Specialty Camps

From princess training and outdoor adventures to the wizarding world of Harry Potter, GPS Specialty Camps are designed to help ignite her inner spark! She will meet great friends, make lasting memories, and delve into new interests and abilities.

List of 8 items.

+ American Girl Doll Camp | Back by Popular Demand!

Grades: K–3rd
Dates: June 10–14
Time: 9 a.m.–noon
Cost: $300
Instructor: Kayla Milner ’20

Calling all girls who love dolls, crafting, and having fun! Your days will be filled with American Girl-inspired STEAM-themed (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) crafts, challenges, and more. Each day she will explore new adventures with her doll through various cultures and time periods. Be sure to bring her favorite 18-inch doll companion to camp. Space is limited; register early to reserve her spot.
+ Balance Studios | Nature Camp

Grades: Pre-K–3
Dates: July 15–19
Time: 9 a.m.–noon
Cost: $300
Instructor: Grace Ratchford, Balance Studios

Come explore the natural world through art and yoga! In this camp, we’ll use plants, fibers, and other natural materials to make beautiful works of art. We will have fun creating our own paints and brushes. In yoga, we’ll celebrate the sun and the moon, grow the branches of our tree pose, and bloom into a beautiful lotus.

Boys are welcome to attend.
+ Gardening Camp | NEW!

Grades: 4th–5th
Dates: June 17 & 18, 20 & 21* (4-day week; no camp on Wednesday)
Time: 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
Cost: $200
Instructor: Dr. Brandon Noel, GPS Upper School Science Teacher

Has your daughter ever wanted to learn how vegetables are grown? Does she know what compost is? What is a weed? Does she want to know how to grow her own food? At camp your daughter will learn this and more. The GPS Garden prioritizes growing food for our community members most in need, and it takes a lot of work and commitment to do just that. Girls will learn how to grow plants from seeds, maintain the garden, harvest vegetables, and give back to our community through the Chattanooga Food Bank. Both indoors and out, we will learn about the importance of soil health and how the school uses its food waste to turn into compost and restore precious nutrients in our soil. We hope she will join us as we learn about the variety of ways to maintain a garden and live a more sustainable life.
+ Global Nomads | NEW!

Grades: 2nd-4th
Dates: June 24–28
Time: 9a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Cost: $400
Instructor: Tiffany Simms ‘01, GPS Sixth-Grade Global Cultures Teacher

Each day of the week, your girl will learn about a different country and its culture through hands-on experiences. Along the way she can take her taste buds on a trek around the world with samples from international cuisines. Plus she can make unique handcrafts, learn traditional dances, learn about music, and more. Get her (pretend) passport ready for a whirlwind adventure!
+ Harry Potter Camp | Back by Popular Demand!

Grades: 4–6
Dates: July 15–19
Time: 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Cost: $400
Instructor: Kayla Milner ’20

Accio, Harry Potter fans! Join us for a week of fun, imagination, and magic in Harry Potter Camp. During the week, you will leave the Muggle world and enter into the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where you will live as Harry, Hermione, Ron, and all of the beloved characters of the iconic series. After the house sorting, she will play quidditch and attend Hogwarts classes where she’ll cook, craft, and more. If your girl is a fan of Harry Potter, this camp is for her! Let her immerse herself in the magical world with us!
+ Journaling for Your Goals and Dreams | NEW!

(Plus Learn to Create Your Own Digital Journal!)

Grades: 6–8
Dates: June 3–7
Times: 9 a.m.–noon
Cost: $300
Instructor: Natalie Eastman, Cadek Conservatory of Music Instructor and Early-Childhood Music Educator

Does your girl love journaling? Writing? Dreaming? Have life goals or want to create some? We will consider the usefulness of journals and journaling for defining and achieving life’s dreams. We'll also take a couple of field trips as we journal in inspiring places around Chattanooga and learn how to plan and create a fun and simple digital journal that can be used over and over. IMPORTANT: Each girl must provide her own fairly recent model (newer than 5 years old) laptop (preferably) or iPad or other tablet (not a mini size; no phones) that is charged up daily (and holds its charge for taking on field trips), has a protective case for transport, and has excellent internet-connection capability.
+ Balance Studios | Pop Art and Movement Camp

Grades: Pre-K–3
Dates: June 17 & 18, 20 & 21* (4-day week; no camp on Wednesday)
Time: 9 a.m.-noon.
Cost: $200
Instructor: Grace Ratchford, Balance Studios

Campers will choreograph and learn dances to pop songs, create pop art, and discuss influences of pop culture and the importance of remaining true to self. Through yoga, we will learn centering and true acceptance of ourselves.

Boys are welcome to attend.
+ Balance Studios | Science Meets Art & Yoga Camp

Grades: Pre-K–3
Dates: June 3–7
Time: 9 a.m.–noon.
Cost: $300
Instructor: Grace Ratchford, Balance Studios

Sizzle, fizzle, pop, KABOOM! In this colorful and messy series, students will experiment with watercolor techniques, marbling, color mixing, and more. In yoga, we will energetically learn how to best move our bodies to build flexibility and strength while also learning fun techniques and the art of calming down and relaxing.

Boys are welcome to attend.

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+ Little Princess Camp | NEW!

