12 summer camps perfect for Pittsburgh-area kids who love science and technology

Photo above courtesy of Camp Invention.

There are so many summer camp options available in the Pittsburgh region. You’ll find nearly 60 camps listed in Kidsburgh’s 2023 summer camp guide, and we’re constantly adding more.

Many offer a wide range of fun and learning within a single camp experience, with kids doing everything from swimming and craft projects to singing and dancing on stage all in one place. But what if your child has a specific interest and wants to spend the summer focused on that?

For kids with a love of science and technology, the 12 camps you’ll find below offer fun and learning related to all kinds of tech and science experiences — from coding and biochemistry to filmmaking and space exploration — and many offer stipends or scholarships.

Check out these great possibilities:

1. Assemble Pittsburgh

Summer camp at Assemble Pittsburgh offers STEAM camps for kids entering grades 1-9. Camps are all about hands-on learning through shared experiences. This year’s weekly themes include Mythical Creatures and Monsters, Art-itecture and Storylab. Explore their lineup and register right here. Scholarships are available, and registration is free for Garfield residents.

2. Pittsburgh Glass Center

Two teen boot camp sessions are planned this summer for grades 6–12 at Pittsburgh Glass Center. The SiO2 Teen Boot Camp introduces the science and art of glass, offering hands-on experience with glassmaking. Sessions include glassblowing, flameworking, kilnforming and coldworking. Sessions run June 26-30 and July 10-14. Scholarships are available.

3. Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code summer programs teach high school girls and non-binary students the computer science skills they need to drive community impact and prepare for a tech career. Participants will get exposure to tech jobs, meet women in tech careers and join a supportive sisterhood of girls in tech. The program is available as a two-week intensive immersion or a 6-week self-paced program and offers a $300 needs-based stipend for eligible students. Apply here.

4. Camp Invention

Camp Invention offers an inspiring, action-packed experience for kids in grades K-6. The STEM summer program helps kids develop innovative thinking and problem-solving skills and encourages collaboration. Camps are held in schools around Pittsburgh. Find a program location and register here.

5. ICE-T Project

In this initiative of The Citizen Science Lab, Black youth will explore the computational and experimental techniques required to examine the physiology, biochemistry, and voltage potential of microbial fuel cells (MFC), a living battery powered by bacteria. After learning basic concepts, students will build and create a device powered by these living batteries. This exciting free program for Black high schoolers in the Pittsburgh area, which offers transportation and meals, is now full but you can register your child for the waitlist here.

6. Carnegie Science Center

Carnegie Science Center offers a wide range of camps for ages 4-14. Kids can step into the shoes of a space scientist to search the universe for habitable planets. They can learn about the Viking Age with a modern-era twist or take a scientific voyage through the Magic School Bus and dive into video game design. Explore the summer camps brochure for the complete details. Registration is now open. A limited number of need-based scholarships are available.

7. Mad Science

With titles like Fizz Boom Bang, Red Hot Robots, Brixology and Underground Explorers, Mad Science summer camp sessions have us intrigued. Workshops, held at a number of area locations, are geared to kids from kindergarten through 6th grade, giving them the chance to be junior scientists for the summer. Register here for your choice of location and camp.

8. Tree Pittsburgh’s STEAM Outside Camp

For two weeks this summer, the STEAM Outside Camp will engage 4th, 5th, or 6th graders in the urban forest, fields, and rivers through a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) lens. The camp takes full advantage of Tree Pittsburgh’s five‑acre riverfront campus with interactive activities focused on the benefits of trees, nature in an urban environment, exploration of riparian forests and river habitats, and the life of a tree from seed to sapling at the Heritage Nursery. Two weeks of camp are available: June 26-30, and July 10-14. Camp runs from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at Tree Pittsburgh’s campus in Upper Lawrenceville. Learn more and register here.

9. The Irma Freeman Center for Imagination

The summer camps at the Irma Freeman Center for Imagination have covered quite a range of practical and whimsical subjects not found anywhere else. In past camps, for example, kids learned how to repair bikes through Bike Adventure with Kraynick’s. Herbal Apothecary & Plant Life explored the power of plants. Old-fashioned photography skills are developed through Pinhole Photography, Camera Obscura and more. Register here. Scholarships are available.

10. WQED Film Academy

WQED Film Academy is a youth education program in digital media arts and filmmaking. The Academy is open to all high schoolers, from rising ninth-graders up through recent high school grads. Teaching artists and professional mentors will offer a curriculum covering all aspects of digital media production, including storytelling, camera, audio, lighting and editing. Register for the in-person summer session running June 26 through Aug. 3 at the WQED studios, or choose the virtual session happening June 26 – August 10 via Zoom.

11. Snapology

For a summer full of STEAM learning fun, check out the summer camp offerings at Snapology Discovery Center in Bridgeville. Topics like Pokemania for Pokemon fans will keep kids having fun while building their STEAM skills. Search here for dates and themes.

12. Air Force Association CyberCamp

The annual Air Force Association CyberCamp is presented via a partnership between the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy and Security and Pitt Information Technology. This year, the free, weeklong camp is scheduled from June 19-23. High school kids will be immersed in a range of technical skills and digital literacy with a focus on cyber ethics and systems security. Sign up to be notified about registration tentatively opening in May.

Still looking? Don’t miss our full 2023 summer camp guide.