Camp Information

Camp Fees and Registration:

• Fees for the Explore Science Camps are $1100/camper
• Fees for the Explore Physical Sciences and Explore Life Sciences Camps are $1250/camper
• Fees for the Data Sciences Camp is $1400/camper

Camp fees cover faculty instructional time, equipment, supplies, room and board, resident assistants and program assistants. Scholarships are available; please apply for one in the camp application form. Families are responsible for transportation to/from the Virginia Tech campus. 

Fees are due within two weeks of being accepted into camp. If you must cancel your registration, you will be reimbursed minus a $30 handling fee up until 4 weeks before camp. Unfortunately, we cannot offer refunds if you cancel closer to the start date of camp.

Registration will remain open until June 1 or when a camp fills. In previous years some camps filled by April.

Scholarships:

Need-based scholarships are available. Apply within the camp registration portal and wait for the decision before paying the camp fees. We will get back to you by email within 10 business days of receiving your complete application.

Camp Communication:

Our main method for communicating with you—parents, guardians and campers—will be through the email you list on the camp application. PLEASE make sure that all email addresses you list in your application are accurate and that you check them regularly. If you miss deadlines, you may miss out on camp.

Housing:

Campers will be housed in double-occupancy residence halls on Virginia Tech campus. Most rooms have bunk beds. We cannot accept roommate requests. When possible, girls and boys will be housed on different floors of the dorm.

Meals:

All meals (except snacks) will be served in our award-winning dining hall, D2, which offers an array of options suitable to most dietary needs. Visit Dining Services for questions.

Size of camp:

The 7-8^th grade camp accepts 40 campers total. The remaining camps will accept up to 48 campers. These sizes allow us to keep the camper to staff ratio low.

Camp activities and instructors:

All activities will be taught by Virginia Tech faculty, staff and/or senior graduate students. Our instructors are selected for their excellent teaching skills and their passion for sharing their expertise with youth. Many of these instructors have won awards for their amazing teaching and/or contributions to their fields.  Activities may last 45 minutes to several hours depending on the nature of what we are doing.

Camp Counselors:

Our camp counselors are Virginia Tech undergraduate and graduate students chosen for their dedication and ability to work with youth. They are trained prior to camp and go through rigorous background checks. Camp staff will supervise the campers from check-in until check-out and many will live on-site. Most staff are studying some sort of science and will be able to answer your camper’s questions about college majors, career interests, college life, and Virginia Tech. Our staff are here to help if your camper has any issue during camps (with housing, roommates, homesickness, illness, etc…)!

Faculty and Professional Mixers:

High school campers will have the opportunity to network from career professionals at a career night. All campers will have ample opportunities to network with VT faculty and staff and to ask questions about science majors, careers, college (here at VT or elsewhere), and research opportunities.

Expectations for Campers:

We expect all campers to always behave responsibly and respectfully. We expect them to be attentive and polite during activities even if a particular topic is not their favorite. We expect campers to be kind and respectful to their fellow campers and to all camp staff.

Before arriving on campus, campers and their parent/guardian are required to read and sign our “Code of Conduct and Consequences” form, which outlines behavioral standards. Campers who do not comply will be warned once and then sent home if the behavior does not improve.

Campers are not allowed to leave campus during the camp without the permission of their parent/guardian and the director of the College of Science camps.

Parking on campus:

Parking passes are always required on the VT campus and may be purchased through the ParkMobile App. Campers may drive to camp if their parents/guardians allow it but will not be allowed to use their personal vehicle until the end-of-camp departure. They will also need to purchase daily parking passes.

Walking on campus:

The Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg is large, and our campers do a lot of walking. For example, the dining hall and residence hall are across campus from the academic buildings where most of the activities take place, and different academic areas are found on different parts of campus. It is not uncommon to walk 5 or more miles per day. Please prepare your camper for walking. The good news is that they will become familiar with many parts of our beautiful campus.

Public transportation to Virginia Tech campus:

By bus: The Virginia Breeze provides transportation to/from various cities in Virginia. The Valley Flyer Route services Blacksburg.

By train: Amtrak; Northeast Regional Route 

Tickets can be purchased to Roanoke via the Amtrak website. The Roanoke train station is ~45 miles away from campus. The Smartway Bus can pick you up from the train station and take you to campus. The bus costs exactly $4. They only accept cash and do not provide change.  

By air:

Our local airport is Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport (ROA) and is approximately 45 miles away from campus. The Smartway Bus goes from the airport to campus and costs exactly $4. They only accept cash and do not provide change.   

All of the above options drop passengers off at the Maroon Loop of the Transportation Center on the Virginia Tech campus. The Maroon Loop is about one mile from our dormitory (depending on which dormitory we are assigned). You may use the Campus Shuttle or use an Uber or Lyft to help get you and your belongings to the dorm. 

Attire & Supplies:

The weather can fluctuate, so please check the weather forecast ahead of time. Closed-toe shoes and long pants are a must for many lab experiments. Classrooms can be chilly or warm, depending on the power of the AC. Please double-check the what-to-bring list before you leave home. Included on the list are: bedding (twin extralong), pillows, towels, and soap, and needed medications. All medications should be in their original packaging and enclosed in a plastic Ziplock bag with the camper’s name on them. Computers are NOT needed.

A complete list of supplies to bring to camp will be emailed 2-3 months before camp starts.

Check-in/Check-out:

Check-in time will be at 3:00 pm on the first day of camp. Check-out will be at 1:00 pm on the last day of camp. Please be on time and please do not register for your child for camp if you know they will need to miss part of camp.