Synthesis Camp FAQs

A Synthesis camp is a short, time-limited online program where students participate in a series of live, small-group sessions. Instead of lessons or lectures, students work in small teams to navigate challenges, make decisions together, and reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and why.

Camps run for a limited time (usually one weekend to a month) and are designed to give students a focused, immersive experience. They’re a good fit for families looking for a high-quality, short-term program during school breaks or specific times of the year.

A helpful way to think about it is like the difference between a skills camp and regular practice in team sports.

Synthesis camps are short-term and intensive. Like a skills camp, they run for a fixed period of time and focus on a specific experience or theme.

Synthesis Teams is our year-round program. It’s more like regular practice, or the long-distance version of the journey: students come back week after week, work with different teammates, and gradually bring many skills together over time. Rather than concentrating on one area in a short stretch, Teams is built for steady, long-term growth through consistency and reflection.

Yes, camp can be a great way to experience Synthesis, especially if you’re not sure yet whether your child is ready for a longer-term program or you’re working with a short window like a school break. Because camps are time-limited, they let students try our format without a long-term commitment.

The right choice mostly comes down to timing and the kind of development you’re looking for right now.

Synthesis camps are designed for students ages 8–14 who are comfortable communicating in English and ready to engage in small-group, discussion-based sessions. Students don’t need any prior experience with Synthesis, but they should have basic tech literacy (such as using a keyboard, mouse or trackpad, and navigating a browser on a computer).

Camps are a good fit for families looking for a high-quality, short-term program during school breaks or specific times of the year.

No. Beginners are encouraged. Camps are designed for both new and returning students, and no prior Synthesis experience is required. As long as a student is comfortable participating in English and has basic tech skills, they’ll be able to jump in.

We offer sessions across multiple time zones so that families around the globe are able to find an option that works for them.

When you enroll, you’ll see multiple options for class start times and can choose the time(s) that work best for your family’s schedule. Camps are designed to be flexible, and you don’t need to attend every available session to get value from camp.

In most camps, we recommend trying to attend at least one session from each theme. Some sessions may be offered more than once, and those repeats are there as options for flexibility or extra practice, not because you’re expected to attend them all.

We don’t offer make-up sessions, but don’t worry — your child can still benefit from the rest of the program.

We encourage students to ask questions and speak up if they’re uncertain. Coaches and teammates can help them get oriented so they can jump back in.

In camp, students learn by doing. Instead of listening to lectures, they work together in small groups on interactive challenges and talk through their thinking with teammates and a coach.

During sessions, students can expect to:

• Work in small teams on interactive challenges
• Participate in guided, student-led discussions
• Make decisions together and reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and why

Each camp is built around a specific theme or experience, so the exact activities vary, but the experience is always active, social, and hands-on.

We group students into teams based on a number of factors, including age (8-10 and 11-14) and experience level, to create balanced groups. We recommend joining the session 5 minutes before the scheduled start time so your child can be matched onto a team and get started right away.

No. Students will usually work with different teammates across sessions. This is intentional and part of the experience. Working with a variety of teammates from around the world helps kids practice collaborating with different personalities, perspectives, and communication styles.

Synthesis coaches are trained facilitators who guide sessions and help create a supportive, engaging environment. They don’t lecture or give step-by-step answers.

During sessions, coaches:

• Keep things running smoothly
• Clarify instructions when needed
• Support students or teams who need help getting unstuck

We design Synthesis sessions to be student-led because the skills students are practicing — working in groups, communicating clearly, making decisions together — can’t really be learned by listening to a lecture. They’re learned by doing.

Coaches support from the background, but students do the thinking and collaborating themselves.

Yes. Sessions are recorded for safety and quality assurance. These recordings are never shared outside our company and are not made available to families or students, in order to protect student privacy and comply with child safety and privacy regulations.

We encourage students to work independently during sessions. Having their own space to think, speak up, and work with teammates helps them build confidence and practice real collaboration — one of the most important skills students practice at Synthesis.

For safety and privacy reasons, sessions may not be recorded, photographed, streamed, or shared in any way. Sessions are recorded internally by Synthesis for safety and quality purposes only.

For the best experience, we recommend using a laptop or desktop computer that meets our minimum technical requirements. iPads are also supported using our official app.

Phones and Android devices are not supported.

Before camp starts, please check that your device meets our minimum specs. You can find the full, up-to-date details here: Minimum Tech Specs.

• Webcam (required): Built-in or external is fine, as long as your child can be seen clearly.
• Microphone (required): Built-in or external is fine, as long as your child can be heard clearly.
• Headset (strongly recommended): Helps reduce background noise and makes it easier to hear and be heard.
• Mouse (recommended): Trackpads work, but some students find a mouse easier for precise control.
• iPad stand or case (if using an iPad): Keeps the device stable and in landscape mode for comfortable participation.

