High School Science Camps

2025 camp registration is now open though April 7th!

Early registration discount rates expire on March 2nd! Start your application by March 2nd to lock in the early discounted pricing!

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About Us

Sternberg Science Camps are based at the FHSU Sternberg Museum of Natural History in Kansas. We are a non-profit organization pursuing equitable access to exceptional earth and life science education programs and positive, supportive community for kids and teens. Our wider goal is to provide learning, networking and professional development opportunities to pre-college students in small group settings. We operate field, lab, classroom and blended programs to offer our students robust learning and growing experiences in settings where they feel safe and supported by staff and their like-minded peers.

We use small groups (8-10 students maximum) to boost sense of community and increase per-student attention from staff (3 per program). Our instructors are experts in their fields, with experience and training in education as well as research, field work, and other scientific career paths. Teaching assistants are typically earth and life science graduate students or undergraduates, and often are alumni of our high school programs. Our alumni can be found across the country pursuing careers in academic research, resource management, science education, industry, and the arts.

Our program fees go to program execution, paying our staff, and helping fund our scholarship program. In 2024 we also began a personnel investment program where we direct surplus funds to help our staff improve their professional knowledge, research skills and peer network strength. We are grateful to be able to provide funding resources to help students as well as the staff who work with them opportunities to further develop in pursuit of their academic and professional goals.

Curious to learn more? Read on! You can also check us out on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky, all @SternbergCamps!

You can contact us directly at DALevering@FHSU.edu, or at 785-639-5249.

Core Philosophies

The Sternberg Museum Science Camp programs are built around a core philosophy of student development, advancement, and supportive peer community. We train our students with dedicated lessons and by example, giving them new tools and knowledge to use as they pursue their goals. To paraphrase many of our past students, it will be the most challenging, amazingly fun thing you’ve done!

Supportive Peer Community
Our staff goes above and beyond to foster safe, inclusive learning communities built to help our students have fun while they learn and grow with like-minded peers from across the country (and increasingly from around the world)!. We believe in the importance of building a trusting, fun atmosphere to help our students pursue their fascinations with earth and life science topics and content to their full potential while learning the ins and outs of being a young aspiring professional.

Active Hands-on Learning
Our staff implement engaging learning games and problem-solving challenges, guiding our students as they learn to consider and connect their knowledge in a comprehensive fashion. We use active teaching methods to help students learn how to skillfully use the knowledge they acquire in lessons and discussions. Our learning activities, be they in the lab, classroom, field, or museum, focus on student collaboration and developing critical thinking, all while keeping things fun and interactive.

Fun
We are program built for science geeks, by science geeks. We love spending time in the field or in the lab, and want to make sure our students see that while science can be hard work, it’s also a ton of fun. Networking and peer-group-building are also immensely important for us, as such connections are crucial for any aspiring future professional. We strive to keep the work of field, lab, and classroom science balanced with a healthy dose of laughter!

Skill-Building
Having a core set of useful skills can be incredibly valuable for students looking to advance their opportunities in the natural sciences. By introducing and developing these essential skills, we train our students to be prepared for egaging in science beyond the classroom. Skill-centered lessons will look different from age group to age group and camp to camp. Please see the camp descriptions for more details.

Empowerment
Using active learning techniques, we guide our students to think about science beyond raw facts and figures. In our field-based camps, our students are taught to safely and responsibly carry out our field tasks in a variety of favorable and adverse conditions. In doing this, students discover their own strengths and capabilities. In our virtual camps, we exchange field tasks for games, puzzles, and team challenge projects. In each type of program, students are uniquely trained to take on future academic and interpersonal activities.

“This camp experience provided many “firsts” for me. I had never camped in a tent before; I had never been away from family for that length of time; and I learned that given a significant purpose, I had endurance beyond my belief. It was definitely the highlight of my year.” – Alex Landwehr, Sternberg Camps alumni

Advanced Academics
We introduce our students to foundational concepts in earth and life sciences to start out our programs. From the Law of Superposition to the population basis for evolution by natural selection, students are set up to learn content quickly as we build understanding through observations and focused discussions. Our staff are broadly trained in the topics of their respective camps, and are excited to engage with student questions. We use research-backed teaching strategies to make advanced content engaging, accessible, and fun!

How to apply

Student applicants must be ages 15 to 18 as of June 2025.

The final 2025 application deadline is April 7th, 2025. We will not review an applicant’s packet for admission until it is 100% complete.

Complete online application.

To do this, you will need to set up an account with CampDoc. You can do this by clicking the “Apply Today” link at the top of this page. Once this is done, you’ll be able to log back in to your account as you complete the application process.

If you already have an account with CampDoc, simply log in. Your personal information should all be saved from your last application.

The waiver can be found in the online application.

The financial aid application can be found in the online application.

2 page (5-7 paragraph) letter of interest from the student applicant.

You can find suggestions for writing your letter of interest here.

This must be submitted through the CampDoc application system.

While we recognize the utility of AI tools to aid in writing, it is crucial that students write their own letters about why they wish to attend. Writing is a crucial skill in the professional sciences, and we consider the cover letter an excellent opportuniy for student applicants to practice. If we suspect a letter was written by an AI text generator we will run it through an AI text-detector. Any letters scoring higher than 70% AI-sourced text will be returned to the applicant to rewrite and resubmit.

Applicants may not submit letters written by parents or otherwise outsourced.

Returning students may not resubmit a letter from a previous year. We keep letters year to year, and will check if a letter looks familiar. (Or if you leave the prior year and/or names of specific camps in your letter.)

Letter of recommendation from a teacher, coach, job supervisor, or other supervisor who does not have a conflict of interest with the student's parent(s) or is a member of the applicant's family.

This can be sent to us at SternbergCamps@FHSU.edu. We will upload it to your CampDoc profile once recieved. You can also upload it your profile yourself, using the document upload portion of the Health Profile. Either approach is fine, so long as the letter is uploaded on time.

You can find instructions for recommendation letter-writers here.

Most* returning students in good standing** do not need to submit a recommendation letter.

Students must have participated within the previous two summers. Students returning after after two or more summers will need to submit a recommendation letter.

Standing is determined by staff. A student not in good standing will be expressly notified by the Camps Director.

Click here to learn more about our scholarship program.

The 2025 application review deadlines are:

February 7th

February 16th

March 2nd (Early registration discount deadline.)

March 16th

April 7th (Final application deadline.)

After each of these dates, we will review the 100% completed applications for admission. Notifications will go out to those applicants within a week of each respective deadline. We may accept late applications on a case by case basis, as some camps have their enrollment locked after that deadline. If you are applying after April 2nd, please contact us at the email below before starting your application.

Cancellation Policy

A 10% deposit is paid at the time of registration. Students who are accepted into the camp must then have the remainder of the registration fee paid by the April 21st, 2025 payment deadline.

Q: What if my student is not accepted into the camp they applied for? Do you refund tuition?
A: 100% of paid tuition is refunded to any students not accepted to a camp they applied for. This includes the initial deposit paid at the time of initial application.

Q: What is your cancellation and refund policy?
A:
Refund Policy:
Withdrawals must be submitted via email. Deposit fees for camp(s) applications are fully refundable until the applicant is officially accepted for admission. Prior to admission, the deposit is fully refundable in the case of cancellation submitted in writing. Denial of application acceptance will result in a full refund of the deposit payment for each camp the applicant was not accepted to. Following application acceptance, the deposit is no longer fully refundable, and each camp registration is held to a minimum 10-percent cancellation fee. For withdrawals after May 1st, half of the total fee is refundable. For withdrawals made after June 1st, no amount of the fee is refundable. We recommend you look into the insurance plan offered through CampDoc to safeguard against any last-second need to withdrawal due to unforeseen circumstances.

Registration fees are non-transferable between applicants or to accepted participants. Funds provided Sternberg Science Camps in the form of any financial scholarship to the participant will be withheld in any case where a scholarship awardee or their parent(s)/guardian(s) cancels an accepted application.

Cancellation Policy:
In the event of a camp being cancelled, either due to insufficient enrollment, or other unforeseeable impairments, the Sternberg Science Camps will provide a refund of all tuition and/or deposit fees paid up to the point of cancellation. Any scholarship funds awarded to the applicant to aid in attendance will be retained by the Sternberg Science Camps program. We are unable to reimburse the cost of any travel expenses paid to transport successful applicants to and/or from their camp(s). We strongly recommend attendees insure their travel to and from their respective camp(s) being attended.

