Even teenagers and unaccompanied children can take part in research projects. In the form of learning camps or vacation camps, our NGO partner OSI offers participative science stays for youngsters in various fields: biodiversity, astronomy, technology, chemistry, biology...
Supervised by trained science educators , these camps encourage the awakening and development of scientific reasoning in inspiring natural environments. Thanks to an innovative pedagogy, the supervision favors learning science through immersion and practice. Young people get involved in real-life research projects in a fun way. They learn without realizing it! The result is astonishing learning! There are no pre-requisites to take part. And you don't have to like school. It's all about vacation! The science educators have all been trained by our partner NGO. They are both scientists and animators. On the trips, there is 1 educator for every 6 participants.
Science camp: in search of biodiversity in wolf country
In the heart of the Swiss mountains in the Val d'Anniviers, come and study biodiversity in an area where the wolf has made a comeback. As a naturalist, you'll comb the mountains to observe butterflies, birds, plants...
You'll be taking part in a real research program: the first European study on the consequences of the wolf's return on biodiversity as a whole! The Alps are currently seeing the return of two major predators: the wolf and the lynx. Two species described as "keystone species" because of their important role in ecosystems.
Nature school
It is likely that this return will be accompanied by changes in the populations of their prey (deer, roe deer, chamois, etc.) and in the management of alpine herds. Less is known, however, about the consequences of the wolf's return for biodiversity in the Alps. Is the return of the wolf a boon for biodiversity, as its defenders claim? Or will it be accompanied by the disappearance of certain species, as those opposed to the wolf's return claim? On this trip, you'll learn to identify butterflies and birds, spot snakes by day and attract lynxes by night. You'll attend a real nature school, with naturalists in the field.
This scientific summer camp for children and teenagers takes place in the mountain village of Chandolin. You'll stay at the Auberge Les Choucas.
Dates and prices
- 1 week €1,489 (tax deductible*)
- 2 weeks €299 (tax deductible*)
- From 07/07/2024 to 07/14/2024
- From 07/07/2024 to 07/21/2024 (2 weeks)
- From 07/14/2024 to 07/21/2024
- From 07/14/2024 to 07/28/2024 (2 weeks)
- From 07/21/2024 to 07/28/2024
- From 07/21/2024 to 08/04/2024 (2 weeks)
- From 07/28/2024 to 08/04/2024
Underwater archaeology in Brittany for teenagers
The Secret of the Abyss program is aimed at teenagers with at least Level 1 diving qualifications (FFESSM). If you already have a level in scuba diving and would like to learn about scientific diving, this holiday is for you! During this scientific vacation camp, you'll be helping to study a site in the heart of Saint-Malo Bay. In 2021, the Saint-Malo conurbation, with the coordination of the Planète Mer organization and the support of researchers from the Dinard marine station, has launched a study to better understand the dynamics of the meadow at the Pointe de La Varde. The results of the research in which you will participate will serve as a basis for various decision-making processes.
During your stay, you will implement scientific protocols to measure and count the plants. You will make 4 scuba dives. All dives will be prepared in advance, so that you know exactly what to do underwater, what equipment to use and how. The afternoons will be devoted to diving, followed by a discussion of the observations made and the data collected.
- You'll be staying at the Patrick Varangot center, 2 minutes' walk from Saint-Malo's main beach.
Dates and prices
- 2385 (tax deductible*)
- From 07/21/2024 to 07/28/2024
Scientific diving holidays for teenagers are also available on the Basque coast. See here
Scientific camp on the chemistry and biology of Lake Geneva
Sails and rows across Switzerland's Lake Geneva, collecting water samples for analysis in a research laboratory.
In Lake Geneva, a mythical fish, the whitefish, is seeing its population decline... Why? That's the question we need to answer. To do this, you need to analyze the water in Lake Geneva and its tributaries. You'll take several water samples using professional equipment, before analyzing the recovered samples in a laboratory. You'll learn how to determine the amount of nitrate, ammonium and phosphate in the water, as well as how to count the different types of plastic collected, using a binocular magnifying glass. You'll carry out the analyses in a laboratory room at the Lausanne Aquatis aquarium. Europe's largest freshwater aquarium! A living museum featuring an aquarium and a vivarium.
To be able to retrieve these water samples from different parts of the lake, you'll also need to learn how to navigate... That's why you'll be introduced to sailing and rowing!
- Accommodation at the Vidy campsite on the shores of Lake Geneva.
- Scientific stays can be booked with or without accommodation
Dates and prices
- Without accommodation: €1,480 (tax deductible*)
- With accommodation: €1,680 (tax deductible*)
- From 06/30/2024 to 07/07/2024
- From 07/07/2024 to 07/14/2024
Searching for Cretaceous marine reptiles in the Drôme region
Try the adventure of a scientific stay in paleontology. Objective: research marine reptiles in the Drôme provençale. Does the job of paleontologist appeal to you? Would you like to know more about fossils, traces of life dating back millions of years? The Cretaceous marine reptile science camp is waiting for you! You'll learn about paleontology in the field and in the lab. You'll discover how to find your way around nature, using geological maps to discover new fossiliferous outcrops. You'll take part in extracting, referencing, cleaning and identifying evidence of the presence of large marine vertebrates. You'll learn more about their way of life and determine the conditions of their disappearance. All these stages require the acquisition of a wide range of techniques, both in the field and in the laboratory (GPS, micro-cutter, milling machine, sandblaster... binocular magnifier, computer, GIS...).
