Developing video games, discovering the power of code, getting hands on in the garden or exploring career options—summer camps can deliver powerful STEM experiences that make a lasting impression. Planning for summer 2021 will require adaptability as camp organizers work to adjust their offerings during the Covid-19 outbreak.
This summary of STEM-focused summer camps in the KC region provides a quick glance at opportunities for students this summer. Please check with individual camp providers for the latest updates on changes due to the Covid-19 outbreak. This list was compiled from submissions to KC STEM Alliance. Looking for camps by date? Use the events calendar to see what’s available for a specific time frame.
UMKC’s School of Computing & Engineering offers Camp Invention in a semi-virtual format this summer. Get the details.
MCC offers typically offers half and full-day classes on topics from STEM to the arts at several of its campuses. Due to Covid-19, registration for this camps is suspended. Visit this page to find information about online opportunities as they become available.
Summer 2021 camps have moved to a live, online format. Experiences are customized for youth entering grades six through high school, with options in art, design, science, engineering, computers, languages and more.
The aSTEAM Village Summer STEaM Experience for Kids is being offered in-person in 2021 with a virtual option due to COVID-19. During this eight week, four-track summer STEaM camp, participating students will build their own computers. Designed for students in grades 3-12, this camp enables learners to explore the world of robotics, video game design, cell phone circuit board engineering, race car engineering, alternative energy and many more science, technology, energy, arts and math challenges.
Summer at Barstow includes more than 75 STEM-themed camps starting May 24, 2021 at the Barstow School, 11511 State Line Road, Kansas City. Browse the offerings.
Join Burns & McDonnell to experience Engineering U — a FREE virtual summer academy. Students will engage with experienced engineers, architects, and construction professionals. Two program options are available for high school students and college freshmen. Both virtual programs will take place from 9 am to 12 pm, visit link for academy dates. Applications are due May 21, 2021.
The National Inventors Hall of Fame brings its Camp Invention to multiple locations around the metropolitan region this summer. Children in grades K-6 are presented with hands-on challenges that encourage creative problem solving, teamwork, entrepreneurship and innovation. Camp Invention is led by experienced local educators and new curriculum is introduced each year, inspired by the Inductees of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. If state and district guidelines do not allow for an in-person Camp Invention program, Camp Invention Connect™ will serve as an alternative. This at-home program was developed by the National Inventors Hall of Fame® to balance virtual collaboration with independent, hands-on exploration. Learn more and search for local camps here: http://campinvention.org/
Code Ninjas curriculum-based camps for ages 7 to 14 include Minecraft, Robotics, Drones, Roblox, Website design, Application and Game Building, along with team building STEM activities and games at locations in Lenexa, Leawood and Olathe in Kansas and Lee’s Summit in Missouri. Check with each center for updates related to Covid-19.
KU Natural History Museum typically offers one-day summer science camps for ages 8 to 11 are designed to be engaging and provide high quality science experiences. The camps are developed and taught by museum education professionals with backgrounds in science and informal science education and cover a range of subjects, from fossils to wetlands. This summer, camps will be offered for free, online from home. Learn more.
Mad Science Camps help children experience what science is all about. Through themes ranging from robotics and coding to chemical reactions and “grossology,” campers explore how science affects the world around them. Learn more about online and in-person offerings for 2021.
Play-Well TEKnologies offers LEGO-inspired STEM summer camps in Kansas City as well as in other locations across Kansas & Missouri.
Join the annual Nursing Experience summer camp hosted by the Research College of Nursing. This three-day, non-residential camp is designed for high students who are interested in pursuing a health care career. Students will gain valuable skills to use in their academic and professional careers as they explore a day in the life of a professional nurse.
CANCELED FOR 2021. Science City typically offers summer camps to spark interest in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) learning through interactive, challenging and FUN activities! Science City Summer Camp provides a hands-on environment to explore exciting STEAM topics for kids ages 6-12. Each week, campers engage in programs that teach life science, physical science, art and innovation.
Short Circuit Robotics offers a series of STEM camps this summer. See the full list.
Camp Wildwood is a five-day overnight camp filled with traditional camp, outdoor, and STEAM activities for kids entering grades 3-8. Campers will spend the week choosing daily fun activities–like swimming, fishing, canoeing, rock climbing, and creating in the Makerspace—making new friends, and gaining independence and teamwork skills.
A robust list of options ranging from aerospace to nuclear engineering: http://futurestudents.mst.edu/summercamps/
Something for everyone, from LEGO Camps to experiencing life at the College of Engineering: https://engineering.missouri.edu/about/k12-camps/
From sports medicine to coding, it’s summer at Saint Louis University: https://www.slu.edu/summer/k-12-camps-and-academies
Joseph Baldwin Academy for Eminent Young Scholars: http://jba.truman.edu/
(Hutchinson, Kansas) http://cosmo.org/education/camps
Search the STEM Connect-KC Calendar to find which camps are available on specific dates. If your organization offers a camp, add it to our list with this form.