Sternberg Museum Science Camps

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!