- Accommodation at the Musiflore vacation center is located in the Drôme provençale, between the small town of Dieulefit and the village of Bourdeaux.
Dates and prices
- 1 week €1,499 (tax deductible*)
- 2 weeks €2,699 (tax deductible*)
Ages 7 to 12
- From 07/07/2024 to 07/14/2024
- From 07/07/2024 to 07/21/2024
- From 07/14/2024 to 07/21/2024
- From 04/08/2024 to 11/08/2024
- From 04/08/2024 to 18/08/2024
- From 08/11/2024 to 08/18/2024
- From 20/10/2024 to 27/10/2024
From 13 to 17 years old
- 10/20/2024 to 10/27/2024
Robotics for science and sustainable development
In healthcare, industry, the home and even the environment, robots are making our lives easier. With our science trip on the theme of robotics, you'll learn how to build and program your own robot! Many biodiversity conservation projects today use robotics, particularly to collect data in inaccessible areas. The study of wildlife requires camera traps, drones and autonomous vehicles. During this science camp, you'll be making useful objects for various NGO projects.
Technological immersion and robot building
This stay is adapted to the age of the participants. Younger children can immerse themselves in the world of new technologies, while older children learn about algorithmic thinking. Teenagers will build technical objects such as anemometers, ultrasonic sonars, autonomous vehicles based on a generic chassis for remote-controlled cars... After the presentation of the research projects to which the youngsters will be able to contribute, groups will be formed according to individual preferences and needs: Programming and controlling the functions of your robot; Working out requirements and solutions for improvements; Modeling and manufacturing new functions; Real-life testing of complex systems.
- Accommodation at the Musiflore vacation center in Drôme provençale
Dates and prices
- 2 weeks: €2,699 (tax deductible*)
- 1 week: €1,499 (tax deductible*)
- FROM 08/11/2024 to 08/18/2024
- From 08/11 to 08/25/2024
- From 18/08/2025 to 25/08/2024
Star finders: astronomy holiday in Val d'Anniviers
Are you fascinated by the sky and the stars? Would you like to unravel the mysteries of the universe? Discover the cosmos at a science camp in Switzerland's Val d'Anniviers. Thanks to Stars Finders. During this summer camp, you'll learn to observe the sky, manipulate telescopes and the basics of astrophotography. Depending on your age and level of astronomy, two groups will be formed: one focusing on discovery and initiation, the other on detecting exo-planets. Children in the discovery group will learn to recognize constellations and the North Star. They will be introduced to telescope use. They'll learn how different objects in the universe are formed, and what an exoplanet is...
Detecting exo-planets
Those in the advanced group will take part in a scientific research project using photometry to detect exoplanets. They will learn what an exoplanet is and how to detect it, before being trained in the basics of photometry, i.e. detecting the brightness of a star using a camera connected to a telescope. The exo planets detected will be catalogued as part of the Exoplanet Transit Database program, which seeks to answer the questions: what do exo planets look like? What are the chances of finding a system similar to the solar system? Are we alone in the universe?
- This trip is in collaboration with the François Xavier Bagnoud Astronomical Observatory in Saint Luc.
- Lodging in the Val d'Anniviers at the Auberge Les Choucas, with a night's bivouac.
Dates and prices
- 1 week €1,589 (tax deductible*)
- 2 weeks €299 (tax deductible*)
- From 07/07/2024 to 07/14/2024
- From 07/07/2024 to 07/21/2024
- From 07/14/2024 to 07/21/2024
- From 07/14/2024 to 07/28/2024
- From 07/21/2024 to 07/28/2024
- From 07/21/2024 to 08/04/2024
- From 07/28/2024 to 08/04/2024
Not all our partner's science vacations for children and teenagers are listed here. Please ask your partner NGO about other science camps they can offer when you contact them.
Tax deduction *
The NGO partner Objectif Sciences international is recognized for the quality, usefulness, solidarity and educational nature of its stays and training courses dedicated to achieving the goals of sustainable development. The NGO operates on the donation-action principle. A person makes a donation and participates in an NGO action. Note that the person making the donation may be different from the person taking the action. As such, the cost of the training or scientific stay is tax-deductible up to 66% in France.
The NGO partner
Partner NGO Objectif Sciences international has Special Consultative Status with the UN (ECOSOC) and is a member of the AAAS Science and Human Rights Coalition. Specializing in scientific trips, science and participatory research, the NGO believes that education is the driving force behind the Sustainable Development Goals. It offers a range of participatory science trips for adults and minors. All OSI programs here