Important Dates and Information for the 2025 Summer Program

• Program Location: NJCU Main Campus, Science Building (2039 John F. Kennedy Blvd, Jersey City, NJ 07305)
• Program Virtual Opening Ceremony: Thursday, June 26, 2025, at 6:00 pm
• Program Dates: June 30, 2025 - July 30, 2025
• Program Times:
  • Monday to Thursday from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm
  • Enrichment Hour: Monday-Wednesday 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
•  There is no Enrichment Hour for students on Thursdays.
• Mentoring begins the 2nd week of the Program, July 7th. 
•  No early drop-offs are permitted. Students must arrive at the program at no earlier than 7:50 AM. 

Exciting Events & Activities for STEAM Academy 2025

On July 10, 2054, all students will participate in our exciting Field Day event that features Class Wars. This action-packed day will feature heart-pumping music, volleyball tournaments, indoor track time in our Athletic and Fitness Center, and more! There will be some soccer play, and relay and competitive class races held on the lawn in front of beautiful Hepburn Hall---all complete with special prizes! 

The goal for our Field Day is to encourage students to decompress, learn teamwork and communication skills, work through healthy problem-solving, and enjoy summer as teens with us in the STEAM Academy! On this day, there are no academic activities, so parents and guardians, please send your student with their lunch, plenty of water, sneakers, and sunscreen!

Thursday, July 17, 2025 will be the second annual Fourth Year Student Pool Party! Held in our John J. Moore Athletic Center, students in Year 4 will be provided access to our Olympic-sized swimming pool with lifeguards, great tunes, and a pizza party.

All students will expect the return of the Carvel Ice Cream Field Trip on Wednesday, July 23rd. New this year will be a special presentation on the science behind one of America's favorite confectionary treats!

On July 29, 2025 all students will participate in our culminating end-of-the-Summer STEAM Fair. Student capstone projects will be showcased. Throughout the Science Building, student projects will be on display with a gallery walk of student art, inventions, projects, and poster sessions on a variety of high-interest, accelerated STEAM content, including those based on our Weekly Themes (Found Below).

This is going to be a day to remember! 

On July 31, 2025 all students will be invited and encouraged to attend our Closing Ceremony. Held in our beautiful Margaret Wood Theater in Hepburn Hall, we join together to celebrate the accomplishments of all of our students, with particular emphasis on our graduating, Year 4 students.

 Awards will be bestowed to exemplary students across the cohort years in academic prowess, creative problem-solving, teamwork and collaboration, and more! Parents and guardians, as well as school district partners are strongly encouraged to attend! Parent and guardian arrival will begin at 11:00 AM.

NJCU STEAM Academy Curriculum

The NJCU STEAM Academy has been completely revitalized to offer a solid connection between advanced-placement (AP) level preparation in STEAM following College Board's rigorous academic standards. The curriculum also features high-impact content directly correlated to the New Jersey State Learning Standards (NJSLS), and College and Career Readiness Standards. Using evidenced-based practices in the science of how people learn, Teaching Faculty and Teacher Assistants (TA's) are offered training to help them plan the best academically engaging Summer experience for students using Understanding by Design frameworks that blend quality instructional materials with pedagogical approaches aligned to brain science principles. 

Developed in tandem with content-area endorsed educators in STEM fields, K-12 administrators, and instructional coaches, the newly revised, standards-aligned NJCU STEAM Academy curriculum will have measurable impact on student learning through exploratory, project-based, and inquiry-aligned instruction.

All curriculum is taught to the appropriate New Jersey State Learning Standards in the respective discipline, except for AP-level prep courses that are aligned to College Board's AP Standards and Criteria. 

Summer 2025 Curriculum Schedule is currently under revision and will be posted shortly.

Weekly Enrichment Themes

Each week, students will be exposed to a variety of activities and experiences around themes in STEAM fields and careers. There will be a strong emphasis to reading informational text and technical literature, in alignment with the NJSLS in ELA.

Week 1: • Astronomy & Quantum Physics

Week 2: Horticulture, Agriculture, and Hydroponic Farming

Week 3: Drones & Aviation

Class Colors

Each week we will have weekly Spirit Days on Thursday! Each cohort year is invited to wear their Grade Level Colors:

Year 1 Students: Green

Year 2 Students: Gray

Year 3 Students: White

Year 4 Students: Orange

Students in the NJCU Academy are required to wear their program class colors or NJCU STEAM Academy T-shirt for Field Day and the Carvel Trip.

Spirit Days

Every Thursday of each week of camp, except the last week.

• Week 1: Favorite Sports Team Shirt
• Week 2: Red, White, and Blue
• Week 3: Beach Day
• Week 4: Cultural Appreciation Day
• Week 5: Business Dress-to-Impress