New program offers educational summer camps, tutoring to kids in downtown Iowa City

IOWA CITY — A new summer camp in downtown Iowa City is engaging kids in learning through creative activities and exploration.

The new business, called GoldCap Education, is offering its day camps taught by local educators to students in 4th-7th grades for the first time this summer with plans to continue programming throughout the school year. GoldCap also offers tutoring and educational coaching to support students as they transition through the school system and after high school graduation.

Tuition for camps varies in cost from $100 to $350, depending on the length of class. There are single-day and multiday camps that vary in the time of day they’re offered.

Jordan Immerfall, founder of GoldCap Education, said he hopes to use their presence in downtown Iowa City — at Merge Classroom of the Future, 136 S Dubuque St. — to encourage kids to explore what the area has to offer.

“When you pair students that love to learn with teachers that love to teach, great things happen,” said Immerfall, an educator with teaching experience in public schools and at the University of Iowa. “We want to provide unique opportunities for students that promote their journey to becoming curious, lifelong learners.”

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Some of the classes even partner with local businesses so students can learn about what it’s like to be a small-business owner.

An upcoming day camp on July 11, for example, called Yotopia Leadership Lab! partners with Yotopia, a frozen yogurt shop in Iowa City, where students can learn from the owner about her day-to-day operations. The class explores customer service skills, maintaining a store space, food prep and a sweet treat.

Another class on July 12, called Beadology Beaded Bugs & Downtown IC Hunt! starts the day at Beadology Iowa, a bead store, where students will make their own creations. The day will continue with interactive activities to boost teamwork, problem-solving and communication skills.

There also are camps to learn more about geography, history, literature, science and engineering, and languages and culture.

“We are eager to offer opportunities that students will look forward to and parents feel great sending their kids to,” Immerfall said. “We are lucky to live in a community that values education, and we can’t wait to jump in and offer experiences that reflect the values of the Iowa City community that we love.”

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Colleen Kollasch is a GoldCap instructor with more than 20 years of teaching experience who has come up with creative, enriching and engaging summer camps that she will be teaching.

One of her camps is titled World Geography: Eras Tour Edition, taking singer-songwriter Taylor Swift’s most recent world tour and turning it into a learning opportunity.

The weeklong camp teaches kids about local cuisine, culture and language traversing the continents and countries where Taylor Swift is performing.

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Another camp Kollasch is teaching is called “History Unscripted — An Improv Adventure!, and brings history to life through improvisational theater.

“Improv is very open-ended. We’re thinking about how we can add, collaborate and support one another. It allows students to try new things and express themselves without worrying about a grade,” Kollasch said.

Bob Young is another instructor at GoldCap who teaches science at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids during the school year.

Some of the camps he’s leading are Seismic Solutions, where students will learn about earthquake engineering and building resilient structures, and Bridge It!, where students will learn about building bridges and build their own out of toothpicks.

Young said he is looking forward to the “positive energy” students will bring to the summer camps and their “passion, cool ideas and outside the box thinking.”

For more information or to register for a camp visit goldcapedu.com.

Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com