Summer Camps

Summer Camp Experiences

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.

Overview of metro area camps

This summary of STEM-focused summer camps in the KC region provides a starting point for exploring your options. NOTE: This information is reviewed and updated each winter as organizations announce plans. Always check with camp organizers directly to confirm details.

aSTEAM Village Summer Camp: The Aerospace Experience

The aSTEAM Village Summer Camp theme for 2024 is SPACE and includes numerous out-of-town field trips to sites ranging from the Cosmosphere in Kansas to East Coast sites including the Smithsonian Aerospace Museum, the Virginia Space Flight Academy and more. With tracks for ages 8 to 10 and 11 to 15, the summer camp enables learners to explore the world of robotics, video game design, rocketry, drones, aerospace, rocketry, alternative energy, and many more science, technology, energy, arts, and math challenges.

American Royal Ag STEM Camp

The American Royal STEM Camp is a three-day day camp for middle school students in late June. Students will participate in discussion and hands-on activities directly connected to the ag industry and ag careers. Daily themes, including plant, animal and ag technology, will introduce campers to a broad spectrum of STEM in agriculture. Learn more.

Barstow Summer Camps

Summer at Barstow includes more than 50 STEM-themed camps at the Barstow School, 11511 State Line Road, Kansas City. Browse the offerings.

Burns & McDonnell – Future U

Join Burns & McDonnell to experience Future U — a FREE summer STEM academy. Students will engage with experienced engineers, architects, and construction professionals during the week of June 12-16.

Camp Invention

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. Learn more and search for local camps here.

Code Ninjas

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 and Leawood in Kansas and Lee’s Summit in Missouri.

IDEA Space KC

IDEA Space offers summer STEAM courses for students entering grades 3-12, including digital video production, esports, virtual reality and more! Become a coder, inventor, or even a comic book creator during innovative week-long courses planned with opportunities to create, collaborate, and discover. See the options.

Johnson County Community College-Overland Park

Experiences are customized for youth entering grades six through high school, with options in art, design, science, engineering, computers, languages and more.

Mad Science Summer Camps

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 2024 offerings.

Metropolitan Community College-College for Kids

MCC typically offers half and full-day classes on topics from STEM to the arts at several of its campuses.

Research College of Nursing – RCoN Summer Nursing Experience

Join the annual Explore RCoN, a summer nursing experience hosted by the Research College of Nursing. This three-day, non-residential camp is designed for high school students who are interested in pursuing a healthcare 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. The deadline to apply is April 1.

University of Missouri-Kansas City

UMKC’s School of Science & Engineering will offer a cybersecurity camp for summer 2023. Get the details.

WeCode KC Summer of Code Camp

In this camp for ages 7 to 17, students will find a diverse range of classes including virtual reality, beatmaking, robotics, IOT and more. See the details.

Wildwood Outdoor Education Center

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.

Camps across Missouri and Kansas

Cosmosphere International Science Ed Center and Space Museum

This space museum and science center in Hutchinson, Kan., offers a full range of summer camp experiences: http://cosmo.org/education/camps

University of Kansas School of Engineering

KU School of Engineering Camps are week-long, intensive learning camps for high school students interested in the field of engineering. Campers will have the opportunity to choose from different engineering disciplines and then work closely with KU faculty and graduate students as they complete a hands-on project.

Kansas State University

The EXCITE Summer Workshop is a three-day program designed to encourage and inspire high school students to pursue a future in STEM and pre-health professions. Learn more. 

Missouri University of Science and Technology-Rolla

A robust list of options ranging from aerospace to nuclear engineering: http://futurestudents.mst.edu/summercamps/

Saint Louis University

From sports medicine to coding, it’s summer at Saint Louis University. Learn more about the K-12 camps and academies.

Truman State University-Kirksville

The Joseph Baldwin Academy is a three-week residential program on the Truman State University campus that offers an academically challenging curriculum for students in grades 7-9. Learn more.

Washington University

Through the High School Summer Scholars Program, students can enroll in courses for credit and study alongside undergraduates. Students select from a broad range of stimulating introductory courses in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and mathematics. Students may choose to enroll in one or two 3-unit courses, as well as a selection of noncredit courses. Learn more about the program.