Summer 2025 at the JMZ: A Season of Discovery

September 16, 2025



Hello Friends,

This summer at the JMZ was one for the books! From hands-on science experiments to animal encounters, JMZ summer campers discovered just how much fun learning can be. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, 45 children received scholarships to attend JMZ summer camps this year—nearly double last year’s number. The Friends also funded 17 post-camp spots, which supported parents and gave kids even more time to explore, play, and learn.

This is the third consecutive year the Friends has funded scholarships to JMZ summer camps. To learn more about the program’s growth, check out our August 2024 newsletter. In this newsletter, we share feedback from parents of scholarship recipients this summer.

With gratitude,

Lauren Angelo

President, Friends of the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo

The Impact of the JMZ Summer Camp Experience

At JMZ summer camps, K-6 students explore a variety of STEM topics. Scholarship applicants share their camp preferences, which helps the JMZ's Education Team match each child with experiences that spark their curiosity.

Here’s a look at some of this year's summer camps and what families had to say:

Jurassic Camp

At Jurassic Camp, children stepped into the prehistoric past. Campers examined fossils, created fossil casts, and explored geology just steps from the California Dinosaur Garden.

“Such an all around great experience with the instructors and staff who care about the well-being of each child. My kid learned so much and was excited to share about each day.” — Jurassic Camp Parent

Bay Camp

Bay Camp remains a favorite for outdoor fun. Campers learned about local wildlife, tried their hand at fishing, and discovered the delicate balance of our ecosystems at the Baylands Nature Preserve.

“My daughter had the best week being outdoors and doing hands-on activities. She thrived!” — Bay Camp Parent

“It was such a great mix of outdoor and indoor fun. My daughter learned so much from this program.” — Bay Camp Parent

Camp Chronos

Time-traveling through science, students rediscovered ancient technologies, built famous inventions, performed historic experiments, and even looked back in time through space.

“The teachers are super patient and [my son] brought home so many different things every day and he learned so so much every day at the camp!...I would highly recommend the camp to all of my friends. LOVE the topics every day and we love every aspect of the Camp!!” — Camp Chronos Parent

Camp Kinetic

This camp is all about physics and chemistry. Campers built, broke, floated, and squished their way through experiments, testing out contraptions and gooey concoctions.

“It was very positive for my kids. Excellent job for everyone involved. Thank you so much. Kids love it.” — Camp Kinetic Parent

Scholarship Impact and Looking Ahead

The Friends funded a huge jump in camp scholarships this summer–a total of 45 up from 25 the summer before! This leap in participation is thanks to the JMZ’s Education Team who worked directly with families to complete applications, answer questions, and reassign spots when cancellations arose.

Looking forward, we plan to strengthen partnerships with community organizations, making sure more families can apply early and access scholarships. Thanks to your support, JMZ camps are more than just summer fun—they’re opportunities for every child to learn, grow, and thrive. Scholarships are one way the Friends is making science education more accessible in our community, and we’re deeply grateful for the donors who make this possible.

If you are interested in supporting Friends-funded education programs, you can donate to JMZ Science Outreach in underserved schools on our website.