Camp Answers: Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
What is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization?
What is the mission of Wow! Science Camp®?
How can I support Wow! Science Camp®?
When are registration and enrollment due?
What are your tuition payment options?
When does camp start each day?
Do you offer early drop-off and late pickup?
Do I have to attend all eight weeks?
How do I receive a Wow! Science Camp® T-shirt?
Is the camp open all year round?
Is Wow! Science Camp® an overnight camp?
Why don’t you do only science experiments and projects all day every day of camp?
Why do you review math at your camp?
What topics do you cover in your etiquette and character-development lessons?
What topics do you cover in your money-management lessons?
What topics do you cover in your science lessons and projects?
Do campers take their projects home?
Why can’t each camper take his or her own project home?
What if I want to repeat my project at home?
Do you use dangerous chemicals for your projects?
Can I stay at the camp if I don’t want to go on a field trip?
What are the qualifications of your staff?
How can we get more information about Wow! Science Camp®?
What Is Wow! Science Camp®?
Wow! Science Camp® is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating and promoting children’s interest in science.
What is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization?
501(c)(3) is an IRS designation for nonprofit organizations that meet specific requirements. The IRS provides a deduction, for federal income tax purposes, to some donors who make charitable contributions to most types of 501(c)(3) organizations.
What is the mission of Wow! Science Camp®?
The mission of Wow! Science Camp® is to spark, cultivate and promote children’s interest in science. Our approach offers two key long-term benefits. (1) It improves the academic performance of students in science and math. (2) It equips campers with knowledge and skills to promote their health and wellbeing.
How can I support Wow! Science Camp®?
As a nonprofit organization, we fulfill our mission by charging a modest tuition complemented by gifts from corporations and philanthropic entities. There are numerous ways that you can support Wow! Science Camp®. Please visit Support Camp to learn how you can contribute time, effort, property, equipment, supplies, and money to the mission of cultivating and promoting children’s interest in science.
When are registration and enrollment due?
Registration: The first step in holding a spot in the 2013 camp is Registration (Click Here for Form). Registration is a simple process that requires minimal information and a $50 nonrefundable deposit. The fee holds your spot and goes toward the maintenance of the website and customer service before the start of camp. It is not a part of camp tuition.
Enrollment: Click on the enrollment form to the right of your screen after you register. You will need to complete the enrollment form You will also need to sign the policies and code of conduct and complete the emergency contact form on the first day camp. If you register by fax, e-mail, or mail, the enrollment packet will be mailed to you upon receipt of your completed registration form and the $50 registration fee.
What are your tuition payment options?
All checks should be made payable to Wow Science Camp.
Tuition balance: You may pay your tuition in full at time of enrollment. Or you may pay weekly, biweekly or monthly. There is no interest or additional charge for selecting this payment option. Indicate the amount you can afford for each payment, and the frequency of payments, on the enrollment form. All tuition must be paid beforethe first day of camp.
When is camp tuition due?
All tuition must be paid before the first day of camp. Parents who cannot complete tuition payment before the start of camp should contact us at 877-541-2267 or by email at advisor@wowsciencecamp.org to make payment arrangements.
When does camp start each day?
Morning Session starts at 9AM and ends at 12:00PM. This is the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) session and it's specifically focused on science experiments, projects, games, and simulations.
Afternoon Session starts at 1PM and ends at 4PM. This Arts session is focused on etiquette, reading skills, writing skills, presentation and public speaking skills.*The afternoon session is not available at all locations. Please call us at 877-541-2267 to find out if it's available at your nearest location.
All Day Session starts at 9AM and ends at 4PM each day. It is a combination of the activities in the morning and afternoon sessions. The All Day Session is not available at all locations. Please call us at 877-541-2267 to determine if it's available in your area.
Do you offer early drop-off and late pickup?
Camp is open from 9AM to 4PM daily. Parents can start dropping off campers from 8:00AM without a surcharge. They can pick campers up until 4:30PM without a surcharge. We offer early drop-off and late pickup services. Please sign up for early drop off and late pickup as part of your enrollment.
Parents/guardians can drop off campers as early as 7:30 AM. There is a $25 daily surcharge for early drop-off. The latest a camper can be picked up is 6:00 PM. There is an additional $25 surcharge for every thirty minutes of late pickup after 4:30PM. These surcharges are to cover the additional cost of having staff start earlier than their normal schedule or work later than originally scheduled. Parents who anticipate early drop-offs and late pickups should check the appropriate box in the enrollment form.
