For families with students in grades 6–12
The summer that changes everything starts here.
Compare 140+ curated summer programs by grade, budget, and selectivity — with sourced gotchas on every card — and build a shortlist in about 90 seconds, free.
Built for parents researching middle and high school summer programs — not elementary camps or gap-year adults. Plus the fine print: acceptance floors, deposit policies, and safety records, so you can apply with confidence.
- No account required to browse
- 140+ curated programs
Make your shortlist
in 90 seconds
Filter, heart favorites, and track in one place
The problem
A stack of brochures and websites. No way to compare them.
A fully-funded MIT program accepting 80 students globally sits in the same undifferentiated Google results as a $17,800 sleepaway camp with open enrollment. Parents and students open dozens of program websites — each formatted differently — just to extract the basic facts.
Groundwork replaces that.
How it works
From overwhelm to shortlist in under 90 seconds.
- 01
Filter by what actually matters
Grade just completed, category, format, duration, and budget. Multi-select chips — not a wall of dropdowns.
- 02
Refine with a plain-English assistant
'Only fully funded' or 'in California only' updates your filters in real time. The assistant and chips stay in sync.
- 03
Save, compare, and decide
Shortlist becomes a tracker: status, deadlines, notes, side-by-side compare, and a shareable link for co-review.
Twelve pathways
Explore program categories.
Twelve pathways. Countless opportunities.
Tech & AI
Computer science, AI, robotics, coding & innovation
Science & STEM
Biology, chemistry, physics, engineering & research
Pre-College & Credit
Credit-bearing academic programs on college campuses
Marine Science
Oceanography, conservation, marine biology & more
Writing & Humanities
Creative writing, journalism, history, philosophy & more
Traditional Camps
Sleepaway camps and classic summer camp experiences
Global & Language
Languages, culture, international travel & exchange
Leadership & Gifted
Talented youth, enrichment, and leadership institutes
Math
Problem solving, competitions, advanced math & modeling
Arts & Performing Arts
Visual arts, music, theater, film & performance
Wilderness & Adventure
Outdoor leadership, expeditions & exploration
Pre-Med & Life Sciences
Medicine, healthcare, biology & biomedical research
The fine print
What the program websites don't tell you.
Acceptance floors. Non-refundable deposits. Residency restrictions. Safety records. Visa certification. We surface the material context on each program card — sourced and dated — so you know what you're signing up for before you apply.
- Acceptance rate & practical selectivity floors
- Deposit policies (including non-refundable for aid recipients)
- Safety, controversy, and historical concerns — with sources
- Residency and visa restrictions
Decision workspace
Your shortlist, working alongside you until applications ship.
Track status from Researching through Accepted. Enter deadlines, jot notes, and compare programs side by side. Missing a September window is the primary failure mode for summer programs — this is the workspace built to prevent it.
Deadline tracking
Never miss a September opening again.
Notes per program
Essay topics, alumni contacts, interview prep.
Side-by-side compare
Line up finalists on cost, credit, and format.
Status pipeline
Researching → Applied → Accepted → Decided.
Pricing
Search free. Pay only when you're ready to commit.
No subscriptions. No sponsored placements. No lead-gen. Ever.
Browse
Free
No account needed.
- Full search & filtering
- All program cards with gotcha flags
- Every flag sourced and dated
- Direct links to program sites
Shortlist workspace
Regular price $49/season — free during early bird.
Search first — sign in with Google when you're ready to save.
- Everything in Browse
- Saved shortlist with status tracking
- Deadline field & program notes
- Side-by-side compare + shareable link
- Export to CSV (print for PDF)
One season pass covers unlimited shortlists for your family through June 30.
For camp administrators
Make sure your program is represented accurately.
Add a new program or update an existing listing so families can find accurate information about dates, costs, admission, and aid.