About

The National Youth Science Camp (NYSCamp) is a free, residential honors program for high school graduates from across the United States and select international partners. Founded in 1963 and hosted in the Monongahela National Forest of West Virginia, NYSCamp selects two delegates from each U.S. state and the District of Columbia based on academic excellence and leadership in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics).

The 2026 session runs from July 11 to August 1. The curriculum provides a high-level immersion through daily lectures by visiting scientists and small-group "directed studies" with expert mentors. These academic sessions are balanced with an extensive outdoor adventure program—including backpacking, rock caving, and kayaking—and a group trip to Washington, D.C. to meet with national science policy leaders.

Admission is highly competitive. For 2026, applicants must be members of the graduating Class of 2026 and must submit their applications by February 28, 2026. International delegates are typically selected through U.S. State Department partnerships in countries such as Mexico, Brazil, and Canada. The program remains completely free of charge: the National Youth Science Academy provides housing, meals, and even round-trip air passage for all selected delegates.

Institutionally, the camp is the flagship program of the National Youth Science Academy, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. By removing all financial barriers, NYSCamp ensures that the nation’s brightest young scientists can engage in a seminal "living-learning" community that fosters lifelong leadership in the global scientific ecosystem.