Physics Summer Camp for Students with ASD
JUNE 8 - 14, 2025
OPEN TO AGES 14 AND UP
The Physics Summer Camp for Students with ASD is designed for individuals on the Autism spectrum. Participants will enjoy five days of hands-on activities on topics ranging from electricity to aerodynamics, with afternoon excursions to local facilities/businesses related to the day's topics and evening social activities with lodging in the MSU dorms! Each day, including interactive lectures and demonstrations, activities, and the excursion, will focus on a single topic. There will be a roughly one-to-one camper-to-counselor ratio, with some counselors being affiliated with the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Clinic (and at least 4 will be staying in the dorms overnight!)
Click here to watch a 3-minute video summarizing the 2023 camp!
Camp is FREE to all participants, with some travel stipends available, too!
Physics Summer Camp eligibility:
- 14 years or older
- Working diagnosis and/or diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Strong desire to enroll in the Physics Summer Camp
- Able to administer medications and hygienic essentials independently
- Able to understand and communicate verbally
- No recent history of concerns toward self or others
- Submit a completed application.
Applications for 2025 are now open! If you have any questions about the camp, please contact us at: camp@physics.msstate.edu
Deadline for application priority consideration is April 1st. Applications will remain open until all spots are filled.
Tentative Agenda
(For best viewing on mobile, rotate your phone to view in landscape, or you may download the Excel file here.)
| Time | Sunday, June 8 | Monday, June 9 | Tuesday, June 10 | Wednesday, June 11 | Thursday, June 12 | Friday, June 13 | Saturday, June 14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 | Wake up | Wake up | Wake up | Wake up | Wake up | Wake up | |
| 8:00 | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Breakfast | Close out Breakfast | |
| 8:30 | Hilbun Introduction | ||||||
| 9:00 | Electricity Lecture | Geosciences Landslides Modeling Activity | Rocket aerodynamics Intro + Rocket build | Subatomic Physics Lecture | Intro to Physics Olympics | Close Out: MSU info | |
| 10:00 | Snack Break | Snack Break | Snack Break | Snack Break | Snack Break | Pick up / Move out | |
| 10:30 | Voltage Generation + Hands-on Demos | Weather Media Activity | Rocket + Drone launches | Subatomic Physics Hands-on Demos | Physics Olympics | ||
| 11:30 | Lunch | ||||||
| 12:00 | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | Lunch | |||
| 13:00 | Intro to high voltage generation + walk to HV Lab | ||||||
| 13:30 | Severe Weather/Storm Chase & Weather Balloon Launch Activity | Library Maker Space Activity | Institute for Clean Energy Technology Tour | Physics Olympics | |||
| 14:00 | Drop Off | High Voltage Lab Tour | |||||
| 15:00 | Snack Break | Snack Break | Snack Break | Snack Break | |||
| 15:30 | Final thoughts on electricity and magnetism | Snack Break | Library Maker Space Activity | Interactive activities at Institute for Clean Energy Technology | Physics Olympics + Debrief + Results and Awards | ||
| 16:00 | Dunne Seiler Museum Tour | ||||||
| 16:30 | Dorm/Flex Time | Travel back from ICET | |||||
| 17:00 | Introduction | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | Dinner | ||
| 17:30 | Ice breaker | Dinner | |||||
| 18:00 | Dinner | ||||||
| 18:30 | VR Lab Activity | Outdoor Sports/Fun Activity/Drill Field Games | Liquid Nitrogen ice cream | Movie Night | VR Lab Activity | ||
| 19:00 | Pokemon Go Tour | ||||||
| 19:30 | Telescope Activity + Drill Field games | ||||||
| 20:30 | Dorms | ||||||
| 21:00 | Dorm | Dorm | Dorm | Dorm | |||
| 21:30 | Dorm |
Links
| Dorm: | Moseley Hall (https://www.housing.msstate.edu/residence-halls/moseley-hall) |
| Primary location of Physics lectures/demos: | Hilbun Hall (https://map.msstate.edu/?id=233#!m/54598) |
| Links for excursions/activities: | |
| High Voltage Lab: | https://www.ece.msstate.edu/high-voltage-lab/ |
| VR Lab: | https://www.itidccl.msstate.edu/vr-lab |
| Institute for Clean Energy Technology: | https://www.icet.msstate.edu/ |
| MaxxSouth Digital Media Center: | https://www.library.msstate.edu/dmc/spaces/makerspace |
| Pokemon Go Tour: | https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cn6PfCwXEAAa1U1?format=jpg&name=large |
| Gym Night at the Sanderson Center: | https://www.urec.msstate.edu/ |
| Other links for evening activities: |
Contact
If you have questions or problems with the application form below, please contact us!
Want to apply?
Applications for 2025 are open :
We hope you will apply to join us this summer!