Where the Bright Shine

 

 

Academic Enrichment Summer Programs
Rising Grades 4-12

Call Us:  781.762.7400

At EXPLO, Curiosity is Our Engine

We set the scene for immersive experiences that spark passion and expand possibilities. Our innovative methods build up a community of trailblazers.  Our diverse, collaborative community encourages you to be your authentic self.

It’s in our roots to spark brilliance

  • Since our founding in 1976 as a nonprofit startup out of MIT, EXPLO has created transformational learning environments of intellectual inquiry and spirited adventure

  • In roughly 50 years, we’ve brought together over 88,000 students and educators from 93 countries

  • Our alumni have gone on to found startups like Instagram and nonprofits for climate resilience and youth empowerment, win Grammy and Tony awards, become influential NASA scientists, and more

Our Programs

At EXPLO, we want young people to take charge of their own learning: to chart a course that allows them to do more than simply “succeed” in life, but to actually thrive. We challenge students to live a life of exploration — to act on their curiosity, pursue their passions, and to make a life of meaning for themselves in collaboration with others. This is a life of daring. A life of courage. A life of purpose.

Choose your own adventure: Choose 6 topics from 50 options like Treehouse Architecture + Engineering, Creating a Hit Song, Coding + Robotics, and Stop-Motion Films; EXPLO Junior’s 360° summer enrichment program lets you write the story!

Get new adventure buddies: Meet other clever and friendly kids from around the world who like to try new things and make new friends; age-appropriate programming and activities are designed for two age groups, Grades 4–5 and Grades 6–7

Design your ultimate summer: Come for the day or extended day program and enjoy activities like launching rockets or making smoothies—or become roomies with us for 24/7 adventure, from indoor skydiving to beach days; you get to choose your own activities each day

Feel right at home: Our dedicated space at Regis College, nestled between the Highland Forest and the Weston Reservoir on a 90-acre wooded campus in the greater Boston area, is a beautiful place to call home; you’ll love our light-filled adventure spaces, tennis courts, gym, pool, playing fields, track, and plenty of outdoor space to explore
This summer, be different: EXPLO combines the fun of summer camp with unlimited ways to explore your interests and surprise yourself—try out your chef skills, take a surfing lesson, or participate in a talent show.

At EXPLO, you have the freedom to choose activities you’re actually into—and try new things in a judgment-free zone to find the real you. In a personalized summer enrichment program with 50 options, you can choose 5 topics in areas like Fashion Illustration, Sports and Society, Codebreaking, Digital Music Production, and more. Get to know your future self!

Design your ultimate summer: You get to design three weeks in our dedicated space at Sarah Lawrence College in New York, a 44-acre wooded campus just 30 minutes from Manhattan. EXPLO’s day or extended day program keeps you fully connected, or join our residential program for 24/7 fun. You get to pick new activities each day, like outdoor movie nights under the stars, cruise nights, dances, and more, and be in charge of your own schedule.

Go big either way: Choose between EXPLO 360 to study broadly and find your special something or Career Concentrations for focused study that really turns your passion into action

Get the real deal: Learning at EXPLO is immersive and project-based, so you gain real experience instead of just imagining how things work from behind a desk

Experience new ideas with people who love what they do

Find yourself in an unedited, judgment-free zone: You’ll meet with industry experts who are innovating the future of their fields in real-time and see endless possibilities in an environment that fosters curiosity and collaboration instead of judgment.

Remember to have fun: At EXPLO, curiosity and playfulness permeate our dedicated space on the Wellesley College campus right outside of Boston, one of America’s top college towns. You’ll learn a lot, but you’ll also have unforgettable summer fun—from taking a quick train into Boston for foodie tours to cruises, movie nights, and evening musical performances, you’ll have time to unwind and connect with other passionate and inclusive students.

Our Alums + Families Know Us Best

Once an Explorer, Always an Explorer

EXPLO Alumni Forge Their Own Paths and Pave the Way for Others

Forging your own path can be both incredibly challenging and rewarding. Here are some EXPLO alums that continue to channel their curiosity and passion to shape the world.

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“

I had much more freedom at EXPLO than I do at home, the learning was far more interesting, and there were many more opportunities to spend time with friends.

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EXPLO Senior Student

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“

My daughter had a fabulous experience, with excellent support from the counselors and the overall program. Middle school is tough and EXPLO helped open her eyes to the fact that the world is a big place with lots of adventure/new friends experiences to be had. Also, the administration and counselors were extremely responsive and flexible to my daughter, particularly considering this was her first experience at a residential summer camp.

