Frequently Asked Questions

Camp Galileo does not recommend late drop-off, early pick-ups, and /or midday outings. Campers are often engaging deeply in activities and projects throughout the day, so midday pickups and drop-offs can be disruptive for our campers. We’d also like to note that our curriculum is designed to run over the course of five days, and many of our activities span more than one day, so your camper may miss integral parts of the camp day and not get to finish every project. However, if you would like to coordinate a late drop-off or early pick-up, please contact your Camp Director. You can find your Camp Director’s contact information on your location’s webpage or your Camp Guide!

Campers should show up with bathing suits under their clothes, closed-toe shoes (water shoes are a great option), a towel and sunscreen.

Wear casual clothing that can get dirty and comfortable shoes for indoor and outdoor activities. Bring a nut-free snack and lunch and a water bottle (plus a second snack for afternoon extended care, if needed). Arrive with sunscreen already applied and bring a hat and additional sunscreen.

Yes. Log into your account HERE and review your enrollment details. Check your camper’s emergency contacts and t-shirt size and confirm that you’ve signed up for extended care if you need it. Make sure the camper health information form is fully completed and filled out with the necessary details. If you see discrepancies or have questions, please contact our customer service team here.

The first day of camp will be full of excitement, anticipation, new friends, and fun! Trust that our seasoned staff are experts at making this transition smooth—your camper will be relaxed and having a blast in no time. Before you arrive, here are some quick tips to prepare: Bring: Comfy clothes, sneakers, a water bottle, and a nut-free snack and lunch. Anticipate: Meeting your Camp Director, verifying safety info, and sending your kid through the fun machine to start the day. There will be music, dancing and a lot of joy. Ask: All the questions! We want you to feel confident and excited about choosing Galileo. No question is too small for our camp or customer service teams. Trust: Your Camp Director, our staff, and your gut! You know your kid best, so the more we know about how to set them up for success, the better. The Camper Information form HERE gives us integral insights into making sure your child has the best week ever.

At Camp Galileo, we group campers by grade in four age groups:

• Rising K - 1st (Nebulas)
• Rising 2nd - 3rd (Stars)
• Rising 4th - 5th (Supernovas)
• Rising 6th - 8th (Meteors)

Our curriculum is carefully customized for each group. For campers entering 8th - 10th grades, at select locations, we offer our Counselor in Training (CIT) program. With guidance from dedicated staff, CITs hone essential leadership skills (like collaboration, communication, goal setting, giving feedback, etc.), mentor younger campers, and take on design challenges to increase camp magic & joy or to build something cool with their fellow CITs—all while making new friendships and experiencing all the fun of a classic Galileo summer.

We carefully craft our curriculum to provide the perfect amount of challenge and fun for kids at every level. Therefore, we cannot group differently aged campers together.

We do our best to group campers together with at least one friend, as long as they are in the same grade range. To make a friend request for your camper, log in to your account and fill that out under your child’s information. If you don’t do any social planning in advance, don’t worry! Our small group format and highly trained staff help facilitate new friendships and make every camper feel safe and included. If you do plan to share your summer with friends, don’t forget about our Refer a Friend program—click here to learn more.

Lunch is not provided. All campers are required to bring a nut-free snack and packed lunch from home. We also recommend that you pack a refillable water bottle for your camper.

We've been perfecting our signature mix of eye-opening learning and mind-blowing fun for over 20 years. Our approach isn’t to balance learning and fun, rather we aim to make learning fun. Every day our engaging and enthusiastic instructors support campers to create exciting hands-on projects that explore art & engineering concepts and teach lasting innovation skills. Galileo campers also spend big chunks of their day outside—playing games, taking on team-building challenges and participating in silly camp traditions from songs and team cheers to dress up days and, everyone’s favorite, water day. Learn more about what your camper’s day will look like at Galileo    

We appreciate your interest in Camp Galileo! While we don’t have a site in your desired area for the 2025 season, we are always in the process of expanding our program to serve new communities! If you are interested in having a Galileo Camp in your area, or have connections to any schools or sites that would be interested in hosting camp, please get in touch with us at [email protected].

Each camp location has a lost and found. Your Camp Director will be able to help you locate lost items during camp hours. NOTE: Any non-medical items left after the last day of camp will be donated. Please ensure that your camper has all of their belongings before leaving camp.

Our Camp Directors begin working full-time in June and are checking email for specific family inquiries two weeks before the first day of camp for their location. You can find their contact information in your guide to camp HERE. Until then, our customer service team is happy to answer any questions. Please feel free to contact them HERE.

If a location is listed as TBD, it means we are confident that we will have a camp in that community, but are still confirming the specific location. As soon as we have finalized our site plans, our website will be updated!

We have camps throughout the United States, with locations in California, Washington, Colorado, & Illinois. Use our camp finder to find a camp near you or view our list of locations HERE.

