Hosted at the Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Woodlands Stewardship Education Center
Who Would be Interested in Bio-INSPIRE?
Bio-INSPIRE is tailor-made for students who have a strong curiosity about science, nature, and design. Bio-INSPIRE participants should be highly engaged fifth-grade students who are passionate about exploring these fields. They are successful, communicative collaborators who demonstrate resilience when tackling challenges—especially those that arise while creating models and art projects.
What Can You Expect at Bio-INSPIRE?
Bio-INSPIRE day camps emphasize active, experiential learning. The morning begins with an indoor and outdoor station-centered introduction to biophilic design principles. To demonstrate their understanding, students will produce a working, desktop water feature. Following lunch, attendees collaborate in small groups to design and build architectural models using high-quality materials hand-selected by an architects and STEM educators.
Who is Leading Bio-INSPIRE?
Bio-INSPIRE was developed by a team of curriculum specialists, STEM educators, architects, and researchers. The camp’s curriculum is based on effective practices in child development, educational strategies, and STEM principles. Instructors for Bio-INSPIRE are state certified educators with extensive experience working with children in STEM.
What Will Children Receive at the Camp?
What Safety Precautions are in Place?
Protecting the well-being of children who attend Bio-INSPIRE is of the utmost importance. Instructors are experienced, state certified teachers and industry professionals. All instructors and assistants undergo background checks and receive training on safety procedures prior to the workshop.
On the day of the camp, students will transition through activities in small, instructor-led groups. The student-instructor ratio will be 1:6 for optimal engagement and attentive oversight. In addition, a Blue Swallow Farm Foundation administrator will be onsite and available to speak with parents from arrival to departure.
When is the Next Camp?
The next Bio-INSPIRE day camp is set for Friday, April 10, a teacher workday/student holiday for Fairfax County Public Schools and Loudoun County Public Schools. Students who are currently in fifth grade for the 2025-26 school year are invited to apply to attend this day of innovative biophilic design.
The camp runs from 8:30 am-3:30 pm at the Ellanor C. Lawrence Park’s Woodlands Stewardship Education Center, an inspiring, sustainable facility constructed of reclaimed materials–1 of only 31 biophilic buildings of its type in the world.
What is the Cost and Application Process?
The cost for the 1-day camp is $150. To apply, parents complete the application form on this website as well as some short questions for students. Additionally, each applicant’s fifth-grade teacher is asked to complete a short survey as a recommendation. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until March 20. Accepted attendees will be notified beginning on March 6, 2026. Payments for accepted applicants will be due by March 27, 2026.
For more information on Bio-INSPIRE, email bioinspire@blueswallowfarmfoundation.org.
