Best STEM Summer Camps in Washington, D.C. 2024
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The STEM fields represent the future and children who pursue an education in it can enjoy the massive benefits in terms of future career prospects. The number of programs has steadily increased over the years, and there are several STEM camps in Washington D.C., among other major parts of the United States.
You can find programs for children of all ages and grade levels, and many of them with elements of traditional summer camps like outdoor activities. Summer fun and learning go hand in hand with any of these choices.
Makers Generation
Makers Generation hosts seven weekly sessions throughout the summer in Takoma Park in Maryland, which borders neighboring Washington D.C. Children ages 5-16 are welcome to attend any number of weeks and can expect to experience hands-on learning with a variety of fun projects.
The lessons covered are 3D printing and modeling, coding, chemistry, robotics, and virtual reality, among many others. Students enjoy a full week of daytime learning from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM with an opportunity for extended days for families that need extra time for drop-off and pickup.
In addition to their summer camps, Makers Generation offers online afterschool programs. There is also an option for a monthly live demonstration of a STEM project that allows children the chance to follow along and create on their own.
iGen Summer Camp
iGen Summer Camp gives kids daily structure throughout the school break with a set schedule of daytime activities. Every day is filled with three-hour-long activity periods that allow them to explore beginner-friendly STEM concepts playfully.
There are nine different sessions but children can also go all out and attend the full summer for one discounted tuition. These camps are intended for the youngest growing minds and are open to those in grades Pre-K and kindergarten.
Campers learn about robotics, programming, and scientific experiments to engage their minds. They also get the chance to go outside and play with daily recess periods and the occasional field trip. Weekly special activities keep it fun and include arts and crafts, soccer, and even Taekwondo.
Summer @ GDS
Georgetown Day School helps students stay sharp with an impressive selection of programs intended for all children K-12 and are structured similarly to a school curriculum. Individual programs are tailored to help them learn about a specific major subject combined with secondary topics to reinforce their knowledge.
You will also find quite a few camps aimed at getting kids out in nature and staying active with biking and hiking. It’s a great combination of classroom fundamentals and good, old-fashioned fun in the sun.
Sessions each last a week or two and students can attend as many as they’re interested in. They start in the morning and go well into the evening camps and participants are grouped by grade level.
Headfirst Summer Camps
Headfirst Summer Camps have been around for over 25 years, providing kids around Washington, D.C. a chance to learn and grow. Children ages 3-13 are invited to register and attend a carefully curated curriculum meant to produce the best results in the least amount of time.
Every day is different at a Headfirst Summer Camp, and kids will love the novelty of the different projects they get to complete here. Depending on their age group and preferences, they can expect to create arts and crafts, expand their minds with STEM projects, or stay in shape through indoor and outdoor sports.
There are 6 locations in the Washington D.C. area, covering all four corners of our nation’s capitol.
Capitol City Robotics
Capitol City Robotics offers lessons to those who are serious about robotics and want to engage in friendly competition with their peers. Campers become part of a robotics team and learn how to work with others in a spirit of cooperation as they design, build, and test robots against other teams.
The programs at Capitol City Robotics are aimed at students between kindergarten and middle school who have shown a great interest in the topic. All kids are welcome to come and try it out to see if it is a good fit for them.
Kids will enjoy working with LEGO and VEX Robotics, combining the knowledge and problem-solving necessary to win and grow in their understanding of STEM. Camps are available year-round and are structured to be available when school is out.
Washington Community Fellowship
Washington Community Fellowship offers a completely free STEM camp to local students. This is thanks to donations from the community and other like-minded organizations.
Children in grades 3-6 engage in age-appropriate games, activities, and STEM-centered lessons that help them expand their minds and curiosity. Every week has a fun theme around the environment, physics, chemistry, and engineering.
If you want to sponsor a child and pay it forward, you can make a donation to the Washington Community Fellowship. Your donation will support education for children from all walks of life and help prevent learning loss. There are also volunteer opportunities that allow folks to work directly with kids on their learning journey.
Sidwell Summer
Sidwell Summer welcomes K-12 students to their many sessions designed around Codemoji, design and build, robotics, and other STEM activities. There are also offerings that feautre sports and arts, allowing kids to express themselves and engage in competition.
Sidwell Summer is hosted daily and can be attended in any configuration of one-week sessions. Children are welcome to attend more than one in order to explore and try new interests or more of what they enjoy.
Stop by the Sidwell Summer website to check out all of the camps on offer and for the complete list of dates and availability.
Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum
The S.H.E. Can STEAM Camp represents a commitment to helping women from underrepresented communities gain traction in these valuable fields. It’s sponsored by the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum and is open to young women between 6th and 8th grade. It comes at no cost to qualified campers.
Students who can attend this amazing offering will take a deep dive into STEAM with loads of fun field trips and activities. There is indoor skydiving, F.A.A. flight simulators, and an exploration of various careers.
They’ll have the chance to visit air traffic control towers, an aircraft mechanical school, and a local flight school where they can go on a discovery flight. Students can look to gain confidence and a greater understanding of aviation and careers in it.
George Mason University
George Mason University believes in the importance of providing opportunities to young students who show an interest in STEM. Diversity and inclusion are important to the future of the fields and George Mason University has a program specifically designed to address these needs. The FOCUS program was made to help females from underrepresented communities get a foot in the door.
Engineering camps provided by the Volgenau School of Engineering help teach students the value of mechanical, civil, electrical, computer, and bioengineering.
Game camps teach all of the aspects that go into the creation of new video games, including design, coding, digital art, music and sound, and computer hardware.
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