STEM Campers Entering 1st-2nd Grade Next Fall
STEM Campers Entering 3rd-4th Grade Next Fall
Weekdays 9:00AM – 4:00PM
Early (8am) and Late (5pm) hour programming available
Sci-Tech Members $275/week
Non-Members $325/week
MAKER Campers Entering 5th-8th Grade in the Fall
Weekdays 9:00AM – 4:00PM
Early (8am) and Late (5pm) hour programming available
Sci-Tech Members $285/week
Non-Members $335/week
What Will Camp Look Like...Especially This Summer?
- STEM Camp days are filled with hands-on science activities. This summer, while we will continue to encourage sharing ideas and discoveries, campers will have their own dedicated supplies and kits to reduce physical sharing of supplies. Campers will also larger work spaces to themselves.
- While lessons are TEKS aligned, the focus is placed on the scientific process of experimentation and discovery. Campers learn the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ along with the ‘what’. We love it when something doesn’t work the first time. It means we get to try again!
- Camp classes will remain with the groups all day and will no longer combine for lunches or morning shows. Those will be done one at a time in their classrooms.
- As camp classes will explore museum exhibits, they will be sanitized between groups and high touch exhibits will be replaced on the floor with alternatives.
- Afternoon Sports Science (i.e. get your wiggles out) Time will become our Afternoon Yoga/Dance Party. This allows the little bodies full of energy and lunch the chance to get moving without using high touch sports equipment.
- Staff will wear facial masks and the general public will not be admitted entry to the building during camp hours.
- All campers and staff will have temperature checks each morning and mid day. Morning check-in and afternoon pick-up will take place out front of the museum.
- Staff or campers with a fever or other symptoms of Covid-19 will not be permitted to camp or will leave for home if symptoms arise.
What Are STEM and MAKER Camps?
- STEM Camps: Campers entering 1st-3rd grade in the fall work in our STEM classrooms on experiments and activities that introduce them to working in a lab as a scientist. They explore themes each week from astronomy, biology, chemistry and robotics. All activities are hands-on with an emphasis on discovery!
- MAKER Camps: Campers entering 5th-8th grade step into our MakerSpace workshop to experience engineering and building with hand tools. Campers can use hand tools for big wooden builds, learn to code drones and robots, assemble and program circuitry, and engineer mechanical devices.
Who is with The Campers?
- Camp groups are have been reduced this summer to 50% capacity. All camp classes are led by experienced science teachers and counselor assistants.
- Our Camp Director, Camp Manager, and Camp Assistant Manager are onsite during camp and act as direct liaison with parents.
- Children remain with Sci-Tech camp staff on-site all day.
- Sci-Tech Camp Admin staff are Red Cross Certified in First Aid/CPR/AED and have years of education experience, many as local school teachers.
- Camp teachers and counselors are comprised of local school teachers, museum educators, teaching students, and local youth program staff.
What Do We Bring?
- Campers should bring:
- Bagged lunch and morning snack (NUT FREE). Due to severe allergies by staff and campers, we run a NUT FREE CAMP.
- Water bottles. Water fountains may not be available in the Discovery Center.
- Epi Pens or other medications should be handed off to the Camp Manager each morning.
- Camper should not bring:
- Backpacks will not be permitted into camp in an effort to reduce personal belongings in the classrooms.
- Toys, phones, tablets or handheld gaming devices as their use in not permitted in camp.
- Money. The explore store will not be open.
- Foods containing nuts or nut products. Due to severe allergies by staff and campers, we run a NUT FREE CAMP.
- Masks are not required for campers.
- hats, sunscreen or a change of clothing. Campers will not spend long periods of time outside.
What Time is Camp?
- 9:00AM – 4:00PM Monday-Friday
- Camp opens shortly before 9:00 am outside the museum doors. If you need earlier drop off, see Early Hour Programming.
- Pick-Up will end shortly after 4:00 outside the museum doors. If you need later pick up, see Late Hour Programming.
- Campers picked up after our grace period may be charged $1 per minute.
- Habitual offenses may risk ability to register in future camps.
Early or Late Hour Programming
- Enjoy a constantly changing group of center-based, science challenge activities. These will range from small engineering builds with different types of materials, origami, design challenges, and more. With a steady rotation of activities, your child will have a new challenge to try each day and each week. STEM activities will differ in Early Hour Programming from those presented in Late Hour Programming.
Early Hour Programming
- 8:00-9:00 AM
- $50/week
- Programming begins at 8:00 AM.
- Early Hour check-in begins at 7:50am and ends shortly after 8:00 am.
- Once Early Hour check-in is closed, all campers will have to wait until general camp admission doors open shortly before 9:00 am.
Late Hour Programming
- 4:00-5:00 PM
- $50/week
- Program ends at 5:00 pm.
- Campers picked up after our grace period may be charged $1 per minute.
- Habitual offenses may risk ability to register in future camps.
How Much is Camp?
- STEM CAMPS
- Sci-Tech Members $275/week: Must be a current Museum Member.
- Non-Members $325/week
- MAKER CAMPS
- Sci-Tech Members $285/week: Must be a current Museum Member.
- Non-Members $335/week
Unfortunately, we do not offer discounts for siblings or multiple bookings
Once a camp week is full, families can join a wait-list. Should a spot open up, we will contact those on the list in the order in which they signed up.
Cancellation policy:
- cancellations more than 8 weeks ahead of camp start = 100% refund
- cancellations between 4-8 weeks ahead of camp start = 75% refund
- cancellations between 1-4 weeks ahead of camp start = 50% refund
- cancellations less than 1 week ahead of camp start = 0% refund
Which Camp Group Do I Choose?
- 3 available camp groups to choose from
- 1st-2nd graders STEM
- 3rd-4th graders STEM
- 5th-8th graders MAKER
- Choose based on the grade your child will be entering in the fall
- Must be placed in correct grade level.
- If you place them in the incorrect grade group and the correct grade group is full, camper will not be permitted into camp Monday morning.
- Camp weeks rotate between themes throughout the summer
- Campers may register for more than one camp but not for the same themed week twice
What Should I Do Before Arriving at Camp?
- Download CAMP HEALTH FORM from website for all campers, fill out completely & returned signed by parent or guardian before start of camp.
- May use CAMP HEALTH FORM on record with us from Summer 2019
- Campers without CAMP HEALTH FORMS signed and filled out will not be accepted into camp Monday morning.
- Ensure all food products are NUT free.
- Wear clothes that you don’t mind getting messy in.
- Communicate any health or medical concerns to our staff by emailing us at camp.admin@scitechdiscvery.org
- Get ready to have a blast!
What Else Do We Need To Know?
- Campers must be able to speak conversational English.
- Please note that our staff is not trained to work with children with special needs and cannot provide one-on-one care. You may opt to provide your child with a caregiver during camp (with no additional registration fee) if you wish to have your child participate in camp.
- Violence is not tolerated at camp, and intentionally hurting another person on-site will result in automatic dismissal from camp without a refund. Other forms of disruptive behavior will be handled on a case-by-case basis with an established ‘ladder’ of consequences, which will be shared with campers at the start of camp. Sci-Tech reserves the right to contact parents directly or dismiss a camper from the program if repeated offenses are observed.