What interesting camps/programs have your teens done this summer?

[catsnkid]

DS is ten. He did an Art camp, drawing camp, and lego camps through our local
Community Center. They offer a nice variety and the prices aren't bad. There is a local community college that offers camps for middle school and HS, but the prices are $$$ for a day camp.

[KpbS]

Counselor in Training (CIT) for his favorite sleep away camp.

[Globetrotter]

Both my kids have gone to the leadership/teaching side after starting high school. DD worked at girl scouts and also science camp as a volunteer. In HS ds was a volunteer counselor for a different camp. This year he’s working at an academic type camp for pay.
I would look at their interests first and then you can do searches for interesting ideas. Or tell us their interests and we can guide you. In general, as PP have pointed out, the competitive camps that do not require you to pay are the ones that Colleges value most, but there’s no harm in doing others as long as you don’t expect it to help for college admissions (not that you do, but just putting that out there). I think there is value in trying out new things for the sake of exploration, if you can afford it. Around here, the Stanford and Berkeley programs are popular. Berkeley has a program called ATDP.
https://atdp.berkeley.edu/
You do have to pay, and one of our friends didn’t have a great experience, but many others have gone through the program and enjoyed it. It’s a chance to take summer classes at Berkeley and it’s geared for high school and middle schoolers. I believe there’s a boarding option. I’m guessing similar programs are held all over the country, probably closer to where you live, and it’s a good opportunity to try a new subject/s in depth. It also shows some initiative.
Stanford and berkeley have pricey boarding options- My friend’s kids Have done those for debate and coding. Another friend’s son is really into tennis and did a sleep away camp at Indian Springs, I think.
Cosmos is a competitive (no cost) science research program, which some of our friends’ kids have done.

[WatchingThemGrow]

Duke Talent Identification Program (Duke TiP) offers 3 week summer camps on college campuses for students on pretty in-depth topics. I think enrollment in the program starts in October...unsure about signups for the camps. Sounds like a really neat experience for the kids whose interests and financial abilities match their offerings. (We haven’t done them.)


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[Chitowngirl]

Around here some people pay big money to do summer camp at Northwestern. They have the center for talent development which you have to test into. I think it’s similar to the duke TIPS program mentioned above. No personal experience yet since my kids are too little.


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[NCGrandma]

Duke Talent Identification Program (Duke TiP) offers 3 week summer camps on college campuses for students on pretty in-depth topics. I think enrollment in the program starts in October...unsure about signups for the camps. Sounds like a really neat experience for the kids whose interests and financial abilities match their offerings. (We haven’t done them.)


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Years ago, DC went to Duke TIP for 2 summers, one at the main Duke campus and one at the Duke Marine Lab on the coast. Both were really good experiences, for the content (one course was "math theory" ... for an 8th grader!) and for the opportunity to be surrounded by other really smart kids. (Test scores were required for admission.) Almost all were from NC, and many of them had a "reunion" a few years later when they ended up at the NC School of Science and Math.

Since then, TIP has apparently expanded, with a dozen affiliated programs at college campuses mostly in the southeast. Looks like they still offer financial aid.


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[SnuggleBuggles]

Mine works (lifeguard) and does activities (band, sports). I don’t know when he’d have time for camp. We can barely fit in a family vacation.


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[essnce629]

DS1 was a CIT for 3 weeks (the max) at the computer camp he attended as a camper for the past several years. He loved it and asked to stay late every day to help the counselors. It was unpaid and his 2nd summer doing it. I wanted him to get a paying job this summer, but we had a 15 day family vacation so there was no time when he was already a CIT for 3 weeks. Next year as a rising senior he can return to the camp as an intern and work the entire summer, which is what he wants to do. He'll also get a chance to go to Japan for 2 weeks with his Japanese school next summer.

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[California]

Quick note: COSMOS is not free (for those who don't qualify for financial aid.) It's $4K for in-state students, which includes the program, room, and board on campus for a month. If not for fundraising and grants, it would be $6.5K, so every in-state student does get a $2.5K discount.

DS does very inexpensive sports (cross country and track) and he bargained with us that all the money we've saved on his sports could go towards COSMOS!

[Globetrotter]

Quick note: COSMOS is not free (for those who don't qualify for financial aid.) It's $4K for in-state students, which includes the program, room, and board on campus for a month. If not for fundraising and grants, it would be $6.5K, so every in-state student does get a $2.5K discount.

DS does very inexpensive sports (cross country and track) and he bargained with us that all the money we've saved on his sports could go towards COSMOS!

Ok, good to know! I must have been thinking about some east coast programs. But the bottom line is the expensive pre college programs are often just a money maker for the colleges.