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GSK Science in the Summer™ is a free, informal science summer program for children entering grades 2-6. Supported by GSK and offered in collaboration with The Franklin Institute, the goal of Science in the Summer is to increase children's interest and confidence in doing science and pursuing STEM careers, especially for children from backgrounds currently underrepresented in STEM fields. The Franklin Institute will support your organization to fold the program into your existing structure and increase your educators’ confidence and skills to lead high-quality STEM programming. 

Join our Philadelphia-area network! Eligible organizations are invited to apply now to participate in GSK Science in the Summer™.
 

Benefits

  • High-quality STEM curriculum and materials for five program activities, including kits of materials, educator guides, student lab notebooks, and sticker sheets for youth in grades 2 - 6
  • Professional development and curriculum training for your staff via an in-person training at The Franklin Institute or virtual, asynchronous trainings 
  • Stipend for replenishing materials as necessary and to support field trip transportation costs (if applicable), and other program-related expenses
  • A field trip to The Franklin Institute, including free general admission for students and adult chaperones
  • Ongoing technical support from The Franklin Institute program team
     

Who Should Apply?

The Franklin Institute is accepting applications from Philadelphia-area organizations that meet the below requirements: 

  • are located in the city of Camden, NJ or following counties: Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, or Philadelphia
  • offer programming for youth entering grades 2 – 6 between the months of June 1 – August 30, 2024
  • have educators on staff who are able/willing to be trained to deliver the five hours of curriculum
  • are committed to bringing accessible programs to youth from backgrounds currently underrepresented in STEM including

Examples of organizations that may apply include Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), Out-of-School-Time providers (OST), After School Providers (ASP) that have summer programming, low-cost or free summer camps, day cares/early childhood service providers, and public school summer programs.
 

How to Apply

Step 1: Watch the Application Webinar that The Franklin Institute hosted on January 24, 2024.

Step 2: Review the PDF version of the application for program details and to draft answers to the application questions. 

Step 3: Begin the application through the “Apply” button below. If you have a Google account, you will be able to save progress and return to the application at a later time. 

Organizations will be accepted beginning in March on a rolling basis until the program reaches capacity. All applicants will be notified of decisions by email. Please check your spam folder and add scienceinthesummer@fi.edu to your “Friend” or “Safe Sender” list. 

Questions? Contact us at scienceinthesummer@fi.edu for more information.

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Testimonials

[GSK Science in the Summer™] does lend itself to piquing [kids’] interest in a way that we wouldn't be able to do during the school year or in other projects we've done. And I think a lot of that has to do with…exposure to materials, exposure to discussion about the sciences, and the activities that they're doing, where they come from and all of that… They're engaging at a level that they otherwise wouldn't have had. 
– 2023 Educator

The GSK Science in the Summer™ program allowed us to increase our summer engagement, I mean, a million times over. The curriculum that was provided was very accessible both for the students, but also for the educators that were facilitating the activities with the kids. And so, it really helped empower our counselors, our instructors, and our partners who were facilitating the program at their sites.
 – 2023 Partner

I will be incorporating more STEM-based programs after being part of [GSK Science in the Summer™]. It has not only piqued my interest in science, but [it has] given me a new awareness of how much STEM is used in our daily lives. I feel much more confident and comfortable relating and using STEM in our other programming that is mostly arts-based because I see more clearly now how they interact. 
– 2023 Educator

I wish all of the organizations that I worked with operate the way that [GSK] Science in the Summer™ does. The amount of communication and the accessibility to support from The Franklin [Institute] was and is just immense and immensely helpful. The outline, the structure of the program, the high level of communication. I never felt alone or abandoned or left to the wind. I never had to figure anything out on my own. There was always a resource or a person that was available when I had questions. 
– 2023 Partner 

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Youth during the Be a Sound Engineer activity

Learners participating in the Be a Sound Engineer activity from the 2023 Be a Physicist! curriculum.

 

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Youth during the Be a Sound Engineer activity

Learners participating in the Be a Sound Engineer activity from the 2023 Be a Physicist! curriculum.