Science Discovery FAQs

Simply click the registration button on any active camp or class description page. You may also register for programs by phone or in-person.

Phone: 303-492-7188

In person: 

Rose Litman Research Laboratory
1560 30th Street
Boulder, 80309

Payment is due at the time of registration. If you would prefer to set up a payment plan, please call 303-492-7188 to discuss options.

All major credit cards accepted. Make checks payable to University of Colorado-SD.

If you're registering your child for a school year program, please select the child's current grade level, meaning the grade level they are currently registered for. 

If you're registering your child for a summer camp or high school class, you will select the rising grade level, meaning the grade level the child will be entering for the upcoming school year.

Yes. If you need to arrange a payment plan, please call the Science Discovery registration line at 303-492-7188 in order to complete your registration. 

Yes, Science Discovery provides scholarships for many programs, depending on availability of funding and financial need. To apply, please submit a scholarship application as soon as you're able. Scholarship application links can be found on individual program pages. 

Scholarship applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served rolling basis.

Science Discovery has designed its cancellation policy to minimize the number of program spots that are unused due to last-minute cancellations.

Cancellations made more than 30 days prior to the start of the camp/class will incur a $35 administrative fee. No refunds will be given for cancellations made within 30 days of the start of the camp/class. In the event that a program is canceled by Science Discovery, registrants will receive a full refund.

Transfer requests made up to 30 days prior to the start of a camp/class will incur a $15 administrative fee. Transfer requests made within 30 days will incur a $35 administrative fee.

Please note: CU Science Discovery reserves the right to remove any student from a program if they display any behavior that is harmful to others and/or disruptive to the camp/class. Under these circumstances, no refund will be issued.

Cancellations made more than 30 days prior to the start of a camp/class will incur a $35 administrative fee per cancellation. (i.e. if a student is signed up for 3 camps/classes and they need to drop all of them, this action will incur a $105 fee). No refunds will be given for cancellations made within 30 days of the start of the camp/class. 

In order to remove your child from a camp/class, simply log in to your Active Network account and follow the prompts for removing your child from the camp/class. If you encounter any issues, please call the Science Discovery registration line at 303-492-7188.

Transfer requests made up to 30 days prior to the start of the camp/class will incur a $15 administrative fee. Transfer requests made within 30 days of the start of the camp/class will incur a $35 administrative fee.

In order to transfer your child from one camp/class to another, you must call the Science Discovery registration line at 303-492-7188.

Participants must have reached their 5th birthday by the start date of their first camp or class. All participants must be a minimum of 5 years of age to attend a Science Discovery program. 

Science Discovery is unable to predict when a spot will open in a camp or class, as a spot will only become available if someone cancels out of a program. If a spot should come available, the first family on the waitlist will be notified by email. They will have approximately 72 hours to claim or pass on the spot. If they refuse the spot, the next family on the waitlist will be notified, and so on until all families have been notified. Once the waitlist has been exhausted, the spot will be made available to the public. Note: If you receive a waitlist notification email and do not take action within the specified time period, your child will be removed from the waitlist altogether. 

Please do not call requesting to add additional students to a camp/class. Science Discovery adheres to camp and class enrollment caps for a number of reasons (safety, materials limitations, space constraints, etc.) and cannot make exceptions. 

All requests for medication administration support in youth programs are required to be processed by the ADA Coordinator within CU Boulder’s Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance.

If your child may require medical support (such as the storing and/or administration of medication, including EpiPens and inhalers) during their scheduled program, you are required to request an accommodation through CU Boulder’s ADA office (via email or by calling 303-492-9725). The ADA team will work together with you to develop a plan for the duration that your child is with Science Discovery.  

If you have any questions about the new policy, please reach out to the ADA office or contact CU Boulder’s Youth Programs Coordinator, Lee Potter.

CU Boulder employs a framework for public health and COVID-19 decision-making that follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance. While masks are optional on the CU Boulder campus, we encourage those who prefer to do so to continue wearing them. Properly fitted N95 or KN95 masks remain an effective tool for preventing transmission, especially in conjunction with vaccination. Â鶹ÒùÔº, parents and staff are encouraged to stay home if they are feeling sick or have COVID-like symptoms. 

