Hello Parents!
Summer Workshops
Camp KoKo (ages 5-7)
Soap Box (ages 8-14)
Camp KoKo
Who: Kids ages 5-7
When: 8:45AM – 2:15PM with Extended Day available from 2:15 – 6PM daily
Where: The KoKo Lot (440 19th St. Brooklyn, NY 11215)
In this workshop, specifically designed for ages 5-7, kids engage in self-directed play, material exploration and building projects. Our aim is for kids to be deeply engaged in activities of their choosing and we recognize that this looks different for each kid! Our 1:3 KoKo staff to kid ratio means that kids get the attention and structure they need to follow their imaginations in a supportive environment that offers freedom to create, build, dream, read, observe or just BE!
Using the KoKo Lot and our recycled/found objects as inspiration, the KoKo staff help kids imagine possibilities and bring their ideas to life. In Camp KoKo, kids may choose to use hand saws, tape, battery-operated drills, small motors and electronics to build their projects. Allowing kids the opportunity to take controlled risks in a safe, supportive environment has been shown to increase kids’ confidence, leadership and innovation skills. KoKo staff bring years of experience in self-directed, play-based learning to encourage kids to take healthy, managed risks and try new experiences.
Click here for Workshop Structure and Policy
Soap Box
Kids ages 8-14
When: 8:45AM – 2:15PM with extended day from 2:15-6PM
Where: The KoKo Lot (440 19th St. Brooklyn, NY 11215)
In the Soap Box Workshop, kids work by themselves or in small groups to turn found objects and recycled materials into fully functioning gravity racers.
During the week-long workshop, kids develop their building and engineering skills and get to express their natural ingenuity in constructing their car. Together with our Teaching Artists and teen counselors, kids learn to design the functional elements of the car such as steering and brakes while also incorporating imaginative features. Who’s to say a car can’t also be a butterfly? Kids test drive their derby cars to ensure the safety and functionality of each invention, troubleshooting issues and making improvements with the guidance of KoKo staff. Next, kids give their cars a paint job and add final details.
At the end of each week, we host a Mini Derby where the kids race their cars down 20th Street in the protected bike lane. We welcome families to attend the race and the awards ceremony afterwards! At the annual South Slope Derby on 17th Street, kids get to race their cars for real as friends, families, and neighbors cheer them on. Mark your calendar–this year’s South Slope Derby will be held on Saturday, August 24th 2024!
Click here for Workshop Structure and Policy
General Info: Our 2024 summer workshops take place at The Koko Lot, located at 440 19th Street between 8th Avenue and Prospect Park West in Greenwood Heights, Brooklyn. Our weekly workshops run Mondays to Fridays from 8:45AM – 2:15PM with Extended Day available from 2:15 – 6PM daily for an additional fee. Please note that the week of July 1, 2024 is a 3 day workshop from Monday through Wednesday.
We offer Camp KoKo for kids ages 5-7 and Soap Box for kids ages 8-14. Camp KoKo runs from the week of June 24, 2024 through the week of August 26, 2024. Soap Box runs from the week of June 24, 2024 through the week of August 19, 2024. Soap Box’s Girl Power Week (for kids who self identify as female, trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming) runs for the week of July 29, 2024. The Annual South Slope Derby will be Saturday, August 24, 2024!
Click here to read about our approach.
Capacity & Support: We maintain a 1:3 KoKo staff member to kid ratio during the summer workshops. Each week, Camp KoKo enrolls a maximum of 18 kids and Soap Box enrolls a maximum of 32 kids. KoKo workshops have practices, processes and structures in place to support all kids. We are an inclusive environment and welcome kids of all abilities, backgrounds and gender identities. During the registration process, we ask parents to tell us about any special needs or support that their kid may need from us so that we can be prepared. If you’re not sure if KoKo summer workshops are the right fit for your kid, please reach out to our Education Director at info@kokonyc.org to further discuss!
Extended Day: During Extended Day hours, kids work on self-directed individual or group projects, play, relax and have FUN! Please note: kids enrolled in Soap Box do not work on their cars during this time! Extended Day activities take place primarily at the KoKo Lot but may also include walking to the local playground on 6th Avenue at 19th Street for recreation. During the registration process, families can add Extended Day for individual days or for the entire week. For staffing reasons, Extended Day is not offered on an hourly basis.
Outdoor/Extreme Weather Considerations/Health & Safety: KoKo workshops take place 100% outdoors. We build and play outside all day in all weather, except for thunderstorms or lightning. We closely monitor weather conditions and will shelter at the Lot or at a local facility until storms pass.
In addition, we take proactive steps to ensure the health & safety of kids and KoKo staff when there are extreme weather conditions such as poor air quality or excessive heat. We receive emergency weather alerts and we follow guidance from AirNow.gov and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. We review the health information that parents share about their kids via the Sawyer registration process and take note of kids with health conditions that are triggered or exacerbated by extreme weather conditions. We adjust our program schedules and activities, including delaying workshop start time or ending workshops early, as needed to maintain a safe environment.
While we hope we will not have to cancel any summer workshops, we will follow directives from government agencies and we reserve the right to cancel workshops when modifications are not possible or sufficient. See below for our Cancellation Policies.
Many of the KoKo staff are American Red Cross certified in CPR and First Aid. KoKo staff are not trained to administer medication, including Epi-Pens. All kids who bring medication to the summer workshops must be able to self-administer. In case of a serious emergency, including allergic reactions, we contact 911.
Clothing: KoKo kids are outdoors all day and get very messy! Kids should wear clothes that can get dirty and are appropriate for the weather conditions. All kids must wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes on the KoKo Lot. Please no Tevas, Crocs or Natives!
Bathrooms: There are three professionally maintained port-a-potties onsite at the KoKo Lot for kids to use. All kids who participate in KoKo summer workshops must be able to (and comfortable with) using the port-a-potties independently.
Food Information: Kids must bring their own food and a filled water bottle every day. Our summer workshops are NUT FREE so that we can maintain a safer environment for kids with nut allergies. We provide water at the KoKo Lot so that kids can refill their water bottles as often as needed.
Tuition: KoKo NYC is a non-profit organization–your tuition helps make it possible for us to expand access to KoKo workshops! Read more about our access & equity efforts here. We offer tiered tuition for our summer workshops and a very limited number of full scholarships for low income families who receive SNAP benefits. Please click here for more information and to apply for tiered tuition or a full scholarship. We also offer an automatic 10% sibling discount.
Payment Options: We offer a payment plan for families who register by March 15, 2024. A $200 deposit will hold your spot. Two additional payments that split the balance due will be automatically charged to you on April 15, 2024 and May 15, 2024.
Summer Workshop Cancellation Policy: If you choose to cancel your kid’s registration prior to April 15th, you will receive a full refund, minus the initial deposit. If you choose to cancel between April 16th and June 1st, you will receive a 50% refund minus the initial deposit. After June 1st, the workshop fee is nonrefundable.
We do our best to operate our summer workshops in all conditions, rain or shine! However, if we deem the weather conditions to be hazardous or unsafe for kids and KoKo staff, and we are unable to provide an alternate solution, we will notify you as soon as possible and cancel. Because we are committing to paying our staff, we cannot offer a refund in whole or in part.