For answers to more possible questions, see our Frequently Asked Questions page!

COVID Mitigation Policy

(Updated 1/7/2025)

Since returning to in-person programs in 2021, our programs have had a perfect record of 0 in-camp transmission COVID19 cases. On tops of this we've had less that a half-dozen incidents of students or staff getting sick in any way while at camp over the last ten years. We attribute this to our stringent mitigation protocols as well as the diligence of our campers and their families. Please contact Camps Director David Levering at DALevering@FHSU.edu if you have questions about the Camps’ COVID19 mitigation policies outlined below. We strongly recommend you fully review these policies and protocols before proceeding with your application. 

All staff are fully vaccinated for COVID19. 

Camp groups will follow all public health protocol requirements of the respective states camps are taking place in, and requirements of locations visited. Example: If a state does not have a masking mandate, but a museum visited in that state does, then all students and staff will have to mask while visiting that museum. 

Example: If a public indoor space visited is in a state with no masking mandate, and no location-specific masking requirement, students will not be required to mask in that space, though they will not be discouraged from doing so. 

Staff will have masks on hand to provide to students as needed and/or desired. 

Field-based camps will not require masking during outdoor portions. Masking may be required on a case-by-case basis when visiting various indoor locations over the course of any given camp.

In spaces where masking is not explicitly required, students will not be required to wear masks. However, students who wish to wear a mask will be encouraged to take such steps to make them as comfortable as possible with their in-person camp experience. Harassment of students for choosing to/not to mask in spaces where it is optional will not be tolerated by staff. 

A camper getting pulled from a camp will be very un-fun for everyone involved, and potentially expensive for anyone infected at camp due to quarantine protocols and travel plan changes. We are also not able to give refunds due to cancellations happening right before camp due to illness (or other factors). To absolutely minimize the possibility of a COVID19 infection in a camp group, we ask that all students take the following steps before camp: 

Two weeks before your camp begins, start taking extra caution in potentially exposure to COVID19 infection. This especially includes spending time unmasked in crowded indoor spaces. If you must spend time in such high-risk spaces, we ask you strongly consider wearing a well-fitting N95 respirator mask.

Exercise your best judgement in even attending smaller indoor functions or crowded outdoor functions. COVID19 is extremely transmissible, and missing camp plus not being able to get a refund because you get COVID right before camp would really awful. 

All students are strongly encouraged take a COVID19 test the day before traveling to their camp starting location. This can be a home rapid test, or through an accessible lab facility that does such testing. We ask this be done to mitigate any chance of arriving at your program only to unexpectedly test positive at the beginning of camp. Testing positive at the beginning of camp and documenting the positive results may be necessary for any travel insurance claims for cancelled made if you choose to purchase a policy via CampDoc or elsewhere. This test used to be required in advance, but we have reduced it to a strong recommendation as tests have become a bit harder to find more recently.

All students* (and staff) are required to complete a COVID19 rapid test upon arriving at the drop-off location for their camp. Staff will have rapid tests marked with the date and the student's name ready to hand out. Bringing your own test will not be permissible in place of this test. We consider this a very small inconvenience to maximize our chances for a camp free of major medical disruptions. 

Any students who test positive on the arrival rapid test will not be allowed to continue with their participation, nor will they be able to get a refund for the program. We are strict on this policy in protection of other students as well as staff who may have immunity complications. We are also prioritizing preventing immensely disruptive outbreaks to our programs that ruin the experience for all involved. Once again we strongly recommend taking strong precautionary measures in the weeks prior to camp and during travel, and taking a reputable diagnostic test for COVID19 with two days of travel to your program. We also strongly recommend families look into insurance policies to protect against the financial impacts of illness interfering with their child's ability to participate in camp at any stage.

COVID19 vaccination is not required to participate in our programs. However, we strongly recommend students who are vaccinated upload a readable photo/scan of their COVID19 vaccination card to their CampDoc profile in the medical information section. This is simply another piece of relevant, useful healthcare documentation. Such status will only be used in relevant healthcare scenarios and is in no way used to determine program admission or disclosed to anyone outside of our staff or healthcare professionals. We collect this information to allow our on-site staff to make well-informed student management, care, and situation-response decisions and/or communicate said information to physicians if the need arises. This is true for all of the medical information we collect and will not be shared outside Sternberg Science Camps staff teams and relevant medical professionals as needed. 

Each camp has 6+ COVID rapid tests on-hand in their materials kit. Staff are aware of their locations, and protocols on using them. If a student is showing typical signs of COVID infection, they will be asked to complete a rapid test so staff can make informed health and safety decisions for the student and broader camp group.

In a situation with a positive test in the group, we will begin requiring masking and distancing protocols for all students and staff until we can test the entire group and confidently ascertain that everyone is COVID19 negative. Other mitigation steps may be taken depending on the situation of the camp group and whether they are camping, in dorms, and so forth. 

As with any other concerning medical issue, a COVID19-positive student (based on a positive rapid test result) will be transported to the nearest medical facility for evaluation as needed following communication with parents. All positive COVID rapid tests will result in that individual being removed from the group to quarantine. In each case, parents will be contacted about the situation to discuss options, and will be kept up to date on developments.

Students pulled for COVID19 infection will not be able to rejoin the group, as the standard wait time for no longer being infectious outlasts any sensible timeframe for returning. We strongly recommend exploring insurance plans offered via CampDoc or other travel insurance plans to cover unexpected expenses of having a student pulled from camp over COVID or other health issues. We expect parents/guardians to be expeditious in working with our staff to get the student secured so the staff who transported them to the hotel/hospital or airport earlier than otherwise expected can rejoin the main group. This is mostly borne of safety concerns as we need the full staff presence to properly and safely execute any of our in-person programs. 

In the case of our field camps, pulling a student from the field can be quite arduous, which is one of many reasons why we are enacting strict applicant COVID19 precautionary requirements.

About High School Camps

Our high school camps include camping trips, university lab-based programs, and blended travel programs. All are over-night camps, lasting from one to two weeks.

All high school camps include the following:

Meals and snacks, typically from lunch on the first day to lunch on the last day. We keep a substanital food budget, and are capable of working around most specific dietary requirements so long as they are disclosed in advance in the student's CampDoc application. This being said, hyper-specific needs may create challenges we cannot meet, especially in field settings. These should be discussed with the Camps Director prior to applying.

Staff supervision includes at minimum a lead instructor and teaching assistant. For our field-based camps we include a staff member with an active Wilderness First Responder Certification. WFR Certification training is done through the National Outdoor Leadership School.

Transportation and accomodations during the camp. This includes pickups and dropoffs at the designated airport for the camp. We cannot do airport pickups or dropoffs anywhere other than the one designated for each respective camp.

Materials and equipment for all camp activities. This varies from camp to camp. For details, please see individual camp descriptions. If you have further questions, contact us at SternbergCamps@FHSU.edu.

Photography of activities by staff. Students are of course welcome to take photos as well. We typically post photos to the Camps' accounts on Instagram and Facebook whenever on-site staff are able to provide some from the field. Larger uploads of photos and videos by staff take place after the camp has concluded. (Sometimes staff are in areas with poor signal strength and are unable to transmit photos. We ask for patience with the frequency we post updates.)

Camping Trips**

Our field camps include extensive tent camping on a range of camp site types, including state/federal campgrounds, private campgrounds, and research stations. We will also make use of university dorms and hotels/AirBnBs when called for.

As these programs typically take place in the middle of summer, conditions are often hot and sunny. some programs will include time in cooler conditions including caves, mountains, or areas where temperatures decrease noteably at night. Students should be well prepared for a range of temperature and weather conditions.

Tents and sleeping pads are provided for students, with usually 2-3 students in an appropriately sized tent. We ask that participants not bring their own tents as they may not be appropriate for conditions in the camp, or sized properly for the campsites we reserve. Camp pads are typically thick foam or inflatable. Participants are welcome to bring their own sleeping pad if they desire. Participants must provide their own sleeping bags, pillows, and other such personal items.

Camping trips usually include 2-3 indoor days between weeks out in the field. These days will include opportunities to do laundry. While we always make sure laundry facilities are avialable at the midway point, sometimes the logistics of the camp make the indoor component untenable.

