Spend your summer at the Academy with our fun educators, cool exhibits and wild science! Sign up for one week or sign up for them all; each day will feature hands-on activities, creative crafts and untold secrets of the museum. Learn about the naturally awesome science at the Academy, from fossils and dinosaurs to bugs, birds and botanicals! Get outside for lunch and to explore the urban environment around the Academy. Meet live animals, see rare specimens and explore the museum as you never have before.

This program features small group, socially distanced activities. New topics will be explored every day. Bring home useful make-and-takes and practice your science skills with experiments and projects. Chill out as you take in a socially distanced show or look alive when you meet our animal ambassadors. What will you discover about the world?

For more information about Academy Science Camp, contact Mary Bailey, youth and family programs developer, at mvb45@drexel.edu

To comply with CDC guidelines, drop-off and pickup protocols must be strictly followed. Due to updated capacity, participants must wait outside until escorted inside by staff. Check-in will begin no earlier than 8:45 a.m. and dismissal begins at 4 p.m. (contact us if you need to arrange early pickup). Participants must be picked up by no later than 4:15 p.m. and staff will bring children outside to meet their approved adults. We regret that before- and after-care is not available at this time. Participants must bring their own snacks and lunches and eat at designated times (allergies can be accommodated; no option for refrigeration or purchase of food available). Children must be at least 6 years old by their first day of camp.

Campers will receive one free camp shirt upon registration. Campers who register for two or more weeks will receive a second free shirt. Additional shirts may be purchased onsite for $10 each. Please indicate shirt size in the registration paperwork.

Digital paperwork and permission forms will be sent after payment and must be completed by June 17. Full camp balance is due at time of registration. Refund requests made before June 17 may be accommodated, minus a $100 per week nonrefundable deposit. After June 17, no refunds will be given, but campers may be able to register for a different camp session pending space availability. Refund flexibility may be offered to families who need to cancel due to illness. The Academy continues to adhere to requirements regarding vaccine, mask and other safety protocols, and our policies may change in line with city and state mandates at any time. Contact Mary Bailey at mvb45@drexel.edu for more information on the Academy’s registration and refund policies.

To request to be added to the waiting list for any sold out weeks, please email ans_reservations@drexel.edu or call 215-299-1060 with your name and phone number.

Price

$375 nonmember child/$335 member child per week
July 5–8 $300 nonmember child/$265 member child (no camp on July 4)

Camp registration for each week closes two weeks prior to that week’s start date.

Summer Camp 2022 Schedule:

Aquatic Adventures
June 27– July 1

From macroinvertebrates living in a Philadelphia stream to a kid grabbing a drink from the kitchen tap after an outdoor adventure, access to fresh water is the most important element of our survival. Get your feet wet as you discover the creatures, big and small, that you find in an aquatic ecosystem, learn how to track stream and watershed health and become a protector of our planet’s most precious resource.

This camp session is part of the Academy’s Water Year. Find out why we need to protect this resource and how you can help.

Dinosaur Superstars
July 5–8 (no camp July 4)

We’ve got the dinosaurs with star power! Join our dinosaur-loving crew to chronicle the lives of all your favorite ancient reptiles, from stegosaurus to T. rex, velociraptor and even brontosaurus (yes, really!). Travel back in time as you see and touch real fossils, come face-to-face with modern-day dinosaurs and show off every bit of your dinosaur obsession.

Animal Secret Agents
July 11–15

From bonkers biomimicry to the vilest venom and the craziest camouflage, animals have a variety of sneaky tactics they use to survive, just like real and fictional secret agents. Get as close as you dare to nature’s assassins and test how spy tech experts are turning to nature for inspiration. Experiment with hands-on activities to demonstrate how you would measure up in a mission: impossible!

Ocean Commotion
July 18–22

Aspiring marine biologists, let’s explore the salty sea! Learn about the world’s most unknown ecosystem and discover all the weird and wild creatures that live in the strange depths of the ocean. Enjoy your last chance to visit the special exhibit Extreme Deep with exclusive guided tours before it closes. Check out some of the coolest specimens in the Academy collection, from shells to sharks. Be prepared to dive in!

Eco-Engineers
July 25–29

Calling all architects, builders and designers! Get inspired by nature’s engineers. Discover the interesting ways creatures build their homes, attract mates and catch prey using unexpected materials and techniques. Using LEGO bricks, toy blocks and gears (and your own creativity!), explore engineering in the natural world and unleash your inner animal architect.

Aquatic Adventures
August 1– August 5

From macroinvertebrates living in a Philadelphia stream to a kid grabbing a drink from the kitchen tap after an outdoor adventure, access to fresh water is the most important element of our survival. Get your feet wet as you discover the creatures, big and small, that you find in an aquatic ecosystem, learn how to track stream and watershed health and become a protector of our planet’s most precious resource.

This camp session is part of the Academy’s Water Year. Find out why we need to protect this resource and how you can help.

Dinosaur Superstars
August 8–12

We’ve got the dinosaurs with star power! Join our dinosaur-loving crew to chronicle the lives of all your favorite ancient reptiles, from stegosaurus to T. rex, velociraptor and even brontosaurus (yes, really!). Travel back in time as you see and touch real fossils, come face-to-face with modern-day dinosaurs and show off every bit of your dinosaur obsession.

Animal Secret Agents
August 15–19

From bonkers biomimicry to the vilest venom and the craziest camouflage, animals have a variety of sneaky tactics they use to survive, just like real and fictional secret agents. Get as close as you dare to nature’s assassins and test how spy tech experts are turning to nature for inspiration. Experiment with hands-on activities to demonstrate how you would measure up in a mission: impossible!

Ocean Commotion
August 22–26

Aspiring marine biologists, let’s explore the salty sea! Learn about the world’s most unknown ecosystem and discover all the weird and wild creatures that live in the strange depths of the ocean. Enjoy exclusive access to the brand-new special exhibit Oceanbound with special tours and activities. Check out some of the coolest specimens in the Academy collection, from shells to sharks. Be prepared to dive in!

Eco-Engineers
August 29–September 2

Calling all architects, builders and designers! Get inspired by nature’s engineers. Discover the interesting ways creatures build their homes, attract mates and catch prey using unexpected materials and techniques. Using LEGO bricks, toy blocks and gears (and your own creativity!), explore engineering in the natural world and unleash your inner animal architect.

How are we keeping kids and staff safe during Academy Science Camp?

To ensure the health and safety of our guests, staff and volunteers, we have carefully developed new health and safety protocols following guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Drexel University, and in consultation with national museum organizations as well as fellow museums around the world, across the nation and in Philadelphia. Camp program plans have been evaluated and approved by health and safety officers at Drexel University.

All museum spaces adhere to strict CDC guidelines governing room capacity and air exchange. Each group is made up of no more than 14 children with two staff, and each group stays together all day in spaces large enough to maintain recommended distance. Lunchtime is held outdoors, and registrants provide their own lunches. There are frequent handwashing and cleaning breaks, per state and federal recommendations. All staff and participants must abide by Drexel COVID guidelines.

Visit https://drexel.edu/coronavirus/ to find out more about expectations for staff and visitors.