Best Marine Biology Summer Camp for a 14 year old (in 2014)
June 3, 2013 1:51 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for the best marine biology summer camp for my sibling who will be 14 in the summer of 2014. Or the resources to find one.
My sister is 13, will be 14. She's not the most academically inclined, but she likes biology (and video games) and is quite smart when she pays attention, so we want to encourage her interests. Whale watching and living aboard seems like fun to me. Since she has experience traveling by herself and living in other countries (NOT by herself, except for summer camps, where she was supervised), we're not too worried about her adaptability. However, she is a bit shy and does best with a bit handholding to navigate a brand new social situation.
Money is a slight issue, but not a huge one. We've been looking at camps that cost ~$1500-$2000 per week (for two or three weeks). Not really looking for a vacation/destination camp, but something where she can actually learn something (and work hard for it).
Location is not an issue. We are in Washington state. But she has experience traveling by herself and we can cover airfare pretty easily. (Lots of miles.) I think west coast would be easier just because of jet lag.
The camp should be in English. Bonus points if she can optionally take a French or Chinese course during camp. (The foreign language is mom's preference, and one that I don't really care about either way. The determining factor is probably my buy-in since I would be putting in 30%-70% of the cost.)
The closest match we've found is one offered by JHU. But I don't know if it's actually any good. (I've had a really difficult time finding a review site for summer camps.)
Having attended both very good and very bad summer camps, I would prefer to make my sister's experience the best possible. First hand experience and insider information highly sought after!
My sister is 13, will be 14. She's not the most academically inclined, but she likes biology (and video games) and is quite smart when she pays attention, so we want to encourage her interests. Whale watching and living aboard seems like fun to me. Since she has experience traveling by herself and living in other countries (NOT by herself, except for summer camps, where she was supervised), we're not too worried about her adaptability. However, she is a bit shy and does best with a bit handholding to navigate a brand new social situation.
Money is a slight issue, but not a huge one. We've been looking at camps that cost ~$1500-$2000 per week (for two or three weeks). Not really looking for a vacation/destination camp, but something where she can actually learn something (and work hard for it).
Location is not an issue. We are in Washington state. But she has experience traveling by herself and we can cover airfare pretty easily. (Lots of miles.) I think west coast would be easier just because of jet lag.
The camp should be in English. Bonus points if she can optionally take a French or Chinese course during camp. (The foreign language is mom's preference, and one that I don't really care about either way. The determining factor is probably my buy-in since I would be putting in 30%-70% of the cost.)
The closest match we've found is one offered by JHU. But I don't know if it's actually any good. (I've had a really difficult time finding a review site for summer camps.)
Having attended both very good and very bad summer camps, I would prefer to make my sister's experience the best possible. First hand experience and insider information highly sought after!
VIMS has summer camps. Fails your west coast and language requirements.
I can't speak to the HS camp version, but they have summer college students who come in to do research, and they work hard. Daily out on boats/shore/estuary collecting info (you name in: birds, oysters, vegetation on dunes, buoy information, etc). Lots of labwork with specimen collection, etc. I lived in the dorms one summer w/ the college summer students.
posted by k5.user at 1:59 PM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
I can't speak to the HS camp version, but they have summer college students who come in to do research, and they work hard. Daily out on boats/shore/estuary collecting info (you name in: birds, oysters, vegetation on dunes, buoy information, etc). Lots of labwork with specimen collection, etc. I lived in the dorms one summer w/ the college summer students.
posted by k5.user at 1:59 PM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: This website is utter shit - get them to send you a brochure or something - but Seacamp is great. Biology as an organizing principle helps with the social barriers a lot, as does the fact your're spending all day in a bathing suit with soaking wet hair.
That was the summer I learned to dive, caught a nurse shark and swam in a tank with it at feeding time, built my own eco system and ran a tank with anemones and fish and plants we harvested (and returned), and spent every day out on Looe Key, in one of the handful of US marine sanctuaries.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:10 PM on June 3, 2013
That was the summer I learned to dive, caught a nurse shark and swam in a tank with it at feeding time, built my own eco system and ran a tank with anemones and fish and plants we harvested (and returned), and spent every day out on Looe Key, in one of the handful of US marine sanctuaries.
posted by DarlingBri at 2:10 PM on June 3, 2013
When I was in 9th grade, my class spent a week at Seacamp in Key West. I am a person who is bad at sunlight and not supposed to swim for medical reasons, so most of my time was spent acquiring 2nd degree sunburns, but EVERYONE else loved it. I have not been there for summer camp, just one week during the school year. Worth looking into.
posted by phunniemee at 2:11 PM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by phunniemee at 2:11 PM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Duke's TIP has a Marine Biology lab this year; it's not clear if they will next year, but they are generally very good courses.
posted by Flamingo at 2:11 PM on June 3, 2013
posted by Flamingo at 2:11 PM on June 3, 2013
There are a number of 3 and 6 week courses offered at the Children's School in Woods Hole, MA that look pretty great.
Woods Hole itself lists a few other programs that could be worth a look.
posted by jeffch at 2:12 PM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Woods Hole itself lists a few other programs that could be worth a look.
posted by jeffch at 2:12 PM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
My only concern about Key West in the summer is hurricanes.
