10 STEM Summer Camps Near Chicago

The Griffin Museum of Science and Industry has exciting opportunities to engage your youth in science, making, and the wonder of this exciting museum! All supplies provided and scholarships are available for students in need of financial assistance.

Agreatmom2! said:  Various STEM camps and workshops. A small Science center but great programs.

If you’re interested in technology, business, architecture, science, engineering, or computers, you’ll find plenty to keep you both busy and excited at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) summer camp programs ! This is an excellent opportunity for teens to be on an urban college campus and test out potential majors! Camp topics include: freelance coding, robotics, computer discovery, architecture & many more!

Kids Science Labs presents a series of weekly themed STEM summer camps around Chicago designed to enhance your child’s critical thinking skills and problem solving ability combined with traditional camp fun.

Katy McMillan said:  This is a really great program, and the one my kids always ask for. The mornings are packed with problem solving science projects and the afternoons include a variety of engaging activities including art projects, group creations, and usually some kind of outdoor activity when possible. We highly recommend!

Camp Invention is one week in the summer where your child’s creativity, innovation, and problem-solving skills are challenged and developed in fun and exciting ways. Their top priority is to inspire future innovators and build kids' confidence in their natural ability to dream and create. These STEM camps are offered at community locations throughout Chicago and the suburbs.

Alexandra F. said:  I liked that this camp was close to home, and just a few hours a day over the course of a week, since that's about all my introverted kid would agree to. However, I was a bit underwhelmed by the projects they worked on (creating things using recyclables and discarded items), and since it was hosted at a local school, the open play time wasn't as special as a more traditional camp setting closer to nature might have been.

iD Tech is a leader in STEM education, and their summer STEM camps teach students in-demand skills in coding, game development, robotics, and creative arts.

Bit Space is inspiring and guiding the next generation of inventors, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers. Kids will design, prototype, and construct a product of their own invention using their creativity, ingenuity and cutting edge technologies.

Noggin Builders offers weekly summer camps. Each week of camp is filled with fun, hands-on activities including STEM, problem solving and teamwork games. They offer a counselor in training for kids entering 8th and 9th grade.

Explore Camps at the College of Lake County are fun, challenging programs taught by experienced, personable instructors whose passion for education will inspire your kids. Explore Camps for kids in grades 1-8 are themed around topics like LEGO robotics and math skills. Engage Career Exploration for high school kids gives them a taste of future career options in medicine, criminal justice and more.

Science, math & technology take the center stage in Summer@IMSA programs as students utilize discovery, exploration, & problem-solving in innovative ways. Mission Impossible and Extreme Engineering Explorations are just a few examples of camp themes.