As we are camping, access to electrical outlets is limited. We strongly recommend students bring a portable power bank for their phone, and exercise good judgement in battery use. Chargers in the vehicles are reserved for staff to keep devices fully charged, as well as recharging cameras and other devices.

While we do not do any heavy backpacking, the field camps are typically at least moderately physically demanding. Staff put a great deal of time, care, and effort into training students to mentally and physically adapt to the necessities of fieldwork. We know such activities can be quite challenging, and our central goal is helping students be succesful.

University Lab-Based Programs

These camps primarily use university dormitory and dining hall facillities, with exceptions for in-program excursions where they may make use of a hotel or AirBnB as needed.

Most activities are indoor in climate-controlled facilites. Participants should be prepared for occasional field trips that may include outdoor settings.

Students will typically have at least one opportunity during two-week camps to do laundry.

Students should expect to have a roommate during their time in the dormitories. If a student is attending with a friend, we can arrange they be paired together if requested in advance.

Blended Travel Programs

These camps may include a combination of hotels/AirBnBs, field stations, university dorms, and camping. Conditions and facilites can vary widely. Participants should refer to information in the Camping and Lab-Based sections above for information about components of the Blended Travel Programs

Approach to meals is adapted to the accomodations being used. Restaraunts are not typically used outside of closing dinners on the last night.

Staff

Our camps staff are professional scientists and science educators, graduate students, undergraduates, and select program alumni. We value a wide range of professional skills and career paths, in order to provide a broad set of skills training and perspective to our students. All of our staff are deeply passionate about science outreach and education in addition to their professional specializations.

Each field-based program includes at least one staff member with a Wilderness First Responder certification, ensuring quick, decisive action when dealing with any kind of injury or health concern in the field.

Contact Us

For questions about the Sternberg Science Camps programs, contact us at SternbergCamps@fhsu.edu or 785-639-5249.

Block #1 (June 8 - June 20, 2025)

Field Paleontology: Kansas (session 1)

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Start date: June 8, 2025
End date: June 20, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 4/5
Program field/indoor classification: Field-based

Camp start location: Sternberg Museum, Hays, KS
Camp end location: Sternberg Museum, Hays, KS
Primary airport: Hays Regional Airport

Instructors: Dr. Emily Simpson (UT Knoxville faculty), Eury Speir (U. Missouri PhD student)

Description: In Field Paleontology: Kansas, students will get to investigate the paleontology and ecology of the ancient ecosystems out in the field, prospecting for and digging up fossils. Participants can expect to encounter a wide variety of fossil vertebrates and invertebrates during their fieldwork. Students will learn how to find and collect fossil material using the same tools and techniques as professional paleontologists. This will include learning to take field notes, set up a campsite, use GPS units, map and compass skills, and proper methods of fossil collection and transport to preserve as much information as possible. Collected fossils will return to the Sternberg Museum to be added to the research and education collections. Evening group discussion sessions will explore topics such as applying to college, starting a research project, and working with professors. This is our longest standing camp, with successful alumni flourishing in college earth and life science programs across the country.

This camp is predominantly tent-camping and campgrounds with running water and showers. During the middle weekend the group will spend three nights in the FHSU dorms where they will be able to do laundry.

Camp activity highlights:

Fossil hunting and excavating
Camping skills
Skeletal anatomy lab activities at Fort Hays State University Biology Department
Visiting the Sternberg Museum research collections

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $3,541
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $3,718
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear including clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Hays Airport. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students are allowed to arrive and depart a maximum of two days before camp starts or after it ends, respectively.
Students arriving early or departing late are welcome to use the Fort Hays State University dorms here in Hays. They will likely not have access to dining hall facilities, as those only open for larger groups. Staff can make sure participants have transportation to a local grocery store if needed.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Intro Fossil Prep Methods (session 1)

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Start date: June 1, 2025
End date: June 6, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 2/5
Program field/indoor classification: Indoor-based

Camp start location: Sternberg Museum, Hays, KS
Camp end location: Sternberg Museum, Hays, KS
Primary airport: Hays Regional Airport

Instructor: Carson Cope (FHSU MS student)

Description: Students will be introduced to a wide variety of professional tools and methods used to clean and stabilize fossils in the Sternberg Museum’s fossil preparation lab facility. Emphasis is placed on practicing the cleaning, reassembly, and protection techniques for fossil material. Removing the rock surrounding fossil material, using combinations of small dental tools, airscribes, and pin tools is just the start. Preparators must also be experts with various glues and adhesives for reconstructing and reinforcing the fossils. All the work done in the fossil prep lab is extremely important to the science and work done on any collected fossil specimen.

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the Fort Hays State University dormitories and eating in the FHSU dining hall as a group.

Camp activity highlights:

Preparing fossils using magnification to locate important microstructures
Learning to use tools including picks, airscribes, and mold/cast systems
Cleaning your own fish fossil in the Sternberg Museum prep lab
Visiting the Sternberg Museum paleontology research collections

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $1,965
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $2,063
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipmentq
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear including clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Hays Regional Airport. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students are allowed to arrive and depart a maximum of two days before camp starts or after it ends, respectively.
Students arriving early or departing late are welcome to use the Fort Hays State University dorms here in Hays. They will likely not have access to dining hall facilities, as those only open for larger groups. Staff can make sure participants have transportation to a local grocery store if needed.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Advanced Fossil Prep Methods (session 1)

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Start date: June 8, 2025
End date: June 20, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 3/5
Program field/indoor classification: Indoor-based

Camp start location: Sternberg Museum, Hays, KS
Camp end location: Sternberg Museum, Hays, KS
Primary airport: Hays Regional Airport

Instructors: Carson Cope (FHSU MS student)

To participate, applicants must either:

Have completed the full Introduction to Fossil Preparation Methods camp in a previous summer, or

Complete the 2024 session of Introduction to Fossil Preparation Methods camp that immediately precedes this program. As we use specialized prep techniques on our specimens at the Sternberg, it is important that students have prior specialized training offered in intro prep before participating in this camp.

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the Fort Hays State University dormitories and eating in the FHSU dining hall as a group.

Camp activity highlights:

Fossil hunting and excavating
Camping skills
Skeletal anatomy lab activities at Fort Hays State University Biology Department
Visiting the Sternberg Museum research collections

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $3,629
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $3,810
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear including clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Hays Regional Airport. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students are allowed to arrive and depart a maximum of two days before camp starts or after it ends, respectively.
Students arriving early or departing late are welcome to use the Fort Hays State University dorms here in Hays. They will likely not have access to dining hall facilities, as those only open for larger groups. Staff can make sure participants have transportation to a local grocery store if needed.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Field Paleontology: North Dakota (Alumni Only)

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Start date: June 8, 2025
End date: June 20, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 4/5
Program field/indoor classification: Field-based

Camp start location: Bismarck, ND
Camp end location: Bismarck, ND
Primary airport: Bismarck Municipal Airport

Instructor: Dr. Clint Boyd (Curator of the North Dakota State Fossil Collection)

Description: This new field paleontology program is being offered in collaboration with the North Dakota Geologic Survey, and will be making use of established Cretaceous Hell Creek field sites. Students will work with NDGS paleontologist Dr. Clint Boyd as well as Sternberg Camps+ TAs on ongoing field projects as well as visit other regional sites for shorter exploratory trips. The Hell Creek is one of the most famous and prolific fossil-producing geologic settings in the world. In North Dakota, components of the Hell Creek have yielded large marine and terrestrial reptiles along with incredibly complete geological and paleobiological records.

While this is program is predominantly field-based in its planned activities, the group will be staying in a local AirBnB unit instead of tent-camping. In past years we have had issues in the dakotas with severe weather severely damaging tents and vehicles, so we are opting for a pragmatic approach to reduce risks. This also makes the program a bit friendlier to students wanting to get field experience, but possibly have little or no prior camping experience.

Note: Applicants must have successfully participated in one or more Sternberg camp programs at the high school level in a prior year. The age range is also 16-18, as per request of our program partners in North Dakota.