I'd do Santa Cruz because Santa Cruz is AWESOME! If for no other reason than Banana Slugs!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 2:12 PM on June 3, 2013
I'd do Santa Cruz because Santa Cruz is AWESOME! If for no other reason than Banana Slugs!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 2:12 PM on June 3, 2013
I also did a week of Sea Camp in Key West many years ago and had a great time. The snorkeling/diving is excellent at the camp's site -- the coral reef is gorgeous. The sun, however, is intense -- got the worst burn of my life there. Totally worth it.
posted by reren at 2:18 PM on June 3, 2013
posted by reren at 2:18 PM on June 3, 2013
Best answer: I did the Chesapeake Bay program at Johns Hopkins as a young teen. My memory of the details is pretty thin at this point (this was over half a lifetime ago for me, now), but I can say that this shy, introverted person had a blast—despite the fact that I'd wanted to be in the whale program more—and I learned a lot. In particular, I remember dissecting crabs and squid during the lab portion of the trip, and learning some navigation during the sailing portion. Nights during the sailing portion were spent camping, which is a fun experience in and of itself (one stormy night was particularly cool). During the lab portion, we stayed on an old (decommissioned Navy?) vessel moored in the harbor in Baltimore; the bunks were a bit cramped, but it was a cool experience.
My faded memory might not be much help, and I'm sure the program has changed over the years (plus, again, no whales), but you asked for first-hand experience, so. Either way, I'm envious of your sis. In another life, I'd totally love to continue forward with the marine bio studies, instead of taking the path I did. What fun! Good luck to her.
posted by cellar door at 2:45 PM on June 3, 2013
My faded memory might not be much help, and I'm sure the program has changed over the years (plus, again, no whales), but you asked for first-hand experience, so. Either way, I'm envious of your sis. In another life, I'd totally love to continue forward with the marine bio studies, instead of taking the path I did. What fun! Good luck to her.
posted by cellar door at 2:45 PM on June 3, 2013
My brother and I both (me in 2004, brother in 2012) took math classes through CTY (the JHU program you found) and they were excellent and a lot of fun. The courses are usually taught by real professors and the camp part is also very well run. I can't speak to the marine biology course in particular, but consider this a glowing review of CTY as a program.
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 4:04 PM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by martinX's bellbottoms at 4:04 PM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Let me chime in here: the camp you are looking for is the Acadia Institute of Oceanography (http://www.acadiainstitute.com/), located in Seal Harbor in coastal Maine. I attended over four summers long, long ago and it has really maintained its standards of excellence. Not only do you have the entire coast of Maine at your disposal, but such resources as the College of the Atlantic and the Jackson Laboratory (the latter being biology related, not oceanography).
It's on the wrong side of the coast from you, but in terms of exposure to the ocean - it's top notch.
posted by scolbath at 4:12 PM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
It's on the wrong side of the coast from you, but in terms of exposure to the ocean - it's top notch.
posted by scolbath at 4:12 PM on June 3, 2013 [1 favorite]
Nthing Seacamp. My 13-year-old daughter just went there in March with her school. She hasn't stopped talking about it since. She loved every single part of it and she learned so much. She wasn't a huge sciencey kid before, and had more interest in land animals than she did in marine biology, but she came home a changed girl.
posted by cooker girl at 5:49 PM on June 3, 2013
posted by cooker girl at 5:49 PM on June 3, 2013
Best answer: I have heard that Duke's camp is fantastic, and the location at the Duke Marine Lab is a great experience. Note, though, that Duke's camp is specifically targeted at "gifted" students and requires admission through the TIP program, which typically requires advanced scores on college placement exams like the SAT (taken in 7th grade as part of this program in many states - tip.duke.edu for more info). A bonus here could be: through TIP you can spend additional summer camp weeks on campus at Duke taking college courses (like, I'm assuming, French and Chinese). I knew kids who "stacked" affiliated camps like this - this could fulfill your 2-3 weeks request.
I never attended the Duke version, but I did spend two summers at marine biology camps at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. I loved my experience: it was hands on, academic, facilitated by professors, assistants, and grad students. Our days were typically: AM fieldwork, afternoon labwork, PM lecture or "social time". I was also shy and a little awkward at this age, and found that I had a lot in common with the other kids at the camp. We stayed in dorms (cool for a young teenager) and the "social time" was structured, which was nice for me.
Both of these options fail your West Coast preference. Duke is out of your preferred price range, but UNCW appears to fall well within it.
posted by marmago at 6:45 PM on June 3, 2013
I never attended the Duke version, but I did spend two summers at marine biology camps at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. I loved my experience: it was hands on, academic, facilitated by professors, assistants, and grad students. Our days were typically: AM fieldwork, afternoon labwork, PM lecture or "social time". I was also shy and a little awkward at this age, and found that I had a lot in common with the other kids at the camp. We stayed in dorms (cool for a young teenager) and the "social time" was structured, which was nice for me.
Both of these options fail your West Coast preference. Duke is out of your preferred price range, but UNCW appears to fall well within it.
posted by marmago at 6:45 PM on June 3, 2013
Response by poster: Thank you for your answers! They were all extremely helpful. My mother and I are looking at the options (and specifically if it's possible to register for some of them for this summer). Good to know that there are definitely good programs out there. That is more important than the cost.
posted by ethidda at 12:32 PM on June 4, 2013
posted by ethidda at 12:32 PM on June 4, 2013
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