Entrepreneurial Math Camps

Authenticimatics’s Entrepreneurial Math Camp brings high school students together to design creative solutions to real-world problems using math, teamwork, and imagination. Students explore their own interests, collaborate with peers, and pitch ideas they care about. No advanced math skills are needed. This camp is for curious students who want to think deeply, try new ideas, and create something meaningful.

Check out the gallery below to see what the experience is like!

  • Pitching a goal tracking app idea to a panel of judges.
  • Prototype of a hat for the elderly that protects their heads when they fall with airbag-like technology.
  • Sharing a small group discussion through an improv acting protocol.
  • Sharing individual thoughts on post-it notes through an “I See, I Think, I Wonder” protocol.
  • Discussing ideas with a partner in a “Fold the Line” protocol.
  • Building a tower out of spaghetti and tape in a Marshmallow Tower Challenge.
  • Engaging with geometric transformations through a coordinate plane version of corn hole.
  • Figuring out how dilations work through a photocopy error (task from Open Up Resources).
  • Sketch and CAD prototypes of an upcycled table design for this stump they found in an outdoor classroom.

Details:

Each week of Authenticimatics Entrepreneurial Math Camp features a different entrepreneurial challenge. Students may attend one or multiple weeks, with each week offering a unique focus and experience.

  • Week Themes:
    • Week 1: Designing Solutions for Community Needs
    • Week 2: Products, Prototypes, and Physical Design
    • Week 3: Technology & App-Based Solutions
  • Timing: 9am – 4pm
  • Location: Davidson College with the final pitches hosted by The Hurt Hub
  • Dates:
  • Price: $550/week (price includes eating lunch at the campus dining hall each day)
  • Will need a device (laptop/iPad)
  • Registration opens in early February

Parent FAQ

Who is this camp for?

Authenticimatics’s Entrepreneurial Math Camp is designed for high school students who are curious about the world and interested in solving meaningful problems. Students do not need to be “math whizzes” or have advanced math coursework (but they can be!). The camp is a great fit for students who enjoy asking questions, exploring ideas, collaborating with others, and trying creative solutions.

Does my child need strong math skills to participate?

No. This camp is not about speed, memorization, or advanced computation. The mathematics used in the camp focuses on thinking, sense-making, and using math as a tool to explore real situations. Students engage with math at a level that makes sense for them, and all activities are designed to be accessible while still intellectually rich.

What will students actually do during the camp?

Students work in small teams to explore a real-world problem, design a potential entrepreneurial solution, and develop a pitch for their idea. Along the way, they brainstorm, test ideas, create prototypes, and think through how mathematics can help them make decisions and strengthen their solutions. The camp culminates in students sharing their ideas with others in a supportive, low-pressure environment.

Is this camp only for students interested in STEM careers?

Not at all. While the camp uses ideas from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, students often connect their projects to interests in entrepreneurship, service, leadership, environmental issues, social justice, or community needs. The camp is intentionally interdisciplinary and welcomes students with a wide range of passions.

How does this camp support college or scholarship applications?

Students leave the camp with a meaningful experience they can reflect on in applications and essays. Designing and pitching a solution to a real-world problem demonstrates initiative, creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. These are qualities often valued in college admissions and scholarship processes, especially when students connect their work to personal interests or service to others.

What makes Authenticimatics different from a traditional math classroom?

Authenticimatics focuses on using mathematics as a tool for thinking rather than as a set of procedures to master. Instead of worksheets or lectures, students engage in open-ended challenges where multiple solutions are possible. The emphasis is on ideas, reasoning, and problem solving, not grades or right answers.

Who leads the camp?

The camp is led by Dr. Margaret Borden, a former mathematics education researcher and experienced educator with years of experience designing and leading project-based learning experiences for students. Dr. Borden has worked extensively with students, teachers, and educational programs focused on authentic, meaningful mathematics learning.

What if my child is unsure or lacks confidence in math?

This camp is intentionally designed to be welcoming and supportive. Many students discover that they enjoy math more when it is connected to real problems and their own ideas. The environment encourages risk-taking, collaboration, and growth, helping students build confidence and see themselves as capable problem solvers.

If my child is a math whiz and adores mathematics, is this camp a good fit for them?

Yes. Students who enjoy mathematics often find this camp refreshing because it invites them to use math in ways they may not experience in traditional classrooms. Rather than focusing on acceleration or advanced procedures, the camp emphasizes applying mathematical thinking to open-ended, real-world problems. Math-loving students are challenged to communicate their ideas, make assumptions explicit, justify decisions, and consider how mathematics can strengthen a solution. Many advanced students appreciate the opportunity to be creative, collaborate with peers, and explore how math connects to entrepreneurship, service, and real-world impact.

Will students spend all day in a classroom?

No. While students will have a dedicated classroom space as a home base, the camp is intentionally designed to take advantage of being located on a college campus. Students will regularly use outdoor and campus spaces for activities such as design challenges, mathematical explorations, and making observations that inform their entrepreneurial solutions. These experiences help students see how mathematics connects to the world around them and support deeper thinking, creativity, and engagement. All activities are structured, supervised, and purposefully connected to the goals of the camp.

If my child enjoys the camp, can they attend for multiple weeks?

Yes! Each week of camp features a different entrepreneurial challenge drawn from the Design & Pitch Challenges in STEM. Because the problems, contexts, and student-created solutions change each week, students can participate in multiple weeks and have a new experience each time.