Camp activity highlights:

Highlights: Working with the NDGS state paleontology crew including instructor Dr. Clint Boyd.
Fieldwork in the world-famous Hell Creek Cretacous fossil sites on North Dakota.
Indoor activities such as screen-washing and sorting microfossils using on-site lab facilities.
Lessons and skill-building in stratigraphic geology fieldwork.
Behind the scenes visit to NDGS museum in Bismark, ND.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $6,780
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $7,119
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Bismark, ND Municipal Airport on the listed arrival day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Geology Academy: New Mexico

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Start date: June 8, 2025
End date: June 20, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 3/5
Program field/indoor classification: Blended

Camp start location: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Camp end location: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Primary airport: Albuquerque International Airport

Instructor:

Description: Welcome to the geology wonderland that is New Mexico! Students will spend two weeks exploring the incredible rocks, minerals, volcanics, and geologic processes that have shaped this gorgeous southwest landscape. The group will explore incredible geologic sites such as Turquoise Hill, local hotsprings, and all manner of area rock, mineral, and gemstone-hunting locations. While finding awesome rock and mineral specimens is immense fun, this camp is still focused on striking that educational balance. Students can expect to learn about the molecular structure, chemistry, and formation-settings for these geological wonders we can now find on the surface of the earth. Stops at regional state and national parks are also one the menu, giving students a chance to take in more incredible sights, and test their developing knowledge of geological processes.

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the University of New Mexico dormitories and eating in the UNM dining hall as a group.

Camp activity highlights:

Exploring (Safely!) area volcanoes and hotsprings.
Rockhounding in some of the most prolific and diverse geologic settings in the US around Albuquerque.
Meeting with area geologists to learn about research, public land management, and commercial activities in the area and how they work.
Hands-on lessons and labs in mineral/rock formation processes.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2) : $5,474
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $5,748
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Albuquerque International Airport on the listed arrival day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Paleontology Academy: Colorado

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Start date: June 8, 2025
End date: June 20, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 3/5
Program field/indoor classification: Blended

Camp start location: Colorado School of Mines, Denver, CO
Camp end location: Colorado School of Mines, Denver, CO
Primary airport: Denver International Airport

Instructor: Amanda Rea (Dinosaur Ridge Camps Director)

Description: Join us for two weeks of Colorado Paleontology in collaboration with the amazing Dinosaur Ridge staff! This program is being led by D.R. Camps Director Amanda Rea, who will be leading the students on explorations of incredible fossil resources Western Colorado. Dinosaur tracks are first on the menu with an introduction to area geology and the incredible footprint trace-fossils that Dinosaur Ridge is famous for. The group will also visit small quarry sites known for fossil plants, insects, and occasional small vertebrates that participants can take home to keep! A little to the south is Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, where an incredible prehistoric lake preserved a menagerie of ancient organisms in stunning detail! Thanks to the generosity of their staff, students will get a unique behind the scenes look at how paleontology in the park service contributes to the overall field. The group will also visit paleontology-centric museums of the region from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to the Dinosaur Resource Center!

This program will be split between using the Colorado School of Mines dormitories and dining hall and a portion using an AirBnB adjacent to Florissant Fossil Beds.

Camp activity highlights:

Behind the scenes visits to Dinosaur Ridge, The Denver Museum of Natural History, and Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument.
Research and site-care techniques used by Dinosaur Ridge for their dinosaur track sites.
Fossil hunting at local quarries.
Meeting with numerous paleontology researchers and educators across institutions in Eastern Colorado.
Day-trips to exceptional geological sites in the eastern face of the Rocky Mountains.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $5,726
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $6,012
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Denver International Airport on the listed arrival day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Paleontology Academy: Kansas

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Start date: June 8, 2025
End date: June 20, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 2/5
Program field/indoor classification: Indoor-based

Camp start location: Sternberg Museum, Hays, KS
Camp end location: Sternberg Museum, Hays, KS
Primary airport: Hays Regional Airport

Unit 1 instructor:

Unit 2 instructor:

Description: This is an indoor lab, classroom and museum-based program focused on topics in academic paleontology. Students will get hands-on experience with projects and activities designed to build both knowledge and specialized skills. The camp is divided into two units each focused on different subjects, while maintaining common themes between the units. Each unit is led by a different expert lead instructor, while the team of teaching assistants remains the same through both weeks. In 2024 this camp was split into Dinosaur Skull Anatomy and Paleo-Mammal Physics. We will be including new topic themes for 2025 with similar level of focus on exciting, engaging topics within the wide field of paleontology.

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the Fort Hays State University dormitories and eating in the FHSU dining hall as a group.

Camp activity highlights:

Using Biology and Geology lab spaces on the Fort Hays State University Campus.
Working in the research collections at the Sternberg Museum of Natural History.
Project-based active learning focused on building skills and concept awareness for research.
Meeting the paleontologists and graduate students at the Sternberg Museum.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $4,216
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $4,427
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Hays Regional Airport on the listed arrival day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Staff will be in Hays the day before camp starts, but we cannot guarantee they will be conveniently available to do pick-ups for any students who arrive early. If your child must arrive early, please communicate with us well in advance so we can do our best to help with your logistics.
For students on departing flights leaving after 5pm local time on the last day, staff cannot guarantee availability to drop them off at the airport. If it is looking like your child will need to depart after this time, please communicate with us so we can help wherever we can with your return-home logistics.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Paleontology Academy: New Mexico

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Start date: June 8, 2025
End date: June 20, 2025

Instructor:

Description: Journey back to the rise of the dinosaurs and their ancestors of the Permian and Triassic in this two-week program set in New Mexico's stunning landscape! New Mexico is home to the world-famous Ghost Ranch locality, known for stunning Triassic dinosaur fossils such as Coelophysis, Phytosaurs, Aetosaurs, as well as fish and plant remains. Turning south, we will visit the Permian Prehistoric Trackways National Monument. Students in this camp will learn about how we can best understand prehistoric ecosystems and big-picture evolutionary processes by examining geology, fossils, and modern ecolosystems to refine our understanding of past ecosystems and the organisms that inhabited them. Along the way they explore new skills that scientists use to collect data in the field, and methods for formulating concise, quality research questions. The group will also get opportunities to meet museum, education, and research professionals in the National Park Service, New Mexico Museum of Natural History, and University of New Mexico.

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the University of New Mexico dormitories and eating in the UNM dining hall as a group.

Camp activity highlights:

Visit to the New Mexico Museum of Natural History.
Conprehensive problem and project-based activities focused on early Triassic paleoecology.
Visit to unique Triassic fossil field sites.
Translating field observations to research questions.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $5,348
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $5,615
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Albuquerque International Airport on the listed arrival day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Paleontology Academy: Virginia

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Start date: June 8, 2025
End date: June 20, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 2/5
Program field/indoor classification: Indoor-based

Camp start location: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Camp end location: Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA
Pickup/dropoff airport: Roanoke (ROA) Airport

Instructor: Prescott Vayda (Virginia Tech PhD student)

Description: Jump into the science of the Cambrian Explosion and the origin of Animalia with Instructor and PhD student Prescott Vayda! This experiance-diverse program will get students hands-on with fossils of the very earliest animals while also learning about and practicing established research techniques in paleontology. Lessons on early animal anatomy will also be incorporated using the paleontology teacing colelctions on-site at Virginia Tech. Students will apply these lessons and skills to analytical visits to area field sites where they can find fossils such as corals, crinoids, and gastropods as well as ancient plants! Amidst the early animals experiences, students will also get to interact and learn from a diversity of other paleontologists at Virgiania Tech through guest presentations and activities.

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the Virginia Tech dormitories and eating in the VT dining hall as a group.