Grades: Pre-K–1st
Dates: July 15–19
Time: 9 a.m.–noon
Cost: $300
Instructor: Morgan Massengale ’20

Calling all Annas, Elsas, Moanas, and Tianas! If your girl dreams of castles and royally awesome activities, Little Princess Camp is for her. With themed arts and crafts, games, dancing and singing, and—of course—costumes, her days will be filled with enough fairytale fun to fill a storybook. And the best part? She won’t have to go to a land far, far away to reach her dreams—she just needs to head on down to 205 Island Avenue!
+ Make your Own Digital Low-Content Books | NEW!

Grades: 6–8
Dates: June 17 & 18, 20 & 21* (4-day week; no camp on Wednesday)
Times: 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Cost: $425
Instructor: Natalie Eastman, Cadek Conservatory of Music Instructor and Early-Childhood Music Educator

Digital creators will learn to create fun, beautiful, and/or inspiring digital journals, puzzle books, planners, diaries, quote books, and other fun low-content items, which can be printed, bound, given as gifts, or used for themselves. We will take at least one field trip, if not a couple, to see low content items in use, for sale, and in other circumstances, as well as to create. This is NOT a class on how to publish and sell these kinds of books; but for those entrepreneurial and curious about that as a future possibility, we will touch on how she can do that in the future.

IMPORTANT: Each girl must provide her own fairly recent model (newer than 5 years old) laptop, preferably, or iPad/other tablet (not a mini size; NO phones). Before camp/class, make sure she is well versed with how to use her device; we assume she knows how and is comfortable using it. Her laptop or tablet MUST: (1) have its proper charging cable(s) and plugs with her daily for class, (2) be able to HOLD its charge for taking with her on field trips, (3) have excellent internet-connection capability, and (4) be carried in a protective case that holds all of its gear.
+ NEW! Kindergarten Readiness Camp

Grades: Rising Kindergartners
Dates: July 22–26
Time: 9 a.m.–noon
Cost: $300
Instructor: Ali Ramsey, past Kindergarten teacher at St. Mary's Episcopal School (Memphis, TN)

You’ll be the big kid on campus this year! Come spend some time with old and new friends as we review basic reading readiness and math concepts to make this a great year! We will practice our ABCs, counting, listening skills, and much more as we have fun in this class specifically designed for the Class of 2038!
+ Outdoor Leadership Camp | NEW!

Grades: 7–9; Dates: June 3–7
Grades: 4–6; Dates: June 10–14
Time: 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Cost: $425
Instructor: Andrew Arick, GPS Dean of Girls Leadership and Outdoor Education

Get ready for your girl to command the great outdoors in this new camp designed to hone her leadership skills. Campers will learn the basics of hiking, flatwater paddling, whitewater rafting, and climbing. Outdoor Leadership Camp will give campers the opportunity to navigate new adventures together and rotate through leadership roles for each day's activity.
+ Rockstar Camp | Back by Popular Demand!

Grades: 1st–3rd
Dates: July 8–12
Time: 9 a.m.–noon
Cost: $300
Instructor: Kayla Milner ’20

Does your daughter constantly go around the house using her hairbrush as a microphone and your back porch as her own outdoor amphitheater? Then GPS has the ultimate summer camp experience for her! Rockstar Camp is where fantasy meets reality. This is the only camp in Chattanooga that will allow her to trade in her brush for a real microphone and be able to sing and rock out in a real theater. Rockstar campers will sing and participate in themed arts/crafts. By the end of the week camp, your daughter will take the stage like a true rockstar!
+ Summer Swifties | NEW!

Grades: 4–6
Dates: June 24–28 or July 8–12*
Time: 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Cost: $425
Instructor: Sarah Clardy, GPS Swifty Club Host and Middle School Science Teacher

Enter your Summer Swiftie Era! Join us for a Swiftie-themed week where we will spend time enjoying each Taylor Swift album and its era! Part of each day will be spent doing crafts and activities such as making friendship bracelets, painting vinyls and heart hand watercolors, TS trivia, and of course singing karaoke. In the afternoons, we will enjoy activities around Chattanooga including swimming at McCallie Lake, bowling, skating, and painting pottery to our Swiftie-themed week!

*Both weeks have the same content
+ Safe Sitter's Training with We R CPR

Grades: 6–10
Dates: June 3–7
Time: 9 a.m.-noon
Cost: $300
Instructor: We R CPR Instructors

The Safe Sitter program teaches students everything they need to know to be safe when home alone, watching younger siblings, or babysitting for hire. Attendees will learn life-saving skills such as how to rescue a choking victim as well as helpful safety information including what to do during severe weather. These babysitting lessons are filled with fun activities and role-playing exercises, as well as first aid and CPR training.

- Adventure Awaits

“We found GPS Summer Camp by chance, but it has remained our choice. We moved to Chattanooga a few years ago and were overwhelmed with what to do for summer camp. After researching GPS, I chose to send my child because I wanted her to be surrounded by young women and girls that embody the sisterhood of GPS. Each year, Kennedy has thrived a little more. The staff remembers her by name. They remember little details to personalize her experience. As a child with social anxiety and even with the challenges of COVID, I always knew her needs would be met. GPS has helped Kennedy explore various different parts of her identity, such as the artist, the animal and nature lover, the scientist, the creator, the athlete, and the friend. This camp has been an integral part of our lives in Chattanooga.”

—Crystal E., All Summer Long Parent