The Innovation Institute is offering “Let’s Go Outdoors!” summer programs that combine online get-togethers with outdoor explorations. Its Summer Living in the Lab course, July 6-31, has separate sections for ages 5-8, 9-11, and 12-15. Three virtual gatherings a week — for learning and sharing findings — will be hosted from Ti2’s Virtual Field Station in England by evolutionary biologist and naturalist, Dr. Arkhat Abzhanov. In between sessions, students will conduct structured explorations to discover, identify, compare, and learn about their natural surroundings. Explorations will highlight evolution, natural history, zoology, comparative anatomy, and geology. Children who are old enough will explore independently, and younger ones will need a caregiver/partner to join them. Enrollment closes June 13 — and tuition is discounted for enrollment by May 31.

Boston Tech Mom has curated a list of online STEM summer camps for a variety of ages, experience levels, and interests.

Kids 4 Coding, based in Atlanta and now in its 5th year in Massachusetts, is offering one-week virtual summer programs running June 1-August 21 with a maximum of five students per instructor (see instructor bios). Use code SAVE50 for a $50 discount. For more information, email info@kids4coding.com or call 800-484-2664.

• Adventure Academy MMO:  Students in ages 7-9 combine gaming with learning in an open-world, instructor-led fantasy multi-player environment.
• Kids 4 Coding Virtual Camp: Students in ages 7-16 code mobile apps, Roblox Studio games, and Minecraft mods, learn to code in a Python-based music environment, and learn to use Adobe Illustrator and PhotoShop for graphics and design.
• Party of Five: Groups of five friends may join together to turn any Kids 4 Coding camp into a private coding camp for themselves.

In response to COVID-19, Girls Who Code has changed its Summer Immersion Program to be a free two-week virtual program. It’s for girls and non-binary students currently in Grades 9-11 to learn computer science and get exposure to technology jobs. No previous experience is required — just an interest in technology and willingness to learn. For more information, register for a live webinar on May 20, 6PM-6:30PM, or view the pre-recorded webinar here. Space is limited for the Summer Immersion Program, and applications are considered on a rolling basis, so act quickly. The application takes about 20-30 minutes and does not require grades or recommendations. Students may also apply for a $300 need-based stipend.

Girls Who Code also offers free Code-At-Home activities each week, some online and some offline, at varying levels of difficulty. New activities are released each Wednesday at 1PM, and each activity features a woman who pioneered innovative technology. The activities are also on GWC’s Instagram.

Girls Who Code also invites you to register for a free, four-part virtual event series for GWC alumni and community to discuss uncertainties around college, internships, and careers during the pandemic.

Boston-based BlocksCAD is a STEM education technology company offering a web-based 3D design platform that combines 3D modeling and block-based coding to help students in Grades 3-8 have fun learning math, computational thinking, and coding. See this summary. The BlocksCAD platform is free to use, and parents can help kids get started with projects here. The BlocksCAD team offers courses through Newton Community Education (formerly in person and these days online) as well as their own online courses. Each BlocksCAD online course runs once a week for four weeks, 5PM-6PM — on Mondays or Tuesdays for Grades 3-5, and on Wednesdays or Thursdays for Grades 6-8. As conditions permit, BlocksCAD plans to offer in-person, one-week summer day camps for Grades 3-5 (1:30-4:30PM, June 29-July 2) and Grades 6-8 (9:30AM-12:30PM, June 22-26).