Camp activity highlights:

Visiting Virginia Tech geology isotope chemistry lab.
Learn to process isotope geochemistry data to answer research questions.
Examine thin-sections of sedimentary rock to learn more about fossil deposition and preservation.
Behind the scenes tour of the fossil prep lab.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2) : $5,128
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $5,384
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Roanoke (ROA) Airport on the listed arrival day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Block #2 (June 29 - July 11)

Intro Fossil Prep Methods (session 2)

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Start date: June 29, 2025
End date: July 4, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 2/5
Program field/indoor classification: Indoor-based

Camp start location: Sternberg Museum, Hays, KS
Camp end location: Sternberg Museum, Hays, KS
Primary airport: Hays Regional Airport

Instructors: Hillary McLean (Professional fossil preparator)

Camp Activity Highlights

Preparing fossils using magnification to locate important microstructures.
Learning to use tools including picks, airscribes, and mold/cast systems.
Cleaning your own fish fossil in the Sternberg Museum prep lab.
Visiting the Sternberg Museum paleontology research collections.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $1,965
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $2,063
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Hays Regional Airport. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students are allowed to arrive and depart a maximum of two days before camp starts or after it ends, respectively.
Students arriving early or departing late are welcome to use the Fort Hays State University dorms here in Hays. They will likely not have access to dining hall facilities, as those only open for larger groups. Staff can make sure participants have transportation to a local grocery store if needed.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Advanced Fossil Prep Methods (session 2)

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Start date: July 6, 2025
End date: July 18, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 3/5
Program field/indoor classification: Indoor-based

Camp start location: Sternberg Museum, Hays, KS
Camp end location: Sternberg Museum, Hays, KS
Primary airport: Hays Regional Airport

Instructors: Hillary McLean (Professional fossil preparator)

Description: Students will be introduced to a wide variety of professional tools and methods used to clean and stabilize fossils in the Sternberg Museum’s new fossil prep lab facility. Emphasis is placed on practicing the cleaning, reassembly, and protection techniques for fossil material. Removing the rock surrounding fossil material, using combinations of small dental tools, airscribes, and pin tools is just the start. Preparators must also be experts with various glues and adhesives for reconstructing and reinforcing the fossils. All the work done in the fossil prep lab is extremely important to the science and work done on any collected fossil specimen.

To participate, applicants must either:

Have completed the full Introduction to Fossil Preparation Methods camp in a previous summer, or
Complete the 2025 session of Introduction to Fossil Preparation Methods camp that immediately precedes this program As we use specialized prep techniques on our specimens at the Sternberg, it is important that students have prior specialized training offered in intro prep before participating in this camp.

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the Fort Hays State University dormitories and eating in the FHSU dining hall as a group.

Camp Activity Highlights

Large-jacket projects including specimens collected by Field Paleontology: Kansas camp groups.
Advanced practice and training with cleaning and stabilizing large vertebrate fossils.
Creation of specimen stability-cradles to safely store specimens in research collections cabinets.
Day-trip to fossil field site where we have successfully collected marine vertebrate fossils.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $3,629
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $3,810
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Hays Regional Airport. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students are allowed to arrive and depart a maximum of two days before camp starts or after it ends, respectively.
Students arriving early or departing late are welcome to use the Fort Hays State University dorms here in Hays. They will likely not have access to dining hall facilities, as those only open for larger groups. Staff can make sure participants have transportation to a local grocery store if needed.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Field Paleontology: Kansas (session 2)

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Start date: June 29, 2025
End date: July 11, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 4/5
Program field/indoor classification: Field-based

Camp start location: Sternberg Museum, Hays, KS
Camp end location: Sternberg Museum, Hays, KS
Primary airport: Hays Regional Airport

Instructor: Dr. Emily Simpson (UT Knoxville faculty)

Camp Activity Highlights

Fossil hunting and excavating.
Camping skills.
Skeletal anatomy lab activities at Fort Hays State University Biology Department.
Visiting the Sternberg Museum research collections.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $3,541
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $3,718
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Hays Regional Airport. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students are allowed to arrive and depart a maximum of two days before camp starts or after it ends, respectively.
Students arriving early or departing late are welcome to use the Fort Hays State University dorms here in Hays. They will likely not have access to dining hall facilities, as those only open for larger groups. Staff can make sure participants have transportation to a local grocery store if needed.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Field Paleontology: Utah

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Start date: June 29, 2025
End date: July 11, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 4/5
Program field/indoor classification: Field-based

Camp start location: Las Vegas, NV
Arrival airport: Harry Reid International Airport
Camp end location: Salt Lake City, UT
Departure airport: Salt Lake City International Airport

Instructor: Alexandra Bonham (National Park Service paleontologist)

Description: Join instructor and National Park Service paleontologist Alexandra Bonham for a two-week adventure in Utah exploring the fossils, geology, and modern biology of its amazing landscape. Alexandra worked for us in 2022 as a teaching assistant on Field Paleontology: Kansas while completing her Masters at University of Georgia. Since then she has worked as an NPS paleontologist in the Southwest United States, primarily in Utah.

Students and staff will convene in Las Vegas, Nevada before heading into Southern Utah to begin their trek to dinosaur field sites, amazing canyons and rock arches, and even a stop at Dinosaur National Monument. While out on hikes, students will also get a taste of modern desert biology and ecology. This is our third year running this camp, which was phenomenally designed and piloted at maximum enrollment by instructors Maggie and Marjie in 2023 and run again by Alexandra in 2024. Were immensely excited to be returning it in 2025 with Alexandra at the helm again, giving more students the chance to experience the incredible natural history of Utah!

This is a fully tent-camping program, using a mix of primitive sites as well as sites with showers. Students will have an opportunity to do laundry in town midway through camp.

Camp activity highlights:

Visiting spectacular geological monuments at Arches and Canyonlands national parks.
Working with professional paleontologists at established research field sites.
Visiting Dinosaur National Monument, and meeting NPS paleontologists
Exploring desert wildlife including reptiles, nocturnal mammals, and birds.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2) : $4,000
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $4,200
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Las Vegas Airport on the listed arrival day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Staff will be in Las Vegas the day before camp starts, but we cannot guarantee they will be conveniently available to do pick-ups for any students who arrive early. If your child must arrive a day early, please communicate with us well in advance so we can do our best to help with your logistics.
For students on departing flights leaving after 5pm local time on the last day, staff cannot guarantee availability to drop them off at the Salt Lake City Airport. If it is looking like your child will need to depart after this time, please communicate with us so we can help wherever we can with your return-home logistics.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Research Academy: Kansas (Alumni only)

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Start date: June 29, 2025
End date: July 11, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 2/5
Program field/indoor classification: Indoor-based

Camp start location: Sternberg Museum, Hays, KS
Camp end location: Sternberg Museum, Hays, KS
Primary airport: Hays Regional Airport

Instructors: Amelia Zietlow (American Museum of Natural History Gilder School PhD student)

Description: Join instructor Amelia Zietlow for a two-week adventure learning how to properly examine a new mosasaur fossil and identify if it could be a new species! In 2024 our Advanced Fossil Prep group prepared a beautiful fossil mosasaur that was dug up by our 2014 Field Paleontology Kansas high schoolers. This year, with the guidance of Amelia (one of the foremost experts on mosasaurs in the North America), this group will examine the specimen's skull, teeth, and remains of vertebrae, paddles and ribs to rigorously diagnose what branch of the mosasaur family tree it belongs to. Students will also learn the process of examining a new specimen in order to describe it professionally in a research paper or meeting poster. Our larger goal is to submit a descriptive poster on the specimen to the 2025 Society of Vertebrate Paleontology conference, with program staff and students sharing coauthorship on the poster.

Note: Applicants must have successfully participated in one or more Sternberg camp programs at the high school level in a prior year.

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the Fort Hays State University dormitories and eating in the FHSU dining hall as a group.

Camp Activity Highlights

Comprehensive activities combining vertebrate anatomy, research databases, and scientific publication processes.
Describe a newly prepared mosasaur fossil and diagnose species ID.
Visit to the Sternberg Museum research collections and fossil prep lab.
Working with modern skeletal specimens in the Sternberg zoology collection and FHSU teaching collection.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2) : $3,916
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $4,112
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Hays Regional Airport. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students are allowed to arrive and depart a maximum of two days before camp starts or after it ends, respectively.
Students arriving early or departing late are welcome to use the Fort Hays State University dorms here in Hays. They will likely not have access to dining hall facilities, as those only open for larger groups. Staff can make sure participants have transportation to a local grocery store if needed.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Research Academy: Missouri

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Start date: June 29, 2025
End date: July 11, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 2/5
Program field/indoor classification: Indoor-based

Camp start location: University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
Camp end location: University of Missouri, Columbia, MO
Primary airport: Columbia Regional Airport

Instructors: Clare Mate (U. Missouri PhD student)

Description: You asked for it, and here it is! This two-week program will get students learning the ins and outs of how to work in a university/museum paleontology research collection! Participants will engage with a curriculum focused on preparing them to succeed as research collection volunteers or paid assistants in college. Skills and knowledge will also help prepare students for doing data-collection activities for research using such collection facilities. Students can expect time working in the fossil collection facilities as well as learning to use collection management software, which has become a crucial aspect of modern research specimen organization. Participants will work with Univerity of Missouri graduate students and faculty in lessons and hands-on skill-building active learning lessons.

