10 Summer Camps Where Your Kid Will Actually Learn Something

Where: Stanford University or Silicon Valley Community Foundation, south of San Francisco, Calif.

When: Four 12-day sessions run between June 16th and Aug. 8th

Cost: $1,590 standard tuition for the camp at Standford, $1,290 for the camp at SVCF

What they'll learn: Camp BizSmart pairs teams of kids between the ages of 11 and 15 with top executive mentors. Each exec gives their team of kids a business problem they must solve, giving them a chance to learn teamwork, financial analysis and negotiation.

Tech entrepreneurs at Google, Microsoft and Cisco have backed the camp.

Where: Moorhead, Minn.

When: 1-week to 6-week sessions offered between June 9th and Aug. 30th

Cost: Between $515 and $5,975

What they'll learn: Kids at Concordia Language Villages aren't called campers, but villagers. They're issued passports and given names in other languages to create an immersive language-learning environment.

The camp offers courses in 15 modern languages including Arabic, Japanese and Danish. In addition to learning a new language, students also get a cultural experience, participating in a traditional Chinese tea ceremony one day and playing fútbol like they do in Spain the next.

Where: Columbia County, N.Y.

When: Six sessions up to three weeks long run between June 29th and Aug. 9th

What they'll learn: Hawthorne Valley Farm invites 8-to-15-year-olds to live, work and play on their 400-acre spread. Younger kids go to House Camp, where they live together with staff in a large barn house and learn the basics of farm life. Older kids go to Field Camp, where they actually help do the work of the biodynamic farm.

All campers eat together family-style to emphasize community spirit. Everything eaten is grown or produced on the farm, oftentimes by the kids themselves. Campers also assist in the farm-to-store system of running a profitable farm.

Where: Texas State University in San Marcos, Tex., between San Antonio and Austin.

When: June 22nd - Aug 2nd

Cost: $3,100

What they'll learn: If you're going to go to math camp, the Honors Summer Math Camp at Texas State University is the place to be. It shares the same home state as Texas Instruments, which introduced the handheld calculator to the world.

At Texas State's Math Camp, students take courses in elementary number theory, combinatorics and abstract algebra. They also learn to use Mathematica software to model real-world problems. Returning students have the option to work with faculty to conduct math research into a chosen problem.

Where: Pine Hill, N.Y., in the Catskills

When: Three one-week sessions offered between July 21st and Aug. 10th

Cost: $875 for one week, $1,650 for two and $2,425 for three

What they'll learn: Students from around the world practice diplomacy and learn about international relations at this camp in Upstate New York. Staffers include professors, former peace corps volunteers and university-level Model U.N. participants.

Each week has a different theme. This year, week one includes a simulation of the World Trade Organization discussing access to medical care and a crisis committee coordinating the response to natural disasters. Week two focuses on dissecting the progress of the Millennium Development Goals and cyber warfare. Week three simulates a meeting of the U.N.'s Office on Drugs and Crime discussing how to combat the narcotics trade.

Where: Fairfield University in Fairfield, Conn., Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, Ga., or John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio

When: Six one-week sessions between June 22nd and Aug. 1st in Connecticut, two one-week sessions between July 6th and July 18th in Georgia, and two one-week sessions between July 6th and July 18th in Ohio

Cost: $1,095 per week, $245 for weekends between camps

What they'll learn: National Computer Camps was the first computer camp ever established in the U.S. in 1977. Current campers learn how to design a 2D or 3D video game, code an Android phone app and produce digital video.

Younger campers have the option to learn programming in the morning-only sessions, while older campers can get certified in A+ and Network+ programming language, a great start to an IT career.

Where: University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Canada

When: Aug. 11th - 15th

Cost: No cost besides getting yourself to and from Waterloo. University dorms are covered by the program.

What they'll learn: The University of Waterloo is Canada's top tech university, producing the next generation of Silicon Valley startup geniuses. The school's annual Quantum Cryptography School For Young Students is incredibly competitive for kids 15 and older.

Quantum cryptography combines math and physics disciplines and students at the camp will learn to use them to develop unbreakable encryption that protects communication, among other things. They will have access to world-renowned researchers in the field of quantum computing and conduct hands-on experiments.

Where: Huntsville, Ala.

When: One-week sessions run between June 1st and Aug. 29th

Cost: $929

What they'll learn: Space Camp alumni include NASA astronauts, engineers, scientists and technology specialists. It was created by Dr. Wernher von Braun, who led propulsion efforts for the Apollo-era space program in the U.S.

Campers between the ages of 9 and 18 participate in a range of activities that allow them to use their real-world science, technology, math and engineering knowledge. There are simulations for mission control and scuba-based microgravity. Students can also design a spacecraft and analyze mission findings.

Where: Avon, Colo.

When: Three- or four-day sessions run between June 23rd and Aug. 6th

Cost: Between $325 and $415

What they'll learn: Campers at the Walking Mountain Science Center stay in high altitude cabins while learning survival skills like using a map and compass. They also practice ecology field research with activities geared toward helping kids develop a stronger connection to the natural world.

High school-aged students can opt for a week-long backpacking camp through Colorado's backcountry. They investigate principles of ecology and observe scientific phenomena in nature.

Where: Grand Manan Island in the Bay of Fundy between Maine and Nova Scotia

When: One- to three-week sessions run between June 22nd and August 30th

Cost: Between $1,395 and $4,995

What they'll learn: Campers get a hands-on feel for oceanography and marine biology at Whale Camp. In the summer, up to 12 species of whales use the Bay of Fundy as a feeding ground and nursery.

Students spend most of the session on a 56-foot long sail boat, operating the vessel and charting the course of the whales. Kids use professional oceanography equipment to gather and analyze data about the water source and the creatures who live there.

They also learn from marine scientists and researchers who spend their summers rescuing porpoises from fish nets left in the bay.

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