Tobias Pegues
Director and engineer
Tobias is an engineer who started Guyline so that the rockets he built as a boy had a place to fly. He runs the camp, writes the launch checklist and calls the countdown on Fridays.
Rocket and coding camp in Madison, Alabama
Build it, code it, launch it
Guyline is a day camp for ages 9 to 14 on a community college campus. Four June weeks of building rockets, coding a flight computer and flying what you made on Friday afternoon.
- Ages 9 to 14
- Ninety campers a week
- Four weeks in June
By age and week
Four weeks, three age groups
Every week runs Monday to Friday, and every age group has its own bench, its own counselor and its own pace. Book one week or all four.
| Ages | Adults to children | Group size | Week 1: RocketsFirst week of JuneMonday to Friday | Week 2: CodeSecond week of JuneMonday to Friday | Week 3: CircuitsThird week of JuneMonday to Friday | Week 4: LaunchFourth week of JuneMonday to Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ages 9 and 109 to 10 yearsBuild in pairs, with a counselor at every bench | 1 adult to 8 children | 8 | OfferedTube rockets | OfferedBlock code | Waitlist | Offered |
| Ages 11 and 1211 to 12 yearsA design of their own for each rocket | 1 adult to 10 children | 10 | Offered | FullText code | Offered | Offered |
| Ages 13 and 1413 to 14 yearsPlan the flight and run the checklist | 1 adult to 10 children | 10 | Offered | OfferedText code | Offered | WaitlistRange roles |
Fees and what each is for
- Registration
- Holds a place and starts each camper's file for the summer.
- Kits and parts
- Rocket kits, circuit boards and parts for each week.
- Late pickup
- Extra time after 3:30 p.m., arranged ahead by the week.
Sample programs.
The summer at a glance
Dates, and what a launch day looks like
Registration opens in winter, and every camp week ends with a launch on Friday afternoon.
This summer
- Applications open
Registration opens
January
Weeks fill in the order families register. A full week has a waitlist.
- Open house
Family information evening
April
Meet the instructors, see the flight computer and the launch panel, and ask about the weeks.
- First day
Camp weeks
June, Monday to Friday
Four weeks, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., on the campus lab building and the practice field.
- Event
Launch day
Friday afternoon of every camp week
Rockets fly from the practice field. A rope marks the pad and a second rope marks where campers stand with their group and counselor. A counselor acts as range officer: they read the checklist aloud, check each rocket and call the countdown. Only adults handle motors and igniters, and a camper presses the button only after the range officer says the pad is clear. Families watch from the far side of the field. Wind or lightning moves a launch to the next morning.
- Closed
Closed for the Juneteenth holiday
Mid June
The week's launch moves to Thursday afternoon.
Sample dates.
June
One build for every week
Each week has its own project, and each ends with something that flies, blinks or logs data.
Summer
- First week of June
Week 1: Build a rocket
Tubes, fins, nose cones and parachutes. Every camper builds a rocket at the bench and decorates it for Friday's first flight.
- Ages 9 to 14
- 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Campus lab building and practice field
- Second week of June
Week 2: Code the flight computer
A small board that counts down, reads an altitude sensor and lights a signal. Block code for the youngest group, text code for the older two.
- Ages 9 to 14
- 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Campus lab building and practice field
- Third week of June
Week 3: Sensors and circuits
Breadboards, switches, buzzers and a data log. Campers wire a launch panel and read what a flight recorded.
- Ages 9 to 14
- 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Campus lab building and practice field
Waitlist - Fourth week of June
Week 4: Launch week
Everything from the first three weeks goes on one rocket. Campers take roles on the range, run the checklist and fly it on Friday.
- Ages 9 to 14
- 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Campus lab building and practice field
Sample sessions.
Notice, ratios and routines
Who is with your camper, and how the range runs
How many counselors sit with each age group, and the routines we follow around tools, batteries, launches and the Alabama heat.
License
Guyline is a summer day camp. It is not licensed as child care by the Alabama Department of Human Resources.
Adults to children
1 adult to 8 children
9 to 10 years
Group size: 8
1 adult to 10 children
11 to 12 years
Group size: 10
1 adult to 10 children
13 to 14 years
Group size: 10
Capacity
90
Ages 9 years to 14 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Medication training
Safety routines
Signing in and out
An adult on your list signs your camper in and out at the lab door every day and shows photo ID until we know them. Campers do not leave the building without a counselor.
Launch day
A rope marks the pad and a second rope marks where campers stand. A range officer reads the checklist and calls the countdown. Only adults handle motors and igniters.
Tools and batteries
Campers use hand tools and low-voltage kits. Batteries are charged, stored and swapped by staff, and tools are counted out at the start of a block and counted back in at the end.
Heat, water and shade
June in Alabama is hot. Outdoor time moves to the cooler part of the day, water bottles are filled at every break, and on the hottest afternoons the whole day stays inside the air-conditioned lab.
Lightning and wind
When thunder is heard or the wind is too strong for a launch, everyone goes inside and the launch waits. We text families when a launch moves.
Allergies, medicine and illness
Tell us at registration, and we ask what we need privately. Counselors who give medicine have medication training. A camper with a fever stays home.
Sample details.
The team
The people who run the range
Camp is led by a working engineer, with an instructor for rockets, an instructor for code and counselors at every bench.
Brinley Grafton
Rocketry instructor
Brinley builds and flies rockets on weekends. She leads the build blocks in Weeks 1 and 4 and serves as range officer on launch day.
Mehul Batra
Code and electronics instructor
Mehul writes software for a living and runs the code and circuit weeks. He explains each step on the board before anyone types a line.
Jalil Buie
Lead counselor
Jalil leads the youngest group, ages 9 and 10, and walks every group between the lab, the lunch room and the field.
Questions
Questions parents ask first
We are glad to answer more by phone.
Which ages is camp for, and how are the groups made?
Camp is for ages 9 to 14. Campers work in three age groups, 9 and 10, 11 and 12, and 13 and 14, each with its own bench and counselor.
Does my camper need to know how to code or build?
No. Every week starts from the beginning, and the older groups take the same project further. A camper who has built or coded before gets a harder version of the same task.
What is a day at camp like?
Campers sign in at 8:30 a.m., read the day's checklist with their group, work through a morning block, have lunch, spend time outside or in the cool lab, and finish with a second block. Pickup is at 3:30 p.m.
How do launches work?
Launch day is Friday afternoon. A rope marks the pad and another marks where campers stand. A range officer calls the checklist and the countdown, and only adults handle motors and igniters. Wind or lightning moves the launch to the next morning.
What do campers bring?
A lunch, a filled water bottle, a hat, closed-toe shoes and a light jacket for the cold lab. We supply every kit, tool and board.
Save a place for the weeks you want
Registration opens in January. Register on our enrollment page, or call and ask about a week, the launch or the heat.