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Bright Minds.
Summer 2026 · 8 spots

The Lab Bench Workshop — three July mornings, eight students, one real lab notebook.

A condensed, pre-health-style lab intensive for 7th–12th graders. Real microscopy. Real dissection. A real lab notebook to take home. Taught by Boise State’s Anatomy & Physiology Laboratory Coordinator.

Reserve a workshop spot → See the 3-day arc

Reservation is non-binding. Tuition collected after we confirm your spot.

A wooden lab bench in summer light: microscope, tray of stainless dissection instruments, an open lab notebook, and a brown felt fedora; a small wooden tag tied with twine reads 'DAY 1'.
Day 1 · bench ready
When
Tue–Thu, July 14–16, 2026
9 AM – noon each morning

Final dates confirmed at registration.

Where
Boise, ID
Treasure Valley · ample parking

Exact venue in confirmation email.

Who
8 students max
7th–12th grade

Sibling discount available.

Tuition
$245
All materials & specimens included

$100 credits toward Fall cohort.

The 3-day arc

A complete pre-health lab cycle, condensed.

Same instructor, same equipment, and the same kind of work students do in the Fall cohort — just in three focused mornings.

  1. 1
    Day 1 · Tue
    Microscopy & tissues

    Students learn the parts and proper handling of a compound microscope, then work through prepared slides of the four major tissue classes. End of morning: each student has a clean lab-notebook page of labeled cell sketches.

  2. 2
    Day 2 · Wed
    Comparative dissection

    The showcase day. Each student gets a teaching-grade preserved frog specimen, a tray of stainless instruments, and a structured procedure. Anatomy reference book open beside the bench. Pre-health-style observation notes the whole way through.

  3. 3
    Day 3 · Thu
    Notebook & capstone

    Students finish their notebooks and present a 5-minute “what I observed” summary — the small version of the Fall cohort capstone. Each student leaves with a bound lab notebook, a Bright Minds workshop certificate, and a photo of themselves at the bench.

Trying us out? Workshop attendees who later register for the Fall 2026 cohort receive a $100 tuition credit applied to cohort tuition. The summer workshop is the lowest-friction way to see whether Bright Minds is the right fit for your student.

A bound lab notebook closed on a wooden bench beside a framed certificate of completion and a small glass beaker with a single white tulip.
What students take home

A real artifact, not a craft project.

  • · A bound, dated lab notebook with their own observations and labeled sketches.
  • · A Bright Minds workshop certificate of completion, signed by Leslie.
  • · A photo of themselves at the bench — useful for portfolios, applications, or just the family fridge.
  • · An honest answer to “does my kid actually like this?”
Reserve a workshop spot

Hold one of 8 seats.

Reservation is non-binding. We’ll email a confirmation with venue and tuition payment details within a few days. Only the parent/guardian email is required.

We’ll be in touch within a few days.

Sharing with a friend at co-op or church? Print the summer workshop flyer →

Looking for a full semester?

The Fall 2026 cohort is the long version.

Eight Saturdays, the same instructor, comparative anatomy through to a real student capstone. Capped at eight students. Workshop attendees get a $100 credit applied to cohort tuition.

See the Fall cohort →