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New Mexico Tech, June 7 to 12, 2026
University of Minnesota Morris, June 21 - 26, 2026
Hands-on astrophysics summer camps for high schoolers
What are the Kapemni Summer Camps?
What are the Kapemni Summer Camps?
The Kapemni Astrophysics Summer Camp in Morris, MN, is one of two astrophysics camps for high school students (grades 9 - 12), organized by the Kapemni Collaboration. The camps are open for high school students currently enrolled in grades 9 – 12. The Kapemni collaboration is a group of scientists from New Mexico Tech, the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and the University of Minnesota Morris. The camps are fully funded, including room and board, with a grant from the National Science Foundation. Both summer camps award one college credit from the host institution for participants.
There are two complementary camps planned for the summer for the summer of 2026. You are looking at the website for the Kapemni camp in Morris, MN. You can find the website of our sister camp at New Mexico Tech here: https://www.nmt.edu/academics/physics/faculty/vromero.php
The two camp weeks:
The two camp weeks:
Explore the Wonders of the Universe
June 7th – 12th 2026
at New Mexico Tech, Socorro, New Mexico
at New Mexico Tech, Socorro, New Mexico
From Ancient Astronomy to Modern Astrophysics:
•Camp in Chaco Canyon and learn about sun daggers and ancient time keeping
•Visit modern observatories and radio-astronomic facilities in Socorro, NM
Kapemni Astrophysics Summer Camp
June 21 - 26, 2026
at the University of Minnesota Morris
The Morris Astrophysics summer camp will begin on Sunday night with camp fire stories on Native American astronomy. Every day has workshops, projects, and sky observations centered on a theme. These include, for example, a day for astro-navigation, one on sky observation, on space flight, on the sun as a star, and on space-time. You might build your own telescope, write image processing code, learn how to use a sextant, or explore nuclear fusion. With 20 participants, the camp is small. Activities are guided by faculty and graduate students from the Morris and Twin Cities campuses.
The camp will also provide you with one completed college credit from the University of Minnesota Morris. By completing activities and reflections, you will earn 1 credit for the course Phys 1007 Kapemni Astrophysics Camp.
How do you register for the camps?
How do you register for the camps?
Registration will occur in two stages. We would love for you to indicate your interest in the camp using the form linked below. Depending on response volume, we may have to limit admission to the camp, so please apply early, ideally before March 30, 2026.
You will receive a notice about your acceptance after March 30, 2026.
You will be able to select one or both of the two camps. Also, we ask a few questions about your interest, age, and motivation to participate.
Why at the University of Minnesota Morris?
Why at the University of Minnesota Morris?
There are many reasons for the location. Perhaps, I can list a few here below:
The Morris campus is home to a student body with a large Native American fraction. Based on the campus history as a Native American Boarding School, the campus provides a comprehensive tuition waiver for indigenous students. This summer camp has close ties to our efforts to create pathways for Native American students into the sciences.
The Kapemni program itself is one such pathway. The Dakota word Kapemni means to twist or turn, and is used to describe the tip of a teepee. The Kapemni symbol in Dakota astronomy designates two teepees joined at their apex, one for the sky, one for the earth. It is a spiritual gateway between the above and the below. You may have heard the phrase "As above so Below" - it is based on the Kapemni symbol. The Kapemni program opens pathways. It is a collaboration between scientists at different institutions, places of research and learning, creating opportunities for students in research and learning.
The Morris campus has an astronomical observatory, active in outreach and teaching. We also have relatively dark skies (Bortle 5 or 6).
The Morris campus has everything we could want for a summer camp: the scientific lab space, the dark skies, nice accommodations in the Green Dorm, big skies, a recreation and fitness center with two pools and other gym facilities, and so on.
Who can you contact with your questions?
Who can you contact with your questions?
If you have questions about the summer camp, please do not hesitate to reach out to one of us:
Sylke Boyd, Assoc. Professor of Physics, University of Minnesota Morris, sboyd@morris.umn.edu
Vuk Mandic, Distinguished McKnight University Professor, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, vuk@umn.edu
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