Looking Ahead to Summer 2022: Registration Opens for Penn Museum Anthropology Camp

PHILADELPHIA — Making archaeology and anthropology accessible to all in a safe summer camp environment, the Penn Museum is offering a limited number of need-based scholarships for adventure-seekers ages 6-13 to learn more about cultures around the world at Penn Museum Anthropology Camp, which begins June 27, 2022. Registration is now open.

“Safety remains our top priority. As COVID protocols change, camp safety guidelines will adapt with them,” says Allison Krisch, Summer Camp Director. Counselors and campers will be required to present proof of vaccination for COVID-19, maintain social distancing, and wear face masks.

Through hands-on interactive workshops, talks with researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, and private expeditions inside the Museum’s galleries, week-by-week Anthropology Campers safely globetrot across time and space—from Ancient Egypt, Rome, and Greece to North America to Asia.

Tailored for children entering grades 1-8 in the 2022-2023 school year, the weekly themed summer camp curriculum includes topics that engage curious young minds:

Stories from the Earth: June 27-July 1 (Week 1) and August 8-12 (Week 7)
Campers unearth stories about volcanoes, earthquakes, and massive floods—exploring myths, legends, and origin stories from cultures around the world, while discovering their own voices through the power of storytelling.

Building Bridges, Pyramids, and Temples: July 5-8 (Week 2) and August 15-19 (Week 8)
A week of exciting building challenges awaits campers as they design their own towers, bridges, pyramids, and temples fit for royalty, while finding out about engineering marvels of the past—and how ancient buildings, roads, and homes reveal information about the daily lives of people around the world.

Who’s Who in Ancient Egypt: July 11-15 (Week 3)
In examining the day-to-day life of pharaohs, priests, scribes, and commoners across Ancient Egypt, campers will engineer a seaworthy boat to sail along the Nile River, sculpt a shabti, make papyrus, listen to stories from Egyptian mythology, and get up-close-and-personal with the amazing artifacts inside the Egypt Galleries, as well as the Ancient Egypt: From Discovery to Display special exhibition.

Signs and Superstitions: July 18-15 (Week 4)
Taking steps to bring good fortune or ward off evil are rituals that happen in most cultures around the world. Campers will dig into the origins of customs like crossing one’s fingers or knocking on wood for luck, formulate their own superstitions, and create protective amulets.

Beats, Ballads, and Bards: July 25-29 (Week 5)
Throughout history, music has provided the soundtrack for the human experience—from Philadelphia to Nairobi to Tokyo. Campers explore songs, beats, and rhythm in storytelling, seek out musical instruments on display in the galleries throughout the museum, and design their own drums, as they uncover how music is used in rituals and celebrations across the globe.

Powerful People: Kings, Queens, Pharaohs, and Shamans, August 1-5 (Week 6)
Campers will learn what it means to be powerful in different cultures through time and space. With ceremonial mask-making and textile workshop activities, campers will examine regalia, art, and other symbols that convey status on display in the galleries.

“Last year, summer camp sold out. At the Penn Museum, children are able to discover much more than ‘the story of us’ as humans,” Krisch adds. “They also find new friends and challenge themselves to think differently.”

Additional information
A virtual Penn Museum Anthropology Camp Open House is scheduled for Tuesday March 22, 2022 at 6:00 pm. Click here to register for the virtual Open House.

Scholarships
To request a need-based scholarship application, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The deadline to submit all full and partial scholarship applications is April 30, 2022

Costs
Discounts are available for early registrants before April 1.
Cost: $340 per week. $320 per week for Penn Museum members.
For those registering after April 1, the cost is $360 per week. $340 for Penn Museum members.
Pre-camp and after-camp care services are available for an additional expense.

Registration
To register for Penn Museum Anthropology Camp, click here.