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?

See below for Drexel COVID protocols, registration requirements and more information.

Price

$375 nonmember child/$335 member child per week
July 6–9 $300 nonmember child/$265 member child (no camp on July 5)

Summer Camp 2021 Schedule:

Build a Better Backyard
June 28– July 2

Amaze yourself with the wilderness around you. Get your hands dirty as you find out what it takes to make your garden grow, build a backyard habitat for local wildlife and use designs from the wild to create a kaleidoscope of colors.

Life Before the Dinosaurs
July 6–9 (no camp July 5)

Life on Earth is old — very old — very very VERY old! Meet the creatures that roamed the land and the seas before dinosaurs ruled the earth. Explore the long history of our planet and think about what the past can tell us about the future.

Eco-Warriors
July 12–16

It’s time to take action! Find out how to make a real impact in your community as an eco-warrior. Learn which environmental actions, large and small, can help you spark change in the world. These weeks of camp are part of Drexel University and the Academy of Natural Sciences’ Climate Year, our opportunity to learn and do something about the impact of climate change on people, habitats, animals and more.

Incredible Insects
July 19–23

Journey deep into the dirt and observe the world from a bug’s-eye view. Get up close and personal with live invertebrates, investigate how insects survive extreme environments and design your very own bug collection kit.

Secrets of the Museum
July 26–30

Unlock the mysteries of the museum as you explore some rarely seen specimens and create your very own museum exhibit. Discover how to tell the stories that nature inspires. Go behind the scenes to explore ancient manuscripts and make your own field journal from scratch.

Build a Better Backyard
August 2–6

Amaze yourself with the wilderness around you. Get your hands dirty as you find out what it takes to make your garden grow, build a backyard habitat for local wildlife and use designs from the wild to create a kaleidoscope of colors.

Life Before Dinosaurs
August 9–13

Life on Earth is old — very old — very very VERY old! Meet the creatures that roamed the land and the seas before dinosaurs ruled the earth. Explore the long history of our planet and think about what the past can tell us about the future.

Incredible Insects
August 16–20

Journey deep into the dirt and observe the world from a bug’s-eye view. Get up close and personal with live invertebrates, investigate how insects survive extreme environments and design your very own bug collection kit.

Eco-Warriors
August 23–27

It’s time to take action! Find out how to make a real impact in your community as an eco-warrior. Learn which environmental actions, large and small, can help you spark change in the world. These weeks of camp are part of Drexel University and the Academy of Natural Sciences’ Climate Year, our opportunity to learn and do something about the impact of climate change on people, habitats, animals and more.

Secrets of the Museum
August 30–September 3

Unlock the mysteries of the museum as you explore some rarely seen specimens and create your very own museum exhibit. Discover how to tell the stories that nature inspires. Go behind the scenes to explore ancient manuscripts and make your own field journal from scratch.

To comply with CDC guidelines, drop-off and pickup protocols must be strictly followed, including daily use of the Drexel Health Checker. 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.

Digital paperwork and permission forms will be sent after payment. Full camp balance is due at time of registration. Refund requests made before June 18 may be accommodated, minus a $100 per week nonrefundable deposit. After June 18, 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. Contact Mary Bailey at mvb45@drexel.edu for more information on the Academy’s registration and refund policies.

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.

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

Safety is our number one priority; 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 10 children with two staff, and each group stays together all day in spaces large enough to maintain more than six feet of distance. Museum galleries are reserved for groups during public hours. Lunchtime is held outdoors, and registrants provide their own lunches. Social distancing and mask wearing are mandatory, and there are frequent handwashing and cleaning breaks, per state and federal recommendations. All staff and participants must abide by Drexel COVID guidelines, including daily check-ins on the Drexel Health Checker. Visit https://drexel.edu/coronavirus/ to find out more about expectations for staff and visitors.