We are delighted to announce that we have an unprecedented number of scholarships for this year's summer camps!  Thanks to generous donations from Ann and Winston Brundige, Northrop Grumman, Utah STEM Action Center, and Bank of Utah, we have 30 scholarships available spread across all of this year's camps.  Here are some answers to frequently asked questions about scholarships.  If you have other questions, please reach out to us by commenting here or by emailing us at [email protected].

How do I apply?
To apply for a scholarship, simply navigate to the STAR Camp section of this webpage or click here.  On that page, you will see a button for STAR Camp Scholarships.  From there, you will find a description of the available scholarships as well as the application.  There is one application form for all scholarships.  Please indicate which scholarships you are interested in on the application.

Who fills out the application?
The essay questions must be filled out by the scholar planning to attend camp, not their parents.  Parents may assist, but the essay responses should be in your child's own words.  Parents may help Junior Astronauts, but please allow your child to dictate their responses to you.

When is the deadline?
​Applications are due by April 12th.  Scholarships will be awarded no later than April 19th.

Who is eligible?
All students may apply for a camp scholarship.  Please make sure that the scholarship you are applying for matches the camp you are registering for.

How many scholarships can one camper get?
Each camper may only receive one scholarship per camp season.

Please note:
Remaining tuition balance after scholarships are awarded must be paid in full by May 24th.  Scholars will write thank you letters to donors while they are at camp.

 Women have always been involved in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, though historically their contributions have not always been highlighted.  Read on to learn about some amazing women in STEM that you may not have heard of!

Ana Roqué de Duprey was a botanist and educator born in Puerto Rico in 1853.  She started a school in her home at the age of 13, where she taught from a geography textbook that she had written herself.  Her textbook was later adopted by the Department of Education in Puerto Rico.  She founded several girls-only schools as well as the College of Mayagüez.  She wrote the Botany of the Antilles, which was the most comprehensive study of flora in the Caribbean at the beginning of the 20th century.  She also founded the first women's suffrage organization in Puerto Rico in 1917!

Ruth Rogan Benerito was a chemist and pioneer in bioproducts.  She is credited with saving the cotton industry in post-WWII America through her discovery of a process to produce wrinkle-free, stain-free, and flame-resistant cotton fabrics.  She also developed a way to deliver fat intravenously to patients who were too sick to eat.  This is the foundation of the system we use today in hospitals!

Grace Hopper was a computer pioneer and naval officer.  She is considered one of the first three modern "programmers".  She completed her PhD in mathematics at Yale University in 1934.  In 1943, she enlisted in the Navy, where she helped program one of the earliest electromechanical computers, the Mark I.  One crowning achievement of her decades long career in programming was the creation of the computer language COBOL, which is still in use today.

Rachel Carson was a marine biologist and nature writer.  Her book Silent Spring is credited as being the catalyst for the modern environmental movement.  Outlining the dangers of chemical pesticides, her book sparked a national movement that led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin was a British-born American astrophysicist and astronomer.  In 1925, she proposed in her doctoral thesis that stars were composed of mainly hydrogen and helium-- a groundbreaking discovery.  She is the first person--male or female--to gain a doctorate in astronomy from Harvard University.  Despite working in academia for the entirety of her career, because of her gender, she wasn't recognized as a full professor until 1956.  She was the first woman granted full professorship at Harvard University, and went on to become the first female chair of the Astronomy Department there.

So many incredible women have contributed to STEM fields!  Who is your favorite woman in STEM?

Did you know that, when astronauts travel to the International Space Station, they often stay for six to twelve months?  What do they do with all that time in space?  Here are some things that astronauts do while on the ISS.

1. Keep Learning
Astronauts are all scientists.  A big chunk of their time in space is spent doing scientific experiments.  Most of these experiments are designed by other people, so it's very important that the astronauts follow the right steps and share their results.  Research on the ISS will help scientists as they reach further into space.

2. Exercise
It's important for astronauts to keep their muscles strong in space.  Being in a weightless environment for a long time can cause muscles to atrophy if astronauts aren't strict with their exercise regimens.  One way that astronauts exercise on the ISS is by running on a treadmill.  The treadmill has bungee cords to hold the astronauts down so they don't float away!

3. Talk to Their Families
Do you have friends or family that live far away?  You probably stay in touch with them the same way that astronauts do!  Astronauts on the ISS talk to their families through email and video calls.

4. Stay Clean
How do you stay clean in space if everything--including water--floats?  Astronauts wash their hair with a rinseless shampoo that was developed for hospital patients that are unable to shower.

5. Relax and have fun!
It's important for everyone to take time for hobbies.  The astronauts on the ISS have all kinds of hobbies, from playing the keyboard to reading to...playing basketball?  Check out this video to see how astronauts relax in space.

To read and watch more about how astronauts live on the ISS check out this article!

As artificial intelligence becomes more advanced and popular as a tool, it is also becoming more popular in entertainment.  From virtual reality headsets to the CogniToys Dino powered by IBM's Watson that can hold conversations, AI is the latest word in children's toys.  AI Toy developers are working to create toys that are tailored to children's developmental needs.  AI has the potential to help kids through interactive learning, language development, sensory stimulation, emotional interaction, and even as a sleep aid.  Because physical exercise is important to children's development, some developers have even added physical components to their games and toys that encourage movement.

While AI has created a lot of exciting possibilities for children's toys and entertainment, it is still a relatively new technology, and because of this, there are some potential risks.  AI could pose privacy concerns.  Data is collected about children's behavior and can be used to target advertising.  AI toys should always be used with parental supervision.

What do you think of AI in children's toys?  What makes you excited or nervous thinking about it?

Did you know that coral reefs support at least a quarter of marine species?  Approximately 500 million people worldwide rely on coral reefs for food and their livelihoods, and the reefs protect coastlines from storms and erosion.  The reefs are important, people!  These important and delicate ecosystems have been under threat in the last decades from global climate change, unsustainable fishing, land-based pollution and diseases.  Scientists are hard at work studying the reefs and learning what we can do to help protect the oceans.  One of these scientists is Dr. Drew Harvell.

Dr. Harvell is a marine ecologist who has spent her career researching ocean biodiversity.  She specializes in ocean health, studying diseases in marine ecosystems.  She has published many scientific articles about infectious diseases in ocean species and what actions can be taken to help prevent outbreaks from ravaging ocean populations.  Dr. Harvell has worked as a U.S. Science Envoy in 2023, travelling to connect and collaborate with scientists around the world as they coordinate efforts to save the oceans!