Kids Can Travel Back in Time at Rockford’s Historical Immersion Camps!
What Was School Like in Rockford Illinois one hundred years ago?
What Was It Like to Go To School or live in Rockford Illinois In The 1800s or 1900s?
Historical Immersion Program
All academic programs including historical immersion camps/workshops are at our Rockford locations.Saturday workshops and weeklong summer camps fill up to capacity quickly.
Due to this, and to prevent having to turn away students the day of,specific locations for workshops/camps will only be announced to registered parents shortly before the workshop start date.
We have limited class sizes purposely and simply cannot accommodate more students. We appreciate your understanding in this matter.
Daily Life & School Days
Note about all camps and workshops…
There are many surprises that come along with each workshop. In order to enhance the experience and not give any surprises away, descriptions are intentionally vague.
Dressing the part is encouraged, educational, and fun!
Ages 8-16
Week-long Camps (Only during summer)
Single Day/Saturday Camps/Workshops
Priority is given to those who register for weeklong workshops. If availability opens up single day sessions will be offered.
School Experiences
Little School House On The Prairie
See what school was like during “pioneer times”. Children will have a real school day-just as they would have been in a typical late 1800's-early 1900s school, with subjects, schedule (who doesn’t love 3 recesses?) and actual books of the time.
Saturdays 9 AM-4 PM
Mid-Century School
With the population growing and the US being involved in multiple wars big changes were made in when how and what was taught in school.
Saturday 8:30AM-3:30PM
Millenial School
See how your parents or grandparents school day compares to yours today. Daily classes will follow and use schedules and materials commonly used from the 1980's-2000s.
Saturdays 8AM-3PM
Daily Life
Go beyond school classes in this immersive experience. Daily Life experiences focus on what children’s real lives might have been like in “pioneer times”, in the mid 1900s and the late 1900s- early 2000s.
Hands-on activities are included or modified as time and weather permit.
Pioneer Days (1850-1930s)
Mid Century Days (1940s-1960s)
Millenial Days (1970s-2000s)
Academic Program
Writing Workshops
Programs that are so successful they come with a money back guarantee! 10 sessions of 1 hour $200. M-F 4:00-5:00pm
Open to Grades 4-12
Future sessions and dates TBA.
Please add yourself to our mailing list in order to receive the latest updates when new class sessions are beginning.
Research Paper
Originally designed for students who hate writing, this method helps all students to improve.
The dramatic change in writing ability from the first class to the last has to be seen to be believed. Students are blown away when shown their writing from day one and that same work on day ten.
Will Need: A pen and notebook, access to a library/suggested books
Creative Writing
In the same manner as The Research Paper, this workshop shows students how they can easily and effectively improve their creative writing skills. Will Need:Depending on whether students need/want to work on stories, poetry or plays, participants will need to bring at least 3 of their favorite authors/works. Also a pen and notebook.
What Kids Are Saying….
I would never give up a week of summer vacation to go to school at my school. After one Saturday class I begged my mom to sign me up for the summer (camps). I gave up two weeks of summer vacation to go to school here! I wish I could’ve gone here all summer.
—14 year old School Days participant
It’s so much fun! I wish I could stay here forever! I love it! I want to do all of them again!
-10 year old School and Daily Life participant
I can’t believe writing is this easy! Why hasn’t anyone else taught writing like this? If someone had taught me to write like this before, I never would’ve hated writing. And I would’ve gotten better grades.
—14 year old Writing Workshop participant
I don’t need to say that they should be teaching this in school and they don’t. Because they don’t. Or they barely do. If it’s not on the stupid test they don’t teach it. If they taught school like this I might actually learn something and like it.
— 12 year old Daily Life participant
I asked my teacher if I could write a research paper for fun or extra credit after taking this class. She emailed my mom to make sure everything was OK at home.
—10 year old Writing Workshop participant
If you think this is going to be boring or not fun it’s not. You learn a lot but it’s not even hard. And it’s so fun you can’t wait to go to the next day.
—10 year old School Days participant
I didn’t realize they were dealing with all the stuff we’re dealing with today back in the 1900s.
—15 year old Daily Life participant (1900s is a reference to the 1990s)