Do I have to attend all eight weeks?
No, campers can attend camp in one week increments. Note that some of our locations offer 4, 5 or 6 weeks of camp. Our customer service representatives are happy to assist you to ensure you receive up to date information.
If my child will not be attending the whole eight weeks, can I pick any ONE or more weeks that work for my family?
Yes. Your child doesn’t have to attend consecutive weeks. If s/he will not be attending the entire duration of camp, indicate on the enrollment form which weeks you wish your child to attend.
How do I receive a Wow! Science Camp® T-shirt?
Every enrolled child receives a camp T-shirt. Additional shirts can be purchased at the Camp Store for $10 per T-shirt.
Is the camp open all year round?
At this time our camp is open only in the summer, from the last week in June to the third week in August. We spend most of the rest of the year preparing for a fantastic camping experience.
Is Wow! Science Camp® an overnight camp?
No. We’re open from 9 AM to 4 PM every week day during camp season in some locations. Other locations operate from 9AM to 12 PM or 1PM to 4PM. We're closed on July 4 for the Independence Day holiday.
Where are your camps?
Please call us for up to date information on our camp locations. We are growing and expanding and the information on this page might not be up to date.
Wow! Science Camp Locations
Blackwood,NJ Highland High School 450 Erial Rd, Blackwood, NJ 08012
Cherry Hill, NJ
Camden Catholic High School
300 Cuthbert Boulevard, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002
Wilmington DE 19803
Why don’t you do only science experiments and projects all day every day of camp?
We have learned that to stimulate and sustain interest in science among children, inserting valuable related lessons and activities in fun, interactive, engaging ways is critical. We are excited to announce the expansion of our program to include Arts. Our STEAM Ahead Initiative (STEAM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) is meant to explore the intersection of science and arts. See our homepage for additional details.
Why do you review math at your camp?
Math and science go hand in hand. To become a successful scientist, you need a solid math foundation. Math is important to every aspect of our lives. Imagine going to the store and paying for your groceries with a $100 bill. You stand there and wait for your change, but have no idea how much it is. This is a first-grade type of lesson. But some adults have difficulty because they did not receive a basic math foundation. Our math review sessions help students retain what they learned during the school year. And everyone has fun doing the math games.
Why etiquette lessons?
Etiquette can have a significant impact on a young scientist’s future success. For example, many candidates fail to gain admission into competitive schools and jobs because they dressed inappropriately for the interview, texted or used colloquial language during the interview, or embarrassed themselves at dinner because they lacked proper table manners. Our etiquette lessons prepare children to confidently and successfully navigate any social setting.
Why character development?
Discipline, dedication, and rigor are common characteristics of many successful scientists. Science itself requires adherence to protocols and standardized methods of inquiry or research. Sometimes scientists have to work on a project for years before any meaningful discovery is made. Patience, confidence, boldness, perseverance, diligence, team spirit, leadership, rigor, and the ability to ask the right questions are all important values in the world of science. In addition to reinforcing the lessons on proper etiquette, our character-development lessons teach campers to have confidence in themselves, overcome obstacles, and cultivate the belief that they can achieve whatever they set their minds to.Top
Why money-management lessons?
Many young people graduate high school and even college without a basic understanding of money and money management (budgeting, checkbook balancing, saving, investing, or building wealth), credit and how it works, insurance, business, and the economy. Our goal is to support parents and teachers in building this important foundation for our campers.
What topics do you cover in your etiquette and character-development lessons?
These lessons are presented in age-appropriate formats. Some topics are only appropriate for preteens and teens.
- Dinning etiquette
- Setting a table and other table etiquettes
- Classroom etiquette
- Cell phone and text etiquette
- Netiquette
- Internet safety
- Dress etiquette
- Corsage, boutonniere, flower types and meanings
- Ten basic manners for kids, preteens, and teens
- How to develop effective conversation skills
- How to write a thank-you note
- Twelve ways to be a good guest
- Saying no to negative peer pressure
- Ten ways to learn values that build self-confidence
- Building a healthy self-esteem
- How to be a great team member
- Leadership skills for all ages
- And more!
What topics do you cover in your money-management lessons?
These lessons are presented in age-appropriate formats. Some topics are only appropriate for preteens and teens.
- Basic money skills (money recognition and identification, counting coins and bills, making change)
- Earning and spending money
- Consumer math (checkbook balancing, etc.)