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the University of Missouri dormitories and eating in the Missou dining hall as a group.

Camp Activity Highlights

Learning to use collections management software and systems with problem and project-based learning activities.
Finding and writing successful collection funding and research grants. (Very important long-term skill!)
Visiting invertebrate fossil field sites.
Building a foam mount to safely store a fossil the student found and gets to keep.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2) : $5,251
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $5,514
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Columbia Regional Airport on the listed arrival day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Paleontology Academy: Illinois

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Start date: June 29, 2025
End date: July 11, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 1/5
Program field/indoor classification: Indoor-based

Camp start location: DePaul University, Chicago, IL
Camp end location: DePaul University, Chicago, IL
Primary airport: Chicago O'Hare International Airport

Instructor:

Description: Join us for two weeks exploring the land-invasion of vertebrates, and their transition from fish to the first amphibians and reptiles! The University of Chicago and the Field Museum hold some of the strongest research and learning resources in the country for understanding the evolution of our fishy ancestors into landmark species discoveries such as Eusthenopteron, Tiktaalik and Acanthostega among a great many others. This program will focus on the ecological factors and evolutionary pressures that led to the first land-based tetrapods, the anatomical changes they underwent to move from swimming to walking. Students will get to do some experimental physics to better understand the evolution of limbs that could hold weight on land, and dive into the research literature to understand how major discoveries like Tiktaalik are communicated to fellow researchers effectively. On top of all this, visits to the University of Chicago and Field Museum along th behind the scenes tours and opportunities to meet with professional paleontologists will make this and incredible experience for students.

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the DePaul University dormitories and eating in the DePaul dining hall as a group.

Camp Activity Highlights

Visits to the Field Museum and University of Chicago
Conprehensive problem and project-based activities focused on early tetrapod ecology and evolution.
Visit to the Lincoln Park Zoo and Shedd Aquarium.
Meeting with area scientists to learn about their career paths and work.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $6,439
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $6,761
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Chicago O'Hare International Airport on the listed arrival day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Paleontology Academy: Los Angeles

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Start date: June 29, 2025
End date: July 11, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 2/5
Program field/indoor classification: Blended

Camp start location: CSU San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA
Camp end location: CSU San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA
Primary airport: San Bernardino International Airport

Instructor:

Description: Join us for an incredible two week exploration of the prehistory of Southern California and its world-class scientific insitutions. This program is focused on the Miocene and Pliocene fossil records of the Los Angeles area, exploring the robust history of everything from large mammals to small birds, as well as insects and plants! The Los Angeles region is packed with incredible natural history education and research centers, such as the La Brea Tar Pits and the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. Students will go behind the scenes with staff to see research collections and meet practicing professionals in a variety of paleontology career areas across a variety of institutions. Of course, no trip to LA would be complete without some local culture to round out all the amazing science! Participants will receive a survey from the instructional team before summer to help select from a handful of youth-friendly area options.

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the University of California San Bernardino dormitories and eating in the UCSB dining hall as a group.

Camp Activity Highlights

Visits to world-class science centers including the La Brea Tar Pits, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the LA Zoo & Botanical Gardens.
Behind the scenes at the Alf Museum of Natural History and Western Science Center.
Visits to field areas including Red Rock Canyon and the Rainbow Basin.
Meeting area university earth and life science faculty and graduate students.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $6,458
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $6,781
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the San Bernardino International Airport on the listed arrival day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Paleontology Academy: New York

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Start date: June 29, 2025
End date: July 11, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 1/5
Program field/indoor classification: Indoor-based

Camp start location: City University of New York, New York City, NY
Camp end location: City University of New York, New York City, NY
Primary airport: John F. Kennedy International Airport

Instructor: Ben Matzen (Oxbridge Academy science teacher)

Description: Join returning instructor Ben Matzen for two weeks in New York City for a dive into the incredible natural history resources of New York City! Students can expect extensive explorations and behind the scenes visits to the American Museum of Natural History, the Bronx Zoo, New York Aquarium, New York Botanical Garden, and of course the famous park spaces of NYC! University visits including the AMNH Gilder Graduate School and nearby Stony Brook University, both home to incredible paleontology graduate programs (including some of our current and former staff) are also in the works, giving students a special chance to meet earth and life science faculty and graduate students! Of course, no trip to NYC would be complete without taking in some cultural sights and experiences. Special visits to explore the arts in NYC from stage plays to art museums will also be included, as we know many of our students enjoy balancing their love of science with other creative interests.

Note that this program, while staying in dorms, will not have access to a dining hall facility. We recommend students budget $80/day for food. (We cannot readily cover restaurant dining due to state policies regarding our purchase card uses.) We will be making stops at accessible local spots for meals during the day, and will do our best to accomodate special dietary requirements. However, as we are not using a staffed dining hall facility, our ability to accommodate may be lower than normal. We will not have a specific plan regarding dining establishments we will be visiting until spring, likely after the registration deadline has passed. If you have specific questions, please let us know.

Camp Activity Highlights

Meeting scientists and graduate students at area museums and universities.
Behind the scenes visit to the American Museum of Natural History.
Focus on better understanding dinosaur paleontology and Mesozoic paleoecology with diverse museum, aquarium, garden, and zoo visits.
Sampling the world-famous arts and culinary scenes of NYC!

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $5,927
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $6,223
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Meals
- Transportation to and from camp location
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the John F. Kennedy International Airport on the listed arrival day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Traffic will likely complicate pickups/dropoffs here compared to our other programs. Students may need to wait for longer than normal periods for staff to arrive depending on unpredicatable circumstances. That said, we will make sure all students that need to be picked up are collected from the airport!
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Paleontology Academy: Tennessee

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Start date: June 29, 2025
End date: July 11, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 3/5
Program field/indoor classification: Blended

Instructors: Dr. Blaine Schubert (ETSU faculty), Dr. Joshua Samuels (ETSU faculty)

Description: This camp is being offered in colaboration with the paleontologists at the Gray Fossil Site, run by Eastern Tennessee State University. Students will experience a blend of fossil excavation work with Gray Fossil Site workers and classroom/lab activities to process their finds for incorporation into the museum collections.

The Gray Fossil Site is world-famous for prehistoric tapirs, red pandas, alligators, elephants, saber-toothed cats and camels. It was found in the year 2000 and has been a focus of intense research and fossil excavation ever since. We're immensely excited to be able to offer this program in collaboration with the paleontologists at the Gray Fossil Site Museum!

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the Eastern Tennessee State University dormitories and eating in the ETSU dining hall as a group.

Camp Activity Highlights

Guided fossil excavation and site-mapping in the Gray Fossil Site fossil quarry
Working with professional paleontologists in the fossil quarry and Gray Fossil Site Museum
Microscope-pciking vertebrate micro-fossils
Skeletal anatomy lessons to help ID fossil bones being excavated
Special presentations on topics tied to the Gray Fossil Site research.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2) : $4,858
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $5,101
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals/snacks
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Access/admission fees for museums, aquariums, state parks, etc
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp start/end location
- Personal travel insurance
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Tri-Cities Airport on the first day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Paleontology Academy: Washington DC

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Start date: June 29, 2025
End date: July 11, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 1/5
Program field/indoor classification: Indoor-based

Camp start location: University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Camp end location: University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Primary airport: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport

Instructor: Casey Bennett (U. Missouri PhD student)

Description: The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History is an incredible resource for learners and researchers to explore the natural world past and present! In this program, students will spend two weeks learning and being guided through mini-projects focused on a diversity of careers and topics in museum paleontology. From collections to fossil preparation to exhibits, students will get an amazing first-hand look at how one of the largest museums in the world contributes to research as well as communicating that research to the public. Special guest appearances from museum professionals, multiple days exploring the incredible exhibits and learning how the interface between the units of a museum collaborate will be our primary focus. By the end, our goal is for students to have a great understanding and appreciation for how paleontologists at museums go about their respective jobs, and what those jobs are!

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the University of Maryland dormitories and eating in the UM dining hall as a group.

