Whether your child wants to design a futuristic farm, animate a short film or decode how galaxies form, they’ll find a day camp that helps them grow this summer.
As part of Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development (CTD), rising preschool through grade 5 students can choose from 68 unique academic courses — all designed for curious and advanced learners.
“For kids who have a specific interest in something, no matter what level, CTD offers niche, interdisciplinary classes that go beyond what gets taught at their schools,” says Nick Kapling, CTD’s advanced enrichment program coordinator. “It’s an atmosphere of exploration, learning and joy.”
Hosted in both Chicago and Evanston, these week-long camps let kids dig into topics they already love, from graphic novels to physics.
“This isn’t a catch-up camp,” Kapling adds. “It’s academic, but it has that summer camp focus on fun.” Here’s a peek at this year’s lineup, including a brand-new “mini camp” sampler option.
What’s new at NU CTD’s summer camps in 2025?
Summer 2025 welcomes 13 brand-new options and five updated favorites, Kapling says.
“If your kid has a new or budding interest in a subject, see if there’s a class that speaks to that interest,” she says.
Here are a few highlights for these five-day camps, which run between July 7-Aug. 8:
- Birds and Nests (pre-K-K): “They learn about birds as engineering marvels,” says Kapling, building their own nests and testing their designs.
- Water on Earth (pre-K-K): Through observations and hands-on experiments, kids follow the water cycle, from clouds to puddles, evaporation to condensation.
- If Rocks Could Talk (grades 1-2): “A lot of kids collect rocks,” Kapling says. “Here, they get to be investigative scientists and use rocks to understand what happened long ago.”
- Big Bang and Beyond (grades 3-4): From supermassive black holes to galaxy mapping, kids work with real crowd-sourced data. “They’re working with the Zooniverse collaborative research site, helping professional astronomers answer questions.”
- Data and Polls (grades 4-5): “This is a math class, but it’s almost like statistics and sociology,” Kapling says. Students analyze polls, translate responses into stats, and create a visual representation to share during the end-of-week expo.
- The World of Zines (grades 4-5): “They get to learn the history of how zines came to be.” Then, kids design, write and print their own — solo or in groups.
A new way to try it out: Mini camp
Not sure where to start? Mini camp is a four-day, half-day experience designed for families looking to test the waters. There are 16 options that run one week only — June 30-July 3.
“It’s going to be a smaller kind of sample size for families who want to see, ‘How does my kid respond to CTD-type curriculum?’” says Kapling. “It’s like a ‘greatest hits’ atmosphere.”
Teachers draw from some of their favorite past lessons, offering “topics in …” courses from life sciences to storytelling, with a different theme or project each day.
“It’s the best on-ramp I can think of,” Kapling adds.
Key things to know about the NU CTD’s summer camps
Ready to explore if these day camps are the right fit for your kiddo? Here’s what to know.
- Locations:
- Evanston: St. Athanasius School
- Chicago: Hawthorne Scholastic Academy
- Dates for 2025
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- Mini camp: June 30-July 3
- Weekly camps: July 7-Aug. 8 (Chicago location ends Aug. 1)
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- Hours:
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- Pre-K-K: half-day only (9 a.m.-noon or 1-4 p.m.)
- Grades 1-2: half- or full-day (9 a.m.-4 p.m.)
- Grades 3-5: full-day (9 a.m.-4 p.m., except during mini camp)
- Mini camp (Pre-K-5): half-day only (9 a.m.-noon or 1-4 p.m.)
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- Pricing:
- $295: Mini camp (4-day, half-day)
- $395: Regular half-day
- $750: Full-day, 5-day course
- Eligibility:
- Open enrollment for Pre-K-2
- Grades 3-5 may require 90th percentile scores in math or verbal skills or a portfolio
This content is sponsored by the Northwestern University Center for Talent Development. Learn more about its summer programs at the NU CTD summer programs web page.
