Evaluators have shown the strength of summer camp as an intervention. With such rich possibilities, more studies and evaluations could assess and reveal the impact of facilitators and presenters. They can show how different the outcomes are when scientists practicing scientists present and facilitate versus the staff who have disciplinary knowledge, but are not employed as scientists. 

We could learn more about how participants experiment and learn from failure in the context of summer camp. Camp also provided opportunities to flip the paradigm of disability. For example, the Center for Global Soundscapes introduced blind and visually impaired students to a field in which their heightened aural skills were a unique asset, and this approach could likely be applied to other topics for students of varying abilities. 

We are also curious to learn more about how to sustain the positive outcomes of summer camp such as interest in certain content and career objectives. Camps have the capacity to deliver on “the characteristics of what Gee (2004) calls ‘affinity spaces:’ having a common endeavor or interest, enabling people of various skill levels to participate in the same activities, adapting the core organization through interaction, encouraging the development and sharing of specialized knowledge, honoring tacit knowledge, and allowing many different forms of participation and status in the space” 

Like Fields (2008), we hope to learn more about the sweet spot, the designs and models that bring students into affinity spaces, into community with those with similar interests, and give them autonomy to pursue scientific questions that matter to them. Fields reminded us that Bell et al. (2003) found that ‘doing science’ was not enough for high school aged youth in apprenticeships with professional scientists to learn several of the more important aspects about the nature of science. Involvement in an affinity space based on shared interests in science and engagement in research may lead to greater gains in understanding the nature of science.

With respect to projective identity formation facilitated by affinity spaces, Gee argues that whether or not youth pursue a projective identity in science, it is important that they have imagined the capability within themselves to do something such as become a research astronomer, attend undergraduate and graduate school, or even travel to Mars. Where better to start such journeys than at summer camp, particularly one staffed by adults and young adults with similar interests, backgrounds, dedicated to fostering interest and STEM career exploration.

Other articles to explore

This blog post is not a comprehensive look at the topic of summer camps. We found several articles on the subject in a variety of journals. For example, Kong, Dabney, and Tai examine the relationship between students' participation in science summer camps and their career interest in science and engineering across 5 states and include 1,580 students. More suggestions for further reading follow.

Ahrenkiel, L., & Worm-Leonhard, M. (2014). Offering a forensic science camp to introduce and engage high school students in interdisciplinary science topics. Journal of Chemical Education, 91(3), 340–344. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed400321a

Bhattacharyya, S., Mead, T. P., & Nathaniel, R. (2011). The influence of science summer camp on African-American high school students’ career choices. School Science and Mathematics, 111(7), 345–353. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1949-8594.2011.00097.x

Dalgleish, H. S., & Veitch-Michaelis, J. L. (2019). Assessing the influence of one astronomy camp over 50 years. Nature Astronomy, 3(12), 1043–1047. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-019-0965-y

Gagnon, R. J., & Sandoval, A. (2020a). Pre-college stem camps as developmental context: Mediational relations between gender, career decidedness, socioemotional development, and engagement. Children and Youth Services Review, 108, 104584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104584

Gagnon, R. J., & Sandoval, A. (2020b). Pre-college stem camps as developmental context: Mediational relations between gender, career decidedness, socioemotional development, and engagement. Children and Youth Services Review, 108, 104584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2019.104584

Ghadiri Khanaposhtani, M., Liu, C. J., Gottesman, B. L., Shepardson, D., & Pijanowski, B. (2018). Evidence that an informal environmental summer camp can contribute to the construction of the conceptual understanding and situational interest of STEM in middle-school youth. International Journal of Science Education, Part B, 8(3), 227–249. https://doi.org/10.1080/21548455.2018.1451665

Griffin, K. R., Glasscock, S. N., Schwertner, T. W., Atchley, W., & Tarpley, R. S. (2016). Wildlife conservation camp: An Education and recruitment pathway for high school students? Wildlife Society Bulletin, 40(4), 643–653. https://doi.org/10.1002/wsb.710

Houser, C., Garcia, S., & Torres, J. (2015). Effectiveness of Geosciences Exploration Summer Program (GEOX) for increasing awareness and knowledge of Geosciences. Journal of Geoscience Education, 63(2), 116–126. https://doi.org/10.5408/14-016.1

Ivánková, P., Halakova, Z., & Čolláková, D. (2022). The influence of a science camp experience on pupils motivating to study Natural Sciences. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 18(3), em2084. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/11709 

Kaplan-Sayı, A. (2017). Students’ views about enriched summer camp for high school students. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 13(11). https://doi.org/10.12973/ejmste/79042

Kataržytė, M., Hille, S., & Terlecka, R. (2017). Promoting marine science: International science camp as a platform. Marine Policy, 84, 76–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2017.07.003

Leblebicioglu, G., Abik, N. M., Capkinoglu, E., Metin, D., Dogan, E. E., Cetin, P. S., & Schwartz, R. (2017). Science camps for introducing nature of scientific inquiry through student inquiries in nature: Two applications with Retention Study. Research in Science Education, 49(5), 1231–1255. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11165-017-9652-0

Leblebicioglu, G., Metin, D., Capkinoglu, E., Cetin, P. S., Eroglu Dogan, E., & Schwartz, R. (2017). Changes in students’ views about nature of scientific inquiry at a science camp. Science & Education, 26(7–9), 889–917. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11191-017-9941-z

Leonard, J., Chamberlin, S. A., Johnson, J. B., & Verma, G. (2016). Social Justice, place, and Equitable Science Education: Broadening Urban Students’ opportunities to learn. The Urban Review, 48(3), 355–379. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11256-016-0358-9

Schwarz, G., Frenzel, W., Richter, W. M., Täuscher, L., & Kubsch, G. (2015). A multidisciplinary science summer camp for students with emphasis on environmental and analytical chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 93(4), 626–632. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.5b00211

Scott, C. M. (2013). The use of photo elicitation interviews in summer science programs to determine children’s perceptions of being a scientist. International Journal of Science Education, Part B, 4(2), 147–171. https://doi.org/10.1080/21548455.2013.789148

Smith-Palmer, T., Schnepf, S., Sherman, A., Sullenger, K. S., & Macdonald, L. (2015). An exploration of summer science camps as an informal learning environment. New Ground, 67–91. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6300-022-2_4

Stewart, B. L., Schroeder, S., Goodson, C., Miertschin, S., & Chakraborty, M. (2021). Fashion content triggers STEM discovery via coding camps for middle school girls. Journal of Family & Consumer Sciences, 113(3), 61–70. https://doi.org/10.14307/jfcs113.3.61

Yanowitz, K. L. (2016). Students’ perceptions of the long-term impact of attending a “Csi science camp.” Journal of Science Education and Technology, 25(6), 916–928. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10956-016-9635-3