Feeling under the weather? You should begin isolation at home as soon as you:

  • Begin to experience .
  • Receive a positive test result for COVID-19, regardless of whether you have symptoms.
  • Have been instructed to isolate by a healthcare provider or public health staff member.

When considering policy changes around COVID-19 transmission prevention, CU Science Discovery will adhere to all campus, county and Public Health guidelines. 

To see a detailed outline of CU Science Discovery's COVID-19 safety plan, please visit the COVID-19 Safety Plan page. 

Although individual camps and classes may vary slightly, below is a general outline for a typical full-day Science Discovery program: 

8:45-9am: Drop-off and walking to classroom location
9-10:30am: STEM activities
10:30-10:45am: Snack break
10:45am-12pm: STEM activities
12-1pm: Lunch, outdoor games and free time
1-2:30pm: Project time
2:30-2:45pm: Snack break
2:45-3:30pm: Project time
3:30-4pm: Classroom clean-up and walking to pick-up location

If your child is in a morning camp and an afternoon camp at the same location, Science Discovery provides free lunchtime supervision and will ensure they arrive safely at their afternoon camp. Locations are listed on the description page for every camp and class. If you're not sure if your child's morning and afternoon camp is at the same location, please call 303-492-7188. 

CU Science Discovery requires that participants bring 2 or more snacks daily (depending on the child's needs) and a sack lunch that does not require refrigeration (for full-day camps/classes only).

Snack breaks will be incorporated at approximately 10:30am and 2:30pm daily.

If your child is registered for a full-day camp, Science Discovery staff will provide lunchtime supervision. Full-day programs include:

  • All camps/classes scheduled as full days
  • Weeks that are comprised of a morning session and an afternoon session to create a full-day experience (eg. a 9am-12pm camp and 1-4pm camp at the same location).

Lunch for full-day camps/classes will be around 12pm daily.

Specials dietary note: At times, it is necessary that a camp/class be nut-free. If this is requested by a family, registrants will receive a nut allergy notification from Science Discovery. For the safety of students with allergies, it will be necessary for all participants to comply with the nut-free request.

While at Science Discovery, participants are expected to store their personal belongings in their backpack. Space is limited so please limit the number of personal items brought from home. All items should be labeled with the participant’s first and last name in case an item is misplaced.

For all standard camps/classes, please send your child with the following items each day:

  • A backpack (sized to fit your child) for carrying personal items and any camp/class materials they will be bringing home
  • Filled water bottle(s)
  • 2+ snacks, depending on the child's needs
  • A sack lunch that does not require refrigeration (for full-day camps/classes only)
  • Closed-toed shoes
  • A hair tie to hold back lengthy hair, if applicable 
  • All camps/classes spend a portion of each day outside. Please send your child with clothing appropriate for the days forecasted weather (jacket, sweatshirt, rain poncho, etc.)
  • Optional: 
    • A mask or any additional Personal Protective Equipment the child wishes to utilize
    • A full set of extra clothes in a Ziploc bag (highly recommended for grades K-2)

For all field camps/classes, please send your child with the following items each day:

  • A backpack (sized to fit your child) for carrying personal items and any camp/class materials they will be bringing home
  • A full, shatter-proof water bottle(s)
  • 2+ snacks, depending on the child's needs
  • A sack lunch that does not require refrigeration (for full-day camps/classes only)
  • Clothing for a wide range of weather that can take place in any given Colorado day:
    • A warm layer, such as a fleece jacket (not cotton because it gets cold when wet)
    • If rain is forecasted, an outer waterproof layer, such as a rain jacket or poncho that won’t soak through in heavy rain, is recommended
    • Full change of clothes in a large Ziploc bag
    • Sun hat and sunscreen (SPF 15+) clearly labeled with child’s name
    • Close-toed shoes appropriate for outdoor activity
    • Water shoes or old sneakers for days near a creek or stream
  • Optional: 
    • Sunglasses
    • Binoculars
    • Nature Guides
    • A mask or any additional Personal Protective Equipment the child wishes to utilize in an enclosed setting

One of Science Discovery’s goals is to provide a summer camp/class environment so engaging, interactive and fun, that participants fail to remember that cell phone in their back pocket (even if for only for a little while!). Although cell phones and electronics are not prohibited, Science Discovery asks that you speak to your child about limiting the use of such devices. We assure you that your child will be busy enough without them! If your child brings a phone to camp/class, please have a conversation with them in advance about not utilizing the device during camp/class hours. Additionally, CU Science Discovery does not assume responsibility for any damaged or lost electronic devices.