”

EXPLO Senior Parent

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    “EXPLO is a fantastic program. Both my children have thrived there. They have experienced an incredibly supportive and nurturing environment, while still allowing them to be independent. Both kids can't wait to go back next summer.”

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    “Unlike school, EXPLO treated us like adults and didn't look the other way if someone was doing something they shouldn't (even though it didn't happen very often). Everyone was treated nicely and accepted.”

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    “You get to find yourself in all these different types of things. You need to be really open and you shouldn’t be timid. You get so many different chances here to do what you want and to learn about yourself. There are just all these different opportunities that you can take advantage of.”

Our Campuses

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    "I like the atmosphere here. You can go from the people on your hall to the people in your classes and the people that you’ve only seen once on one of your trips. And it’s really fun because everyone’s so open with each other."

  • 7.20_carnivalfinal_-_42_of_45

    "My daughter had a fabulous experience, with excellent support from the counselors and the overall program. Middle school is tough and EXPLO helped open her eyes to the fact that the world is a big place with lots of adventure/new friends experiences to be had." 

  • trynewthings_NF_wellesley-1

    "I had much more freedom at EXPLO than I do at home, the learning was far more interesting, and there were many more opportunities to spend time with friends."

  • IG_FB_September22_Post_4-2-1

    “It's like school but wayyyyyyyyyyyy more fun and interactive because you learn things in a fun manner that is different than sitting in a boring classroom for lectures.”

  • The-Barbara-Walters-Campus-Center-Exterior03-1

    “EXPLO is a fantastic program. Both my children have thrived there. They have experienced an incredibly supportive and nurturing environment, while still allowing them to be independent. Both kids can't wait to go back next summer.”

  • 07-31-2019-Chem_Lab-Yale_-_7_of_15-1

    “The staff were always there for you and made things fun whenever anything even showed the slightest hint of being boring. They always helped and kept things safe but enjoyable. They had an understanding nature towards us that other adults don't have.”

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    “It was very cool to just have awesome people around you all the time. You could always just leave your room and find someone to talk to, or something to do.”

  • i-gpC8JQg-X3 (1)

    “Unlike school, EXPLO treated us like adults and didn't look the other way if someone was doing something they shouldn't (even though it didn't happen very often). Everyone was treated nicely and accepted.”

  • sarah-lawrence-college_237-1

    “EXPLO is my second home. I loved almost every minute of it. The staff are fantastic, the classes are great, and I love the balance between academics and free time. The three weeks feel like three seconds, and my only regret is not finding out about EXPLO sooner.” 

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    “My son doesn't have many friends at home but at camp he is a social butterfly. That alone is the best thing that we took away from his EXPLO experience. He feels connected to friends and happy.”

  • KBG06520-X2-1-1

    “You get to find yourself in all these different types of things. You need to be really open and you shouldn’t be timid. You get so many different chances here to do what you want and to learn about yourself. There are just all these different opportunities that you can take advantage of.”

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Nestled between the Highland Forest and the Weston Reservoir is Regis College, a 90-acre wooded campus just 12 miles from Boston. With air-conditioned classrooms, labs, studios, meeting spaces, and dining facilities, it’s a perfect home for Junior Program students to explore the world of people and ideas, together. EXPLO students take advantage of light filled residence halls, tennis courts, gym, pool, playing fields, track, and plenty of outdoor space. It’s an extraordinary place to learn and play and only ten minutes from EXPLO’s Pre-College Program at Wellesley College.

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Tucked alongside the tree-lined village of Bronxville, N.Y., Sarah Lawrence College is a 44-acre wooded campus in Westchester County just 15 miles from Manhattan. With air-conditioned classrooms and meeting spaces, two outdoor gathering venues, modern dorms and dining facilities, a student gym and swimming pool, and more, it’s the perfect home for our students to explore the world of people and ideas, together. To boot, a short walk from campus, fabulous Bronxville Center (or as we call it, The Ville) is home to a number of shops, cafés, and restaurants.

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Wellesley College’s 500-acre campus is dotted with stunning brick and stone buildings rising from wooded hills. The view opens to an inviting vista through pine trees to the shores of Lake Waban. Home to outstanding academic and recreational facilities, extraordinary architecture, an art museum, observatory, meadows, and woodlands, it is the perfect setting for our Pre-College Program. The picturesque location is only enhanced by the College’s belief in the transformative power of curiosity, learning, and teaching — a belief we share here at EXPLO. The campus is a short walk from Wellesley Square, a lively downtown area teeming with restaurants, shops, and cafes. Just a few miles away are Boston and Cambridge, home to world-class colleges and universities that create an educational ecosystem that is known the world over as a global innovation hub.