The Top 20 Summer Programs in Philadelphia for Students
Philadelphia offers an abundance of exceptional summer programs for students of all ages and interests. From academic enrichment to sports camps, arts workshops to community service initiatives, there are countless opportunities for young people to learn, grow, and have fun during the summer months.
Here are 20 of the best summer programs in Philadelphia:
1. Mighty Writers
Mighty Writers is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering children and teens to become better writers. Their summer programs include creative writing workshops, journalism camps, book publishing courses, and more. Students get to learn from professional writers while honing their own skills.
2. Kimmel Center Creative Arts Camp
Budding artists can explore music, theater, and dance at the Kimmel Center‘s Creative Arts Camp. Programs are tailored for kids ages 4-18 and are taught by professional teaching artists. Campers put on final showcase performances for family and friends.
3. Philadelphia Zoo Camps
What better place to spend summer than the nation‘s first zoo? Zoo campers get behind-the-scenes access while learning about animals through hands-on science activities. Camp options range from half-day camps for preschoolers to overnight teen programs.
4. Philadelphia Youth Sports Camps
PYSC offers top-notch sports instruction for kids ages 6–17. Camps include basketball, baseball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, volleyball, and more. Expert coaches help athletes build skills and confidence while also emphasizing sportsmanship.
5. Art-Reach Filmmakers & Actors Summer Camp
Budding Spielbergs and Streep wannabes can explore their talents at this film and theater camp. Participants write scripts, handle production duties, star in movies and plays that they create themselves over session-ending red carpet premieres.
6. Smith Memorial Playground & Playhouse Summer Camp
Creative kids thrive at this camp situated within a huge outdoor playground in Fairmount Park. Campers build forts, create art projects, put on performances, play games, and more with chances to improve confidence, creativity, cooperation and problem-solving abilities.
7. Philadelphia Engineering Foundation Summer STEM Camp
Camp Invention taps into the innate creativity in children through its inquiry-based STEM programs. Kids in grades K-6 participate in hands-on electronics, physics, mechanical engineering and coding projects with guidance from local educators.
8. Rock to the Future Music Camps
Youth music programs are designed to be affordable, accessible platforms for artistic development. Students take guitar, bass, vocals, songwriting and other lessons capped by studio recording sessions to lay down original tracks.
9. Philadelphia Youth Basketball Summer Camps
PYB offers high quality instructional basketball camps across the city for boys and girls aged 7-17. All skill levels are welcome to improve through game play and skill-building sessions directed by qualified coaches.
10. Art Sanctuary Summer Arts Camp
This African-American centered arts organization offers summer day camps covering visual arts, theater, dance, media arts, music and more. Teaching artists lead kids ages 5 – 15 in technique instruction and creative exploration.
11. Philadelphia Folksong Society Summer Music Camp
Kids can participate in music ensembles, songwriting workshops, open mics, music video creation and more with a backdrop of various folk styles at this long-running camp. Stringband, jazz band and choir tracks are offered to campers 8 to 15.
12. Backyard Basecamp Camp
Backyard Basecamp takes summer fun back to the basics – neighborhood placemaking! Kids build their ideal play spaces from scrap materials then enjoy the fruits of their labor through games, crafts and unstructured play time.
13. Science Explorers Camps
With locations throughout the Philadelphia suburbs, Science Explorers offers more traditional exploratory-style summer science programming. Fun topic camps for K-9th graders include Rocket Science, Engineering Week and Crime Scene Investigation.
14. Philadelphia Art Center Summer Arts Camp
Creative kids can immerse themselves in painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, fashion design and more visual arts mediums at PAC’s summer arts camps. Teen intensive workshops are also available in addition to K-8 general camps.
15. Revolution Robotics Camps
Hands-on robotics programs for elementary and middle school students inspire STEM interest through creativity. Campers code, build and compete with robots while learning principles of engineering, programming and more along the way.
16. French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts Camp
Participants of this nationally-renowned performing arts camp are immersed in Broadway-style workshops for theater, dance, circus, music and rock & roll performance. The creative atmosphere spurs personal growth on and off stage.
17. Philadelphia Improv Theatre Summer Comedy Camp
Kids and teens can become improv and sketch comedy stars-in-training through PIT’s camps. Participants play fun theater games that build spontaneity and storytelling skills within a welcoming community environment.
18. Mural Arts Summer Internship
High school students develop leadership abilities through hands-on mural art apprenticeships. Interns collaborate with professional artists on community betterment initiatives while enhancing their own creative, civic engagement and workforce skills.
19. Out4STEM Career Camp
LGBTQ+ youth explore potential careers in science, tech, engineering and math through authentic industry experiences like laboratory experiments, coding projects and physics fun. Soft skills growth supplements the STEM skills gained.
20. Woodrock Summer Service Camp
Service-minded middle and high school students can make an impact through this social justice-focused camp while also enjoying typical summer fun like sports, games and trips. Past projects have aided people experiencing homelessness.