We hope you join us for Nueva Summer 2025!
Adventures coming your way the weeks of June 23, June 30, July 7, July 14, & July 21
Registration opens on March 1 for Nueva families and March 3 for the general public.
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.
Registration Information
Registration Information
In order to register a camper, you must be prepared with the following information & documentation:
- Evidence of academic standing – see below for more information regarding our requirement that new-to-Nueva students are checked for academic eligibility. If your student does not meet the requirements, we will cancel your registration and issue a full refund. Note that international students from non-English speaking countries are additionally required to submit TOEFL scores or other proof of language proficiency; our camp is not equipped to support students without English fluency.
- 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.
Financial awards (FA) are available for families who qualify. To apply for FA, please register and then complete the Nueva Summer Financial Award form and submit the completed form to fasummer@nuevaschool.org. If you are not able to cover the cost of camp at time of registration, please email summer@nuevaschool.org for assistance. Current Nueva students with an approved FA need to indicate that they are seeking FA but do not need to submit tax documents.
2025 Nueva Summer Pricing: $850/week
Week of July 4: $680
Registration opens on March 1 for Nueva families and March 3 for the general public.
Evidence of Academic Standing
In order 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 are registering from a school outside of Nueva, you must upload the following documentation at the time of registration (note: this is not required for the upper school program):
Option #1 (preferred): Recent standardized test score *We do not consider WISC-V, or other IQ test scores, for Nueva Summer. |
or |
Option #2: Recent school report card |
Questions?
Visit our FAQ page for more information or 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 2025, the lower school program will be held at our Hillsborough campus and will run from 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Lunch will be provided to all campers each day. There are also several supervised and programmed recess blocks 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.
Weekly Themes
Summer 2025 themes will be posted in February. In the meantime, explore our themes from last year to get a sense of our programming.
Week 1: Mystery Detectives
Step aside Sherlock Holmes, this week is for inquisitive campers! Highlights include:
- Adventures in Math – Ask and answer questions about truth, patterns, infinity, the possible, and the impossible.
- Discovery Kitchen – What’s the secret ingredient? Find out while cooking delicious eats and treats. Psst, taste testing is an important part of a detector’s work!
- Eco Explorers – With over 36 acres to explore, Nueva's Hillsborough campus is a perfect place to discover plants at all stages of growth and find evidence of animals big and small.
- Music – Like Radio Mystery Theater, campers will showcase their storytelling skills through music.
- Myth Makers – Since the dawn of age, storytellers have told creation myths and origin tales. We'll visualize the classics and come up with our own new concepts.
- Science in the Garden – Bring out your magnifying glass, let’s dig into the secrets of the garden!
Week 2: Movin' and Groovin'
*Use code "july4" at check-out for the reduced 4-day rate this week.
Get ready to swish and sway your way through this week! Highlights include:
- Adventures in Math – Discover why math is a universal language through puzzles and challenges.
- Group Movement – Games and activities abound as campers practice teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills on their feet.
- Music – Try a new instrument, sing a favorite song, and learn about the history of music in this interactive class!
- Outdoor Art – Make your way outside to explore new art mediums in the beauty of our campus.
- Science in the Garden – Observe the movements of our resident chickens, learn about the cycle of planting, and connect to nature in our working garden.
- Story Lab – How did we get here? Read stories about human migration and come up with your own tales.
Week 3: California Adventure
We’re taking inspiration from our beautiful home state this week. Highlights include:
- Eco Explorers – Uncover the flora and fauna of Nueva's sprawling Hillsborough campus. Find out which plants are native to California, and which have traveled here from different parts of the world.
- Farmer’s Marketing Cooking – Recipes using the freshest summer fruits and vegetables California has to offer! … Oh my! What a delicious week this will be.
- Myth Makers – Let’s take a close look at the traditional folklore and mythology of the native people of California.
- Outdoor Art – What better way to celebrate our beautiful state than to make our way outside and let our creative minds wander.
- Science in the Garden – Find out why the Northern California climate is perfect for certain fruits and vegetables and what grows best in the summer. You may see familiar ingredients in the cafe lunch!
- Stagecraft – Develop a California-based character, create props, and set the scene for your own productions.
Week 4: Time Travelers
This week is all about looking to our past to better understand our future. Highlights include:
- Art – Visit another time, space, and dimension in this imaginative art class.
- Eco Explorers – Bring out your observation notebooks! Let’s look at how plants and animals change over time.
- History’s Mysteries – Students will pick a time period and engage in inquiry-based exploration.
- Science in the Garden – For tens of thousands of years, humans have cultivated land to grow food. Discover what farm-to-table means in today’s world.
- Stagecraft – Develop a historical character, create props, and set the scene for your own productions.
- Story Lab – Transport yourself to another time period through storytelling. We’ll read examples of historical fiction and come up with our own ideas.
Week 5: Ready, Set, ACTION!
What happens when preparation leads to performance? Magic! Highlights include:
- Circus Arts – Since Ancient Roman times, circus performers have entertained audiences. This week, we’ll try our hand at juggling and other tricks.
