July 13-17, 2026
Nature has spent 3.8 billion years solving engineering problems. This summer, students learn to think like nature does.
NEIA’s Nature Hacks program challenges students to explore how the natural world has already cracked some of humanity’s toughest design problems — then apply those same strategies to build their own breakthrough innovations.
What is Biomimicry?
Biomimicry is the practice of turning nature’s genius into technology. A kingfisher’s beak inspired the design of high-speed trains. Gecko feet led to revolutionary adhesives. Termite mounds are cooling buildings without air conditioning. In this program, students don’t just study these examples — they use them as a launchpad for their own designs.
What Students Will Experience
In the Field:
- Study real organisms and ecosystems up close
- Observe how nature solves challenges of structure, movement, and survival
- Gather inspiration for their own engineering solutions
In the Lab:
- Reverse-engineer nature’s most ingenious designs
- Prototype and test their own biomimicry-inspired innovations
- Collaborate with peers to refine and improve their ideas
By Friday:
- Present breakthrough designs that could shape the future
- Showcase their work to family at the end-of-week expo
Meet Your Instructor
Anna Schonwald
Anna is a scientist who has taught everywhere from kindergarten classrooms to radio telescope arrays in New Mexico. With degrees in Physics, Geology, and Earth Sciences, she knows how planets form and how forces work — but she’s far more interested in flipping traditional science class on its head and letting students discover things through their own experiments and inventions.
This summer, Anna will help your child unlock nature’s engineering secrets and turn them into innovations of their own.
Why This Program Stands Out
Nature Hacks isn’t a science class — it’s a design challenge powered by the natural world. Students leave with a new way of seeing: one that finds solutions in leaves, bones, shells, and ecosystems. Whether your child is drawn to engineering, sustainability, or pure curiosity, this program gives them tools to think differently and build boldly.
The NEIA Experience
At NEIA, students learn by doing. Nature Hacks reflects our commitment to real-world problem solving, hands-on discovery, and the kind of innovative thinking that defines New England Innovation Academy.