches, including recent Nueva Alumni.