Camp Activity Highlights

Meeting with Smithsonian professionals in a variety of institutional departments.
Behind the scenes exploration of displays and collections.
Visiting area historical landmarks.
Visit + behind the scenes at Smithsonian National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $6,723
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $7,059
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals/snacks
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Access/admission fees for museums, aquariums, state parks, etc
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp start/end location
- Personal travel insurance
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on the first day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Paleontology SciComm

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Start date: June 29, 2025
End date: July 11, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 2/5
Program field/indoor classification: Blended

Camp start location: UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Camp end location: UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Primary airport: Oakland International Airport

Instructor: Danny Anduza (Science educator, owner of Paleontologizing)

Description: Join paleontologist and online educator Danny Anduza (Paleontologizing) for a two week in-depth experience in the Bay Area learning the essentials of modern online science communication! Danny is well known for his educational video streams during fieldwork and community discussions on Twitch. Here he will be guiding students into how to strategically approach educational content creation in online spaces with visits to amazing facilities and field areas. Visits to the University of California Berkeley Museum of Paleontology, the Marine Mammal Center, California Academy of Sciences, the Twitch headquarters, and fossil field sites in the area will focus on how to approach talking to broad audiences about scientific concepts. Students will also receive training and abundant practice in the technical side of online video-based content creation, giving them a set of strategies and tools to take home with them and carry into the future. These skills can be immensely valuable in academic and museum-based careers where demonstrable skills in audience cultivation and engagement are increasingly important.

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the University of California Berkeley dormitories and eating in the Berkeley dining hall as a group.

Camp Activity Highlights

Visits + behind the scenes at museums including UC Museum of Paleontology and Cal Academy.
Visit to Twitch headquarters to meet professional staff.
Visits to local mammal fossil sites.
Visit to the National Center for Science Education to learn about ongoing strategies being used in public science education +outreach.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $6,313
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $6,629
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals/snacks
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Access/admission fees for museums, aquariums, state parks, etc
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp start/end location
- Personal travel insurance
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Oakland International Airport on the first day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Block #3 (July 20 - August 1)

Paleontology Academy: Michigan

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Start date: July 20, 2025
End date: August 1, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 1/5
Program field/indoor classification: Indoor-based

Camp start location: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Camp end location: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Primary airport: Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

Instructor: Casey Bennett (U. Missouri PhD student)

Description: Get behind the scenes with the incredible University of Michigan Museum of Natural History! With vertabrate, invertebrate, plants, and micro-fossil collections, along with zoology and modern botany, Univerirsity of Michigan is a treasure-trove of incredible scientific specimens! UM is also a storied program in American paleontology, with a long track record of impactful scientists to compliment a remarkably robust ongoing research and education operation. Students will spend two weeks learning about how these robust research collections are crucial to current and future work by scientists looking to better understand the past, present and future of our natural world. Students will get to see how researchers and collections are used to inform and enhance public education operations like community outreach and museum exhibits, with opportunities to meet with professionals doing this work.

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the University of Michigan dormitories and eating in the UM dining hall as a group.

Camp Activity Highlights

Comprehensive group learning projects spanning museums and field sites visited
Meeting faculty and graduate student researchers to learn about their work.
Meeting with UM Museum professionals and collections workers.
Behind the scenes visits to research collection facilites.
Mini-projects to guide students in using collections for research and education.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2) : $5,474
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $5,748
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals/snacks
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Access/admission fees for museums, aquariums, state parks, etc
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp start/end location
- Personal travel insurance
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport on the first day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Paleontology Academy: Santa Cruz

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Start date: July 20, 2025
End date: August 1, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 2/5
Program field/indoor classification: Blended

Camp start location: UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Camp end location: UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Primary aiport: San Jose Mineta International Airport

Instructor: Amelia Zietlow (American Museum of Natural History Gilder School PhD student)

Description: Join instructor Amelia Zietlow for two weeks on the California coast exploring marine paleobiology and how fossils form in the ocean! This program will include a diverse look at paleobiological resources in the Monterey and Bay Area regions on Northern California, including behind the scenes visits to world-class research and education institutions like UC Berkeley and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Students will work through the interrelationships between marine geologic settings and capacity for fossilization. Marine ecology is also on the schedule, with hands-on learning focused on diets, feeding strategies, and differences in ecosystem structures from shallow to deep water. These geological and biological dynamics are all crucial in better understanding the long-term processes that have shaped the marine fossil records we explore today across the globe!

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the UC Santa Cruz dormitories and eating in the UCSC dining hall as a group.

Camp Activity Highlights

Comprehensive group learning projects spanning museums and field sites visited
Visit and behind the scenes at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Visit to the Berkeley Museum of Paleontology to meet researchers and graduate students.
Visits to the coast for modern day coastal biology.
Geology and fossil hunting at Capitola Reef, Pinnacles National Park, and other regional fossil huting sites.
Visit to the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History. Visit to the California Academy of Science.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $6,277
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $6,591
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals/snacks
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Access/admission fees for museums, aquariums, state parks, etc
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp start/end location
- Personal travel insurance
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the San Jose Mineta International Airport on the first day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Paleontology Policy (Washington DC)

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Start date: July 20, 2025
End date: August 1, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 1/5
Program field/indoor classification: Indoor-based

Camp start location: University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Camp end location: University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Primary airport: Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport

Instructor:

Description: Curious how the laws governing fossil collection, museum fossil public trust, and private versus public lands work? Interested in learning more about the policies that determine how the National Park Service works with researchers, educators, the public, as well as commercial industry interests? This first-of-its-kind camp will get students thinking about how we manage our natural history resources on federal lands, with meetings with policymakers and Department of the Interior leadership who help shape the rules that impact an enormous amount of fossil-bearing land in the United States. The group will also learn how federal resource collections in the National Park Service and the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History help facilitate a vast array of research and preserve our shared natural history heritage.

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the University of Maryland dormitories and eating in the UM dining hall as a group.

Camp Activity Highlights

Visits to congressional offices to talk with policymakers (or their staff, schedules depending) about processes for legislation concerning federal land management.
Meetings with Department of the Interior administrators to discuss how internal policy and strategy decisions are established and carried out.
Behind the scenes visit to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
Conprehensive problem and project-based collaborative learning activities.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $6,723
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $7,059
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals/snacks
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Access/admission fees for museums, aquariums, state parks, etc
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp start/end location
- Personal travel insurance
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport on the first day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Field Paleontology: Tennessee (Alumni only)

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Start date: July 20, 2025
End date: August 1, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 5/5
Program field/indoor classification: Field-based

Camp start location: Eastern Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
Camp end location: Eastern Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
Primary airport: Tri-Cities Airport, Blountville, TN

Instructors: Dr. Blaine Schubert (ETSU faculty), Dr. Joshua Samuels (ETSU faculty)

Description: Building on the success of our Paleontology Academy Tennessee program, this camp will get students learning the intracies of safe, successful paleontological fieldwork in caves! Implementing a college-level curriculum developed by co-instructor Dr. Blaine Schubert, students will get hands-on with mammal fossil deposits in area caves. In these deposits lay the remains of prehistoric organisms that fell, washed or blew into the cave and were buried in mud, secure from the destructive natural forces outside. The cave walls themselves are also fossiliferous, made up of ~300 million year old limestone from an ancient sea. Skeletal remains of vertebrates found in these cave deposits are ~1.8 million years old, and can include organisms such as sabertooth cats, giant ground sloths, giant aramdillos, and mastadons, along with much smaller mammals such as voles. Cave fossils are a remarkable resource, and the skills we present in this program to study them are relevant to paleontological field projects around the world!

Note: Applicants must have successfully participated in one or more Sternberg camp programs at the high school level in a prior year.

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the Eastern Tennessee State University dormitories and eating in the ETSU dining hall as a group.

