Blog
Online STEM Summer Camps for Teens 2021
Are you looking for a camp for yourself or your teens this summer? With students at home and camps cancelled, teens will need something to do over the summer. Why not have them engage in STEM learning and projects in a virtual camp setting? We’ve put together the best options for online summer camps that focus on science, technology, engineering, and/or math.
Many resources, such as Khan Academy and EdX, offer self-paced courses for all ages, but online camps take virtual interaction to the next level. The point of a STEM camp is not only to help teens actively learn but also form lasting social bonds with others. Each online STEM camp on this list will provide teens with the most interactive activities, social connections, engaging curriculum, and career readiness skills:
Top STEM Summer Camps
Crime Scene Investigation Camp
If you love CSI and forensics, this online STEM camp is for you! Taught by current and former detectives (how cool is that!), this one week camp is packed with hands-on activities to learn what it takes to become a crime scene investigator, taking about 90 minutes per day. Solve a missing persons case, create and examine blood splatter patterns, analyze handwriting with chromatography, practice interrogation techniques, make a magnifying glass, and much more! Ideal for students in grades 6 to 12 with an interest in law enforcement, science, and forensics. Each camp is capped at 10 students ensuring plenty of one-on-one guidance and mentorship from practicing CSI professionals – build your STEM skills and connections needed to succeed in the field. Plus all students in the virtual camp will receive a CSI Lab Kit brimming with swag. Click here for schedule and to sign up – at only $89, spots are filling fast!
Summer Camp Online
The creators of Summer Camp Online have been providing live camps across the country for 15 years. They’ve used this experience to curate a wide variety of fun and interesting camps that will capture kids’ imaginations – video game making, special effects makeup artistry, forces of martial arts, and much more! All camps are live, have limited enrollments, and provide the much needed opportunity for students to interact with each other alongside instructors. Their week long camps are offered for all ages and are taught by instructors who love what they teach. Summer Camp Online is also focused on your trust. Not just anybody can offer a camp on their site. Prospective camp providers must go through a proposal process, be background checked, and complete a rigorous course prep task list before their camps go live. This process has led to close relationships with recreation centers, with many across the country partnering with Summer Camp Online to host online programs for city residents.
Camp Wonderopolis
Though this program appears to be geared to a younger audience, the daily questions posted on the Wonderopolis website can spark family conversations about why it is important to wonder about the world around us. Wonderopolis also features different camps spanning the STEAM spectrum – check out this great free way to explore STEM!
Camp Kinda
“A different kind of camp for a different kind of summer.” Boy doesn’t that sum this year up well! Camp Kinda is a FREE virtual summer experience designed by educators for kids in grades K-8. Each Sunday parents receive an email chock full of activities to keep students engaged, curious, and having fun—even if they’re stuck at home. Each day spans about 3 hours of fun, easy to implement, interdisciplinary activities centered around a weekly theme to investigate. As they say on their website, “It’s like summer camp… kinda.”
CodeWizardsHQ
CodeWizardsHQ is the leading online coding school for kids and teens ages 8-18. They deliver fun and effective live, teacher-led coding classes for kids with beyond-the-classroom support, including live office hours and 24/7 access to their proprietary platform. A students-first approach to teaching Python, Java, HTML/CSS, and JavaScript guarantees students will reach their potential. CodeWizardsHQ offers both after school coding classes for kids and summer coding classes for kids with a structured curriculum that is comprehensive, developmental, challenging, and yes – fun!
Pre-College Programs
Traditionally held at top colleges and universities across the country, pre-college programs engage high school students in intensive programs lasting from one to six weeks. Though they require applications and are often very pricey (thousands of dollars), these camps allow teens to meet others who share their passions and interests while learning about a subject in-depth at the college level. Deadlines are fast approaching, so make sure to review application requirements for each pre-college program soon. The best place to start is a simple website search at your local college or university.