Finally, please do your best to prevent participants from bringing toys or other personal items to camp/class. CU Science Discovery does not assume responsibility for any damaged or lost personal items.

Science Discovery does not have a dress code, with exceptions for certain programs:

  • Field camps and classes require appropriate outdoor attire - hiking and/or water shoes, weather appropriate shirts and pants/shorts, rain jacket. 
  • Chemistry and maker-style engineering camps and classes require close-toed shoes. Long hair must be secured with a hair tie.

Science Discovery considers the sign-in/sign-out process integral to operating safe programs. 

When signing children in at drop-off, it will be necessary to have the name of the camp/class they’re attending and the name and phone number of the person responsible for picking them up. If this person is anyone other than a legal parent/guardian, they must be 18 years of age or older and provide a photo ID at pick-up. Children will not be released to any person not indicated on the sign-in sheet.

If your child is 12 years of age or older and you wish to have them sign themselves in and out without parental supervision, please complete a Drop-Off/Pick-Up Exemption Form, linked here and also attached to your registration confirmation email. Exemption forms may be submitted at any point prior to the start of your child’s camp/class, at sign-in on the first day or via email to scidisc@colorado.edu.

At the end of the day, participants will return to the same area where sign-in occurred. It is required for students to be signed-out each day unless a Drop-Off/Pick-Up Exemption form has been submitted.

Although most camps and classes take place on CU Boulder's east campus at the Rose Litman Research Laboratory, this is dependent upon the individual program. 

Arrival and departure times are also dependent upon the individual camps/classes. 

Please refer to the CU Science Discovery website description or your confirmation email for details specific to your child's camp/class.

Still no luck finding it? Call the Science Discovery registration line at 303-492-7188. 

If you are late dropping off, please go to your regularly scheduled drop-off location and call 303-492-7188. A Science Discovery staff member will meet you there as soon as possible and walk your child to their camp/class classroom. 

Note: The only exception to this process is if your child is in a field camp or class. Field programs will typically wait at the drop-off site for about 10-15 minutes before beginning their trek for the day. If you arrive after that window, there is no guarantee that your child will be able to join the camp/class.

If you need to pick your child up early from their camp or class, please call 303-492-7188 to make arrangements with Science Discovery staff. Your child will be brought to an agreed upon drop-off/pick-up location at the agreed upon time. 

We ask that you do not make early pick-up arrangements with your teaching assistant (TA) at drop-off, as morning drop-off can be quite busy and the TAs need to focus on signing families in and keeping an eye on their students. 

Due to the nature of Science Discovery’s classroom and activity locations, we ask that parents/guardians do not visit their child/ren during the day. If special circumstances require that you visit your child’s camp/class site, all visitors are required to arrange their visit prior to arrival (303-492-7188; scidisc@colorado.edu). Upon arrival, visitors will be required to check-in with Science Discovery staff and show identification.

Science Discovery makes every effort to conduct camps/classes—despite the weather. That being said, weather is a very real part of every outdoor experience and thus can provide great learning opportunities. Depending on the camp/class, the following actions may be taken when a weather event occurs:

  • Activity and field trip modifications
  • Taking shelter when out in the field
  • Returning to campus for indoor activities until weather permits field excursions

Each day, Science Discovery staff makes decisions as to whether or not activities will take place outdoors. There may be times where temperatures are deemed much higher than average. When a heat wave is predicted, participants will continue with outdoor activities, seeking cool shaded spots whenever possible or return to campus for indoor activities until weather permits field excursions.

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately, CU Science Discovery is unable to provide aftercare at this time. 

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