Camp Activity Highlights

Learning to use proper safety equipment for cave-based paleontology field work.
Assisting ETSU faculty in fossil surveying and collection in area cave sites.
Team management and planning procedures needed for technically hazardous field paleontology to be done safely and successfully.
Learning to identify skeletal remains of organisms found in visited cave deposits.
Behind the scenes visits the Gray Fossil Site Museum.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $5,218
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $5,479
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals/snacks
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Access/admission fees for museums, aquariums, state parks, etc
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp start/end location
- Personal travel insurance
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Tri-Cities Airport on the first day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Research Academy: Illinois

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Start date: July 20, 2025
End date: August 1, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 1/5
Program field/indoor classification: Indoor-based

Camp start location: DePaul University, Chicago, IL
Camp end location: DePaul University, Chicago, IL
Primary airport: Chicago O'Hare International Airport

Instructor: Dr. Yara Haridy (University of Chicago postdoctoral researcher)

Description: Join paleontologist Dr. Yara Haridy for an incredible two-week experience learning how we look inside fossils using CT (computed tomography) scanning technology. (Dr. Hardy is a post-doctoral researcher at University of Chicago.) During this program students will learn how to use the CT scanner to create 3D digital models of fossils, as well as process their scans to digitally look inside fossils and separate individual elements. (This process of making CT scans research-useable is called segmenting.) The goal of this program is to train students on the safe and proper use of this technology that is becoming more prominent in paleontological research methodologies. Successful completion of this program will give students the skills to approach including CT scanning technologies and methods into their own research approaches in college, graduate school, and beyond. Students will also be introduced to other cellular-paleontology methods including histology and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) technology.

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the DePaul University dormitories and eating in the DePaul dining hall as a group.

Camp Activity Highlights

Visits to the University of Chicago to use facilities and meet other paleontology professionals and graduate students.
Using CT scanning and computer lab facilities to make and segment CT scans.
Conprehensive problem and inquiry-based collaborative learning projects.
Visits to the Field Museum in Chicago to explore exhibits and go behind the scenes.
Visit to the Lincoln Park Zoo.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $6,599
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $6,929
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals/snacks
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Access/admission fees for museums, aquariums, state parks, etc
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp start/end location
- Personal travel insurance
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Chicago O'Hare International Airport on the listed arrival day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Staff will be in Chicago the day before camp starts, but we cannot guarantee they will be conveniently available to do pick-ups for any students who arrive early. If your child must arrive a day early, please communicate with us well in advance so we can do our best to help with your logistics.
For students on departing flights leaving after 5pm local time on the last day, staff cannot guarantee availability to drop them off at the Chicago O'Hare International Airport. If it is looking like your child will need to depart after this time, please communicate with us so we can help wherever we can with your return-home logistics.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Research Academy: Massachusetts

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Start date: July 20, 2025
End date: August 1, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 1/5
Program field/indoor classification: Indoor-based

Camp start location: Suffolk University, Boston, MA
Camp end location: Suffolk University, Boston, MA
Primary airport: Boston Logan International Airport

Instructor:

Description: In this program students will spend two weeks exploring a very new topic of study in dinosaur paleontology: Neurobiology! Also known as the study of how the nervous system works. We know what you may be thinking with your own brain: ""But nerve tissue is soft, and doesn't fossilize very well at all!"" Ah, but skulls do, along with the spaces inside the skull where the brain and its direct nerves would have been found! By using specializing techniques to look inside of dinosaur skulls, we can see which regions of their brains were larger or smaller, their shape, and even get an idea of what senses were strong or relatively weak! Students will get training on modern vertebrate neuroanatomy, and use their new skills and knowledge to explore evolutionary concepts and questions in the archosauria (the group that includes crocodilians, birds, and dinosaurs among others). Remarkable insights into topics such as the evolution of bird flight, hearing, and higher intelligence have emerged from this exciting field of evolutionary life science! Visits to area academic institutions including the Harvard Museum of Natural History with behind the scenes meetings with researchers will round out this unique learning and community experience for our students!

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the Suffolk University dormitories and eating in the UM dining hall as a group.

Camp Activity Highlights

Working with dinosaur skull and brain-cavity 3D prints to learn skull and brain anatomy.
Conprehensive problem and project-based collaborative learning activities.
Visit to the Harvard Museum of Natural History.
Meeting with paleontologists and biologists to discuss camp program content.
Exploring research literature on paleo-neurobiology and how researchers go about asking+answering questions in this research area.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2): $6,630
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $6,962
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals/snacks
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Access/admission fees for museums, aquariums, state parks, etc
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp start/end location
- Personal travel insurance
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the Boston Logan International Airport on the first day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

Scientific Illustration: California

Learn more

Start date: July 20, 2025
End date: August 1, 2025

Expected physical exertion level: 1/5
Program field/indoor classification: Indoor-based

Camp start location: UC San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA
Camp end location: UC San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA
Primary airport: San Jose Mineta International Airport

Instructors:

Description: Back by popular demand, we are bringing our scientific illustration program to the LA area for two weeks learning how to convert natural history discoveries into accurate artistic portrayals and scientific infographics! Through scientific illustration an artist can bring prehistoric life back from the dead, and make complicated information easier to understand. It is a discipline that combines an understanding of science, skill in the arts and the use of one's imagination. In this camp based at the San Bernardino campus, students will learn how to draw specimens accurately from life, to rebuild imperfect or incomplete fossils, and how to reconstruct an entire extinct animal or ecosystems from fossil evidence. Along the way, participants will get to explore multiple types of digital media, and traditional media such as pencil drawing, charcoal, paint, and sculpture. We will use a variety of creative projects at locations such as the La Brea Tar Pits and LA County Museum to build on student’s current skills, reinforce essential basics, and hone more advanced approaches to recreating now-extinct organisms through art.

This is a dorms-based camp, with students and staff staying in the University of California San Bernardino dormitories and eating in the UCSB dining hall as a group.

Camp Activity Highlights

Behind the scenes and exhibits visit to the La Brea Tar Pits.
In-depth visit to the LA County Museum to learn how art is used to for science exhibit design.
Visits to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and other incredible arts resources in the Los Angeles region.
Integration of art and science communication to design student-led take-home projects.

Cost per student:

Early registration fee (deadline March 2) : $5,988
Regular registration fee (March 3 - April 7): $6,287
Scholarships are available! For more information, please visit our Scholarships page.
Fee covers:
- Meals/snacks
- Accomodations
- Transportation during camp
- Group equipment
- Access/admission fees for museums, aquariums, state parks, etc
- Materials for activities
Fee does not cover:
- Transportation to and from camp start/end location
- Personal travel insurance
- Personal gear inluding clothing and toiletries (see the packing list linked above for more details)
- Accomodations before the camp begins and after the camp ends
- Food before the camp begins and after the camp ends

Travel notes:

Staff will be available to pick participants up from the San Jose Mineta International Airport on the first day. We cannot pick up students from airports other than the one designated for the camp. The same applies for departures.
Students must join the group at the starting location on the start date. Staff will not be available the day before to help with potential early arrival situations.
Staff cannot stay with students who stay overnight at the departure airport before catching their flight home. Staff will most likely have their own flight back home to catch. Staff will be able to help get students situated for their departure before they themselves head out.
It is the responsibility of parents and students to make sure all parties have a clear understanding of student flights to and from the starting airport, and communicating that information in writing to staff.
We will distribute a travel logistics communication form to all accepted applicants at the time they are notified of acceptance to our program. This is to be used for communicating travel information to us so we can provide it to the relevant staff team(s).

2025 camp registration is now open though April 7th!

Block #1 (June 8 - June 20, 2025)

Field Paleontology: Kansas (session 1)

Intro Fossil Prep Methods (session 1)

Advanced Fossil Prep Methods (session 1)

Field Paleontology: North Dakota (Alumni Only)

Geology Academy: New Mexico

Paleontology Academy: Colorado

Paleontology Academy: Kansas

Paleontology Academy: New Mexico

Paleontology Academy: Virginia

Block #2 (June 29 - July 11)

Intro Fossil Prep Methods (session 2)

Advanced Fossil Prep Methods (session 2)

Field Paleontology: Kansas (session 2)

Field Paleontology: Utah

Research Academy: Kansas (Alumni only)

Research Academy: Missouri

Paleontology Academy: Illinois

Paleontology Academy: Los Angeles

Paleontology Academy: New York

Paleontology Academy: Tennessee

Paleontology Academy: Washington DC

Paleontology SciComm

Block #3 (July 20 - August 1)

Paleontology Academy: Michigan

Paleontology Academy: Santa Cruz

Paleontology Policy (Washington DC)

Field Paleontology: Tennessee (Alumni only)

Research Academy: Illinois

Research Academy: Massachusetts

Scientific Illustration: California

Sternberg Fossil Collection

Kansas Chalks

Fossils of the Cretaceous Seaway

Mosasaur Tooth

Fossil Preparation Lab

Comparative anatomy lab

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Apply Today

Testimonials

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FAQ

Alumni

Staff