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The Summer Science Program is not a “camp.” It is a unique immersion experience with a strong culture that has evolved over more than half a century. It is talented young people discovering their limits, then overcoming them through collaboration. It is the shock of not being the smartest person in the room, followed by the joy of realizing that’s not a problem, it’s an opportunity.
In high school, teenagers learn about science. At Summer Science Program, they do science. That’s different! (And why we refer to them as “participants,” not “students.”)
The Summer Science Program is research, not coursework. Participants collaborate in teams of three. Everyone learns from – and teaches – everyone else. There is a Code of Honor, but no tests or grades. The impact on participants is remarkably consistent across different projects, locations, and years.
Online or in-person, at each program 36 participants and 7 faculty form a diverse community of learning. Together they tackle a difficult research project. In 2024 those were:
Classroom and lab sessions are scheduled six days a week, interspersed with guest lectures and other special events. Classroom time is for developing an understanding of experimental science in general and the research topic in particular. Problem sets reinforce the material.
Each team studies its own target, performing the research from start to finish: acquiring and analyzing experimental data and reporting the results.
Each program’s faculty includes an Academic Director, Associate Academic Director (both PhD scientist-educators), Site Director, and four Teaching Assistants and Mentors. Everyone works together, immersed in the culture and values of science.
After the last day, the community does not end, it disperses and broadens. Participants join a unique global network of over 3,400 alumni and former faculty, ages 16 to 80, all smart people doing interesting things, including supporting this unique nonprofit with donations of time and money.
Program Description (PDF download)
SSP International is a nonprofit offering inspiring science immersion experiences. Founded in 1959, its mission is to provide opportunities to accelerate learning, doing and belonging in science. SSP International’s flagship program is Summer Science Program, a leading education experience for exceptional high school students in astrophysics, biochemistry, genomics and more.
