Discovery Camp is in it’s 25th year! Have you ever noticed how fascinated your son becomes when he discovers something new and interesting? The Discovery Camp program is designed to encourage this innate sense of wonder in our campers through uniquely engaging activities and trips that help boys appreciate the natural and physical world. This camp has been known for the last two decades as a camp that provides a well-developed adventure everyday either on campus or to some of the best trip locations in the area, all led by a professional team of Heights faculty members along with Mr. Kyle Blackmer and Mr. Andrew Reed, Head of our Middle School.

Some Examples of Planned Activities and Small Group Trips:

• A visit to the NASA Goddard Space Center with a special presentation on the space shuttle and satellites. 
• The traditional helicopter egg drop engineering contest and a chance to make ice cream as a prize.
• An in-depth study of ecosystems and The Chesapeake Bay, including a visit to The Chesapeake Bay.
• Dissection of a shark and a chance to study Marine Biology.
• Construction of giant water balloon catapults and cannons as a fun way to learn about Newtonian Physics. 
• Nature hikes that promote an understanding of Environmental Biology and the natural forces that shape our local environment, including visits to Cunningham Falls Park and the Catoctin Wildlife Preserve.
• A visit to the U.S. Naval Observatory Dome Telescope with a presentation on outer space.
• Woodworking and 2×4 bridge building for older campers to better understand engineering principles and design.
• Learning about Natural History through hikes and expert guest speakers invited with animals such as falconry from a Falconer and reptiles from a Zoologist.
• Visits to nearby Caverns of the Catoctin Mountains to learn more about cavern formation and Geology.
• Learn about Rocketry, how planes fly, and applied engineering demonstrations using model rockets and an opportunity for each camper to make and launch a model rocket.
• A visit to a large crop and dairy farm to better understand agricultural sciences and the work of farmers.
• Small-group themed tours at the best Smithsonian Institute exhibits, museums, theatres, and archives, including a trip to the Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum and a tour from an F-16 pilot to learn about how planes fly.
• The chance to go creeking and explore the tiny, living world of microorganisms in naturally sourced water through the use of biology lab microscopes.  

2024 Camp Weeks: June 24-28, July 29-Aug 2, Aug 5-9

Staff: Andrew Reed, Head of the Middle School and Science instructor, directs and teaches the program. Mr. Kyle Blackmer, MS Instructor is the Assistant Director of the camp. All other small group leaders are full time members of The Heights faculty.

Small Groups: Have your son join a small group of new friends and share these adventures along with us. All groups have a unique 1:10 faculty to camper ratio.

The regular Camp Day is from 9am through 3pm.   Complimentary after care is available for this camp until 4pm daily.   Early drop off is available at 8:15 am.

Contact: Mr. Andrew Reed at The Heights School, areed@heights.edu

Ages

For rising grades 2-9: Campers are welcomed into small groups by age, each led personally by a teacher. (groups are approximately ten boys each in grades 2-4, 5-6, 7-8, and 9-CIT). Friends and relatives can easily be grouped together by request.

Notes

The full program is made available for all weeks, any single week, or any combination of the weeks. In order to achieve the full list of activities and trips, the camp follows a detailed schedule with descriptions and opportunities for learning through a themed trip or adventure each day. Occasionally, when a field trip involves an admission cost, parents may be asked to help cover this cost for their son. A detailed schedule of activities and topics is emailed one week prior to the start of camp in order to encourage camper anticipation of the camp’s adventures and allow conversations with parents about what was learned and experienced each day. A camper lunch option is also always made available for each day of camp and parents can decide this on the same day.