For a smooth start to camp, please check the following:

• Your device meets our minimum technical requirements
• Your internet connection is stable and meets our speed requirements
• Your camera and microphone are working properly
• You’ve granted the browser permission to use the camera and microphone
• You can access your camp account without connection issues (in some locations, a VPN may be needed due to local internet restrictions)

We’ll guide you through a simple device check as part of the pre-camp setup to help make sure everything is ready to go.

Testing your setup ahead of time is the best way to avoid issues, but occasional hiccups won’t derail the experience. If you run into trouble, press the Help button for live troubleshooting assistance from our Tech Support team. (It’s the white question mark in the top right corner of the classroom).

Synthesis camps are designed to be dynamic and experience-based, so there isn’t a fixed set of scores or benchmarks to track. Instead, progress shows up in how students participate, communicate, and approach challenges during camp.

The best way to understand how your child is doing is to talk with them about what they found challenging, what they enjoyed, and how they worked with their teammates.

Parents can expect a high-level summary that explains the focus of the camp and the kinds of skills students practiced. Because camps are short and experience-based, this is meant to be an overview of the experience rather than a detailed evaluation. For families looking for more ongoing insight and feedback over time, Synthesis Teams is designed as our long-term program for steady growth.

Camps are short by design, so it’s best to think of them as a focused experience rather than a program built around measurable outcomes. For many students, the value is in the experience itself: trying new ways of thinking, meeting new teammates, and getting a feel for how Synthesis works.

Camp can be a great way to “test the waters” and see how your child engages in this kind of environment. More sustained growth comes from consistent practice over time — what our Teams program is designed to support.

When camp ends, your child’s participation in the program is complete. There’s no automatic next step or obligation to continue. Some families choose to join another camp in the future, while others explore Synthesis Teams if they’re looking for an ongoing experience. We’ll share information about next options, and you can decide what makes the most sense for your family.

Camp is a short, time-limited experience designed to give students a focused introduction to Synthesis. Teams is our year-round program, built for steady, ongoing development through weekly participation.

You can think of camp as a concentrated snapshot of the experience, while Teams is where students build skills over time through consistent practice and reflection.

That’s great to hear! For many families, Synthesis Teams is a natural next step. It’s our year-round program where students come back each week and keep building on their experience over time.

There’s no rush, though. Some families join Teams right away, while others return for another camp later when the timing feels right. The best next step is simply what fits your child and your schedule.

Each student needs their own account. This helps us place students into the right groups, keep sessions safe and age-appropriate, and make sure each child has the right experience during camp.

If you’re enrolling more than one child, family plans are a great option. They’re designed to make it easy to support multiple children in the same household. If you have questions about setting this up, our team is happy to help.

Camp and Teams are separate programs and aren’t directly interchangeable. Because each has its own schedule and structure, changes usually need to be handled on a case-by-case basis.

If you’re unsure what makes sense for your situation, the best next step is to reach out to us at teams@synthesis.com and we’ll be happy to help you talk through your options.

Don’t worry — we’re here to help. Reach out to us at teams@synthesis.com and we’ll help you figure out the best next step.

We understand that plans change. Synthesis camps have limited enrollment, and many sessions fill quickly. Our cancellation policy is designed to provide families with flexibility while also ensuring that available spots can be offered to students who are ready to participate fully in the program.

Before camp begins

48 hours or more before your camp start date

You may cancel your enrollment for a full refund.

Less than 48 hours before your camp start date

You may cancel your enrollment and receive a full tuition credit to your Synthesis account. Credits may be applied toward a future Synthesis program or enrollment.

After camp begins

Within the first 48 hours of camp

You may cancel for a full tuition credit to your Synthesis account. No cash refunds are available after camp begins.

After the first 48 hours of camp

You may cancel your enrollment and receive a prorated tuition credit based on the unused portion of your camp enrollment.

Synthesis camps are designed for students ages 8–14 who are comfortable participating in English and have basic tech skills, like using a computer and navigating a browser. They tend to be a good fit for students who are curious, willing to try new things, and open to working with other kids in small groups.

Your child doesn’t need to be outgoing or confident to start, but they do need to be willing to participate and give the experience a real try.

A little bit of all three — and also not quite any of them. It’s not a traditional class with lectures or homework, and it’s more structured than just hanging out or gaming. We use games and challenges as the backdrop, but the real action is students working together, debating ideas, and figuring things out as a team.

If that sounds more like “learning by doing” than “sitting and listening,” you’re in the right place.

Synthesis is the world’s most innovative educational experience — a training ground for future leaders. Instead of lectures or worksheets, students take part in live, collaborative challenges where they learn by thinking together, making decisions, and working through real problems as a team.

It’s not school on a screen. It’s a fundamentally different way to learn: active, social, and built around the skills that matter most beyond the classroom.