University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville

Where young makers turn ideas into real products.

Register today because this class is limited to only 15 students!

UACCB Maker Camp is a hands-on, youth-focused experience that blends making, manufacturing, and entrepreneurship. Students design, prototype, make, and market real products while learning how ideas become tangible, sellable goods.

Enrollment is open for children who are entering grades 5th through 8th Grade in the Fall of 2026.

For this year’s camp, and because Batesville is the Christmas Capital of Arkansas, participants will create laser-cut wooden Christmas ornaments!

Participants explore the full product-development process—from brainstorming ornament ideas and digital design to laser cutting, material testing, and branding. Campers work primarily with locally grown and milled wood, including eastern red cedar and red oak, learning how material properties such as thickness, strength, and durability influence design and manufacturing decisions.

Through guided, age-appropriate activities, students use precision tools like calipers, conduct simple material science experiments, and operate an industrial-grade BOSS LS3655 laser engraver/cutter in a supervised environment.

On the final day of camp, students tour a local manufacturing facility and celebrate their accomplishments with a Christmas in July party.

Beyond technical skills, UACCB Maker Camp emphasizes entrepreneurship and teamwork. Campers learn to calculate costs and collaborate to prepare products for sale, gaining insight into how creative ideas turn into sustainable ventures. Proceeds from product sales help fund scholarships for future UACCB youth programs, connecting student creativity to real community impact.

Designed for curious and creative students, UACCB Maker Camp combines engineering, design thinking, and business fundamentals into an engaging, project-based experience rooted in hands-on learning.

UACCB Maker Camp Details

• Monday, July 27 through Friday, July 31
• 8:00 a.m. to noon each day
• 5th through 8th Graders entering Fall 2026
• UACCB Workforce Training Center (campus map)
• $89 per student
• Includes t-shirt and snacks
• Tour of local manufacturing facility
• Students will take home an ornament they made
• Christmas in July party on the last day of camp