- Budgeting and budget planning
- Financial accountability
- Banking (running savings and checking accounts)
- Investing lessons for kids
- Understanding investment risks and rewards
- Understanding credit
- Credit cards and how they work
- Understanding taxes
- Insurance lessons
- And more!
What topics do you cover in your science lessons and projects?
This is the heart of our program. We have hundreds of experiments and projects to choose from each year. We strive to balance the projects so we can touch on different science fields each season. Our projects span chemistry, physics, biology, geology, environmental science, technology, and engineering. The Science Projects and Curricula links provide additional details on the projects we cover. See pictures from previous projects in our Virtual Open House.
Do campers take their projects home?
Generally speaking, no. Campers work in small teams of four or five to complete their work. In addition to benefiting from the unique skills and insights of each child, campers learn to work in teams. There are however few projects where campers are able to take their end product home. Wow! Science Camp solely determines what projects campers may take home with them.
Why can’t each camper take his or her own project home?
We complete on average one major project or experiment each day of camp. Some complex projects might take more than one day to complete, and our junior campers might complete three or four simple experiments or projects in one day. Our major projects cost as much as $300 for each set. For every child to have his or her own set each day, the cost would be somewhere between $6,000 and $10,000 per camper for eight weeks of camp. Such costs are untenable and would affect our ability to provide this rewarding experience to as many children. Parents can purchase materials for projects of interest directly from Wow! Science Camp®. If we do not have the materials, we will provide direction on how to purchase them.
What if I want to repeat my project at home?
Contact your camp director to find out how you may purchase materials for any of our projects. You can purchase a complete set of materials for some projects directly from us, or we may direct you to third parties from whom you can purchase the materials.
Do you use dangerous chemicals for your projects?
We limit the types of chemicals we use to foods and household products such as food coloring, bleach, borax, etc. We provide strict safety instructions and close supervision to ensure safety. Further, we inculcate proper safety behaviors should the campers find themselves in a similar environment in the future.
Do you repeat your projects?
We have hundreds of science projects to choose from. We generally do not repeat projects for returning campers unless a majority of campers want to repeat a popular project.
What trips do you take?
We take up to eight exciting trips to regional attractions—museums, science centers, factories, historical sites, conservatories, etc. All of our destinations are connected to science. For instance, we learned about many kinds of insects in our 2010 visit to Insectropolis, a learning center with hundreds of live insects and arthropods. We had a great time as a team at the Liberty Science Center. In addition to fun, memorable experiences, campers learn about each of the locations we visit.
Do you repeat your trips?
For the benefit of new campers, we do visit some of the locations we have visited in the past. At each of these locations there are important lessons, sceneries, and fun activities that we want all of our campers to experience. There are locations that can’t be completely explored even in three or four visits because they are very large or offer different attractions each season. Examples include Liberty Science Center, the Franklin Institute, the Crayola Factory, and the National Canal Museum. We may return to any of these destinations as we deem appropriate.
Can I stay at the camp if I don’t want to go on a field trip?
In most locations, yes. Call us at 877-541-2267 to find out if there will be counselors who stay behind on field trip days at your location. Typically all staff members go on field trips as they serve as chaperones.
How do you select your staff?
All of our employees undergo a selective interview process and rigorous background checks that include fingerprinting, criminal record check, sex-offender registry check, and satisfactory previous employment record. We require our volunteers to submit to sex-offender registry and criminal record checks.
What are the qualifications of your staff?
Fola Adebi, Wow! Science Camp® administrator, is a seasoned scientist and educator. Fola holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the State University of New York at Old Westbury and a master’s degree in technology management from Stevens Institute of Technology. Fola worked as a chemist with a major pharmaceutical company. Her scientific efforts are reflected in the many patents on which she is listed as a co-inventor with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. In 2002, she decided to pursue her true passion: teaching, mentoring, and guiding children and young adults toward realizing their potential. In the past ten years, she has taught and mentored students from grade school to college level.
Our other staff members are all skilled at working with children. Among them are master’s and bachelor’s degree holders. Minimum qualification for all of our staff is sixty college credits. In addition to the experience they bring, staff is trained on:
- Safety, conduct, and other camp policies
- Leadership skills
- Team-building skills
- Camp curricula
- Camp activities
- Conducting successful field trips
- Basic life support, including CPR
How can we get more information about Wow! Science Camp®?
For additional information, Contact us online or call us at 877-541-2267. You will also find lots of information in our Virtual Open House.
