Summer Program
Sessions 1-9 are full. Please use the link below to join our waitlist.
​For enhanced safety, we are requiring a photo of your student at the time of registration. The best photo is a clear close-up with no background.
This photo will be used only for student identification and attendance.​​
​Curriculum Overview
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Enrollment is by week, and you can register for any week in any session.
This summer's curriculum is comprised of three themed units: air, water, and earth. In each session, students will investigate relevant topics of interest, with time and space for a deep dive into each.
Guided by our experienced instructors and subject matter experts, students will follow their curiosity and develop a deeper understanding and appreciation for the subjects of their investigation. Students and teachers will have freedom to set their own course for adventure!
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Students spend lots of time in the field--on neighborhood walks, outings to local destinations, or charter bus trips to farther destinations. Each group may follow a different course of inquiry, but we will travel in larger teams or all together.
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Session 1: Air
Week 1: June 22 - June 26
Week 2: June 29 - July 2*
Week 3: July 6 - July 10
Look up and around! What's happening above our heads? What's buzzing past? In this session, students will have opportunities to investigate creatures that fly, weather patterns, trees that tower above us and enrich the air we breathe. We'll examine pollutants that affect the atmosphere, how they got there, and what we can do about them.
Washington, DC is nestled between the Anacostia and Potomac rivers and at the heart of the Anacostia and Chesapeake watersheds. Our waterways, marshlands, and the plants and wildlife that inhabit them tell much of the story of our city and region. In this session, children will have opportunities to investigate every aspect of this watery world and our relationship to it.
Session 2: Water
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Week 4: July 13 - July 17
Week 5: July 20 - July 24
Week 6: July 27 - July 31
There’s a whole world of activity underground and mostly out of sight—a web of life far more extensive than we can see on the surface. In this session, children will have the opportunity to explore the soil rocks that we walk on, plants and fungi that grow above and below the earth, and all the creatures that inhabit this subterranean universe.
Session 3: Earth
Week 7: Aug. 3 - Aug. 7
Week 8: Aug 10. - Aug. 14
Week 9: Aug. 17 - Aug. 21
Week 10: Aug. 24 - Aug. 26*
Summer Program Basics
Our summer program is open to children aged 3 to 8. ​Most of our daytime activities will take place outside and at field locations around DC. Our instructors are experienced in classroom or environmental education, and all are trained in first aid. Students are grouped by age with teacher to student ratios typically ranging from 1:6 for younger students to 1:12 for older students, not including counselors. More information is available in the Sample Schedule Below and our FAQ Page.
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Pricing Structure & Registration
Registration: Registration is on a week-to-week basis and requires a non-refundable deposit fee. Aftercare is available on a drop-in basis.
Pricing: We offer a tiered pricing structure that sets your tuition based on household size and income for all families who wish to be considered. Any family can opt out, but families with an annual household income below $125,000 comprised four or more members will likely qualify for reduced tuition. Discounts range from 25% to full scholarship. Tiered discount requires that applicants provide documentation prior to June 1. You'll receive instructions after registration. The maximum tuition per week is $475 for a full day, $100 for aftercare.
*Tuition for four- and three-day weeks (June 29-July 2 and Aug. 24-26) is prorated. The fee will be adjusted before your balance is due.
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Refund Policy: We offer a refund minus deposit fee for cancellations before June 1.
Need aftercare? Aftercare is available 4-6pm on a daily basis. The fee is $20 per day and registration will begin after June 1. ​
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Location
Our "Base Camp" at Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 212 East Capitol St NE in the Capitol Hill neighborhood will serve as the location for morning drop off, aftercare, and pick-up. It will also serve as our backup location on days when the weather is not conducive to being outside (e.g., extreme heat, poor air quality, thunderstorms, etc.).
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Hours
Camp hours are 8am to 4pm for full day, with aftercare available 4pm to 6pm. Families can register for aftercare after June 1.
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Sample Schedule
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8:00-9am drop-off
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9am - 1:30pm Field Outing (11am snack break + shade/water breaks)
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12:30 lunch
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2:30 story time / rest time
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1:45 - 2:30 ChoiceTime (indoor/ outdoor science, art, crafts, games, and exploring)
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2:30 - 4:00 Free Play/Exploration (Indoor/Outdoor)
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4:00 - 6:00 Aftercare: more choice time and outdoor exploration
What to Bring
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Lunch
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Water bottle
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Hat
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Comfortable Shoes
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One change of clothes
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Sunscreen is optional. We'll provide and apply midday, but you may send your own. ​​​​​
What We Provide
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Daypack
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Journal
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Morning Snack
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Lunch (for a fee)
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Water
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Sunscreen
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Afternoon Cold Treat
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Snack during Aftercare (4-6pm)
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Adventure!!!
A Day at Camp
Starting at 8am, we welcome children and start our day at our program center. Children enjoy supervised free play while the staff prepares for the day’s outing to the Kingman and Heritage Islands.
At 9am, when everyone has arrived, we gather for our morning circle. We sing songs, discuss some of the creatures and other nature we might see, and review plans for the day. After a quick trip to the restroom, we head out – equipped with our daypacks containing water, sunscreen, a field journal, and other essentials. ​​​
After a 15 minute walk to the bus station, a 10 minute ride, and a 20 minute walk to the park, we settle in the picnic area for our morning snack. After snack and some free play, we walk over the bridge to the islands, observing the wildlife and aquatic plants populating the Anacostia and surrounding marsh.
Around noon, we head back to the picnic area and playground for lunch and free play. Then we head back to our home base storytime and cool-down before our afternoon activities.
After storytime, children have free choice time until 3pm. This afternoon, campers can join free or semi-structured active play, or join a group field exploration around the program center. Today, two instructors take a group to birdwatch around the gardens of the Capitol, taking along bird books, binoculars, and plenty of curiosity.
At the end of afternoon choice time, we enjoy a cold treat. Today’s treat is frozen tubes of yogurt. Then we gather our things and prepare for 4pm dismissal. From now until aftercare ends at 6pm, we read books, play games, do art projects, and play outside.
Campers head home with their daypacks and art projects, ready for tomorrow’s adventure!