- Eco Explorers – Which of our furry friends will you spot on our trail cameras this week? The bobcat? Our resident opossum? Or maybe… a pink unicorn!
- Group Movement – Games and activities abound as campers practice teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills on their feet.
- Science of Baking – Prep, mix, BAKE! We’ll explore how ingredients interact, and why certain proportions and ratios make a recipe successful. You don't want to miss out on the taste tests.
- Sign Language – Bring language to life through an interactive class that incorporates music and movement. Starting with the alphabet, we'll build our skills over the course of the week.
- Story Lab – Bring stories to life in this interactive storytelling class.
Middle School
Middle School Camp (Grades 5–8)
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 2025, the middle 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 all campers each day. There are also several supervised and programmed recess blocks 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.
Summer 2025 classes will be posted in February. In the meantime, explore our selection from last year to get a sense of our programming.
- AI-Enhanced Graphic Novel | Jason McEuin, Nueva Middle School Teacher
- Building Tiny Homes for the Bay! (7th–8th grade only, all-day intensive) | Morgan Snyder, Nueva Upper School I-Lab Engineering & Design Teacher
- Creative Writing: Developing a Screenplay (5th–6th grade only) | Courtney Krueger, Nueva Enrichment Instructor
- Embroidered Portraits | Cristina Veresan, Nueva Middle School Science & Elective Teacher
- Mandarin Language and Culture Exposure (5th–6th grade only) | Jamie Gao, Nueva Upper School Language Teacher
- Mock Trial | Lee Miller, Professor at College of San Mateo & Nueva Summer teacher for 10+ years
- Science in Hollywood | Francine Farouz, Nueva Upper School Science Teacher
Week 2 (2024)
- Color Theory | Sophia Martinez, Nueva Lower School Teacher
- Cooking with Chemistry | Tim Varga, Nueva Middle School Science Teacher
- Eco Adventures | Zubin Mobedshahi, Lower School Teacher
- Fun with Fractals | Steven Chanan, Nueva Middle School Math Teacher
- Soccer: Elevate Your Game! | Nueva Coaching Team
- Writer's Workshop: What a Character | Lee Miller, Professor at College of San Mateo & Nueva Summer teacher for 10+ years
Week 3 (2024)
- Animal Exploration | Gabriel Leggott, Nueva Middle School Science Teacher
- Basketball | Nueva Coaching Team
- Building Tiny Homes for the Bay! (5th-6th grade only, all-day intensive) | Morgan Snyder, Nueva Upper School I-Lab Engineering & Design Teacher
- Ecosystems of California | Tim Varga, Nueva Middle School Science Teacher
- Fashion Illustration | Sophia Martinez, Nueva Lower School Teacher
- GeoPolitics and Cartography | Addison Eftekhari, Nueva Middle School Teacher
- Math & Card Games | Christine Nerney, Nueva Middle School Math Teacher
- Model UN | Lee Miller, Professor at College of San Mateo & Nueva Summer teacher for 10+ years
Week 4 (2024)
- Cooking with Chemistry | Tim Varga, Nueva Middle School Science Teacher
- Mixed-Media Mash Up | Reenie Charriere, Nueva Middle School Art Teacher
- Painting | Rachel Dawson, Nueva Middle & Upper School Art Teacher
- Playing Politics | Lee Miller, Professor at College of San Mateo & Nueva Summer teacher for 10+ years
- Practical Mathematics using Lego Robots (7th-8th grade only, all-day intensive) | Roly Jones, Former Senior Reliability Engineer at Amazon Lab126 & Nueva Enrichment Instructor
- Mock Trial | Ned Fluet, Field School Middle Schoo Teacher, Vice-Mayor of Woodside, and Trial Attorney
- Nueva Nation | Ned Fluet, Field School Middle Schoo Teacher, Vice-Mayor of Woodside, and Trial Attorney
- Renewable Energy | Addison Eftekhari, Nueva Middle School Teacher
- Volleyball | Daria Dieva, Nueva Volleyball Coach
Week 5 (2024)
- Basketball | Nueva Coaching Team
- Ecosystems of California | Tim Varga, Nueva Middle School Science Teacher
- GeoPolitics and Cartography | Addison Eftekhari, Nueva Middle School Teacher
- Improvisational Theatre | Keegan Huth, Nueva Lower School Teacher
- Knitting & Knot Theory | Jana Comstock, Nueva Upper School Math Teacher
- Let There Be Drums! | Jim Munzenrider, Nueva Lower, Middle & Upper School Teacher for 20 years
- Mock Trial | Lee Miller, Professor at College of San Mateo & Nueva Summer teacher for 10+ years
- Practical Mathematics using Lego Robots (5th-6th grade only, all-day intensive) | Roly Jones, Ex Senior Reliability Engineer at Amazon Lab126 & Nueva Enrichment Instructor
- Sculpture | Rachel Dawson, Nueva Middle & Upper School Art Teacher
Upper School
Upper School Parliamentary and Public Forum Debate Camp (Grades 9–12)
July 14-25, 2025
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.