📍 Location: The Oakes Museum of Natural History at Messiah University
📅 Dates: Various camps from June 9 - July 26, 2025
🎟 Grades: 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12
💲 Cost: $150 - $375 per week (Scholarships Available!)
Curator Club Summer Camps (Grades 3-5) – Science Exploration & Fun!
Curator Club provides hands-on science enrichment, encouraging curiosity and discovery in a fun, interactive environment. Each week, young scientists will investigate fascinating topics with engaging experiments, outdoor exploration, and museum adventures.
☀ Camp Sessions:
🔎 Explore It! Camp (June 16-20) – Each day features a new science mystery! From fossils to the water cycle, campers will explore different natural science topics through hands-on experiments and outdoor investigations.
🦜 Animals Camp (June 23-27 or July 21-25) – Using the museum's collections and the great outdoors, campers will discover different animal groups (invertebrates, fish, reptiles/amphibians, birds, and mammals) with interactive experiences.
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Optional before-care from 8:00-9:00 AM for an additional $25/week.)
💲 Price: $150 per camper per week
CC2 Summer Camp (Grades 6-8) – Ecology & Environmental Science
For middle schoolers looking to dive deeper into the natural world, CC2 Summer Camp offers an engaging week of fieldwork and experiments that bring science to life!
🌱 Ecology Camp (July 22-26) – Nature is one big puzzle, and we’re putting the pieces together! Campers will explore ecosystems, conduct experiments, and observe wildlife, both inside the museum and in Messiah University's outdoor learning spaces.
⏰ Time: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM (Optional before-care from 8:00-9:00 AM for an additional $25/week.)
💲 Price: $150 per camper per week
Oakes Museum High School Science Camps (Grades 9-12) – Hands-On Science in the Lab & Field
For high school students passionate about science, the Oakes Museum High School Camps offer college-level fieldwork and lab experiences led by museum professionals and guest experts.
🦉 Field Biology Camp (June 9-13, $375) – Become a field biologist for a week! Students will track animals, use professional research techniques, set mammal traps, conduct electrofishing, and explore local ecosystems to understand biodiversity and conservation.
🧪 Vertebrate Anatomy Camp (July 15-18, $375) – A lab-intensive experience where students will study vertebrate anatomy through dissections, microscopy, and tissue examination. Labs include frogs, sharks, pigeons, fetal pigs, and more!
⏰ Time: 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM (Lunch provided in Messiah University's cafeteria.)
💲 Price: $375 per student per week.
🎓 Scholarships available – email oakesmuseum@messiah.edu for details.
🚨 Space is limited, so register early!