Absences happen, and our staff is prepared to keep your child up to date with their projects and other camp events. We do not offer refunds for missed days.

Yes. Galileo Learning works to create a positive learning and camp environment for all campers and staff through positive behavior management methods. Campers are required to safely participate in camp and are oriented on their first day to safety and behavior norms and expectations. Galileo reserves the right to remove campers from the program for any of the following behaviors and actions, as well as unforeseen actions that put the safety of the camp community at risk:

• Hitting, shoving, pushing, biting, kicking campers or staff
• Sexually touching campers or staff
• Threatening physical aggression toward campers or staff
• Making derogatory remarks related to race, sexual orientation, religion or other forms of discrimination toward campers or staff
• Bringing a weapon to camp or threat of bringing a weapon to camp
• Repeated and targeted verbal aggression toward campers or staff
• Bringing drugs, alcohol, or other banned substances for minors to camp
• Being unable to follow staff instructions such that there are safety concerns (e.g. unable to stay with group, cannot handle supplies safely)

Our camp is designed to unfold across the full enrollment week. We recommend that campers stay for the full camp experience. We do not prorate for missed hours or days of camp.

We currently offer only full-day (9am - 3pm) programming for all grade levels.

For any Early Enrollment purchases:

• Prior to January 31, you may cancel for a full refund of all monies paid. From February 1st - March 31st, you may cancel for a refund of all monies paid, less a $25 fee per session canceled.
• From April 1 until 46 days prior to first camp start date, you may cancel for a refund of all monies paid less 50% of total purchase price
• Within 45 days of the first registered camp start date, you will not receive any credits or refunds for cancellations made.

  For our standard enrollments:

• You may cancel within 48 hours for a full refund of all monies paid. Prior to March 31st, you may cancel for a refund of all monies paid, less a $25 fee per session canceled.
• From April 1 until 46 days prior to first camp start date, you may cancel for a refund of all monies paid less 50% of total purchase price
• Within 45 days of the first registered camp start date, you will not receive any credits or refunds for cancellations made

You may transfer to a different session or location at any time, up until fourteen (14) days before the start of the enrolled camp session at no charge, subject to availability. Sessions are not transferable to other campers.

We are always open to partnering with new organizations you would like to use to pay for camp. If you are interested in paying through an external organization or subsidy that we are not currently partnered with, please reach out to our Customer Service Team at [email protected], and a representative will assist you further.

Yes! Galileo is partnered with a number of organizations to facilitate camp payments for families. We are currently partnered with [insert current external partnerships].

Group enrollments are subject to our standard cancellation policy, which can be reviewed HERE.

If you are interested in enrolling a large group of campers, please reach out to our Customer Service team at [email protected]. Our Customer Service Team will confirm the details of your registration and walk you through the enrollment process from start to finish.

Yes! Galileo is now accepting enrollments for large groups.

Scholarships cannot be combined with any discounts and promotions, such as our Early Bird discount.

We aim to have our scholarship program up and running by the end of February; applications will close around July 20th.

Families can direct any scholarship related inquiries to our scholarship team at [email protected]

Anyone can apply for a Galileo Scholarship! Unfortunately, we do not offer full scholarships. Our program is intended for financial aid and reducing the price of camp to make Galileo more accessible. However, our scholarship awards offer a highly reduced rate of camp. Based on a family’s application, we consider their income as well as any other important factors that may affect their ability to pay full price. Then, we award a lower amount for camp per week, per camper.

Scholarship enrollments include a regular session (9am-3pm). Extended Care AM (8-9am) and PM (3-6pm) are also included with the scholarship code at no extra cost, and can be added to the registration at any time, pending availability.

Yes. Every year, we award thousands of weeks of sliding scale scholarships. Learn more about the program and when to apply by visiting our Scholarships page.

We have evacuation plans at each of our sites and camp staff is trained on what to do in the event of almost any emergency, including earthquakes, fires, airborne exposures, and much more.

Yes. Our staff reviews weather and air quality regularly to determine the safety of campers and staff outside. In the event of AQI readings, heat index readings, or other severe weather events that trigger indoor advisories, our campers and staff stay indoors and we modify our activities so that campers still have memorable, magical experiences.

Yes, anyone who is picking up your child from camp must bring their ID and be listed on your child’s account as an authorized pick-up.

Our staff goes through a rigorous interview process that includes an application, in-person interview, reference check, and criminal background check; leadership team members attend additional one-on-one interviews. Those that meet our standard of excellence are invited to join the Galileo team. Once hired, all staff receive several hours of online training plus two full days of in-person training, followed by ongoing supervision and professional development provided by their Camp Director. You can learn more about Galileo’s staff, including selection and training, here.

We do everything we can to keep your campers safe, and we’re prepared to support them in the event of an injury. All of our on-site camp management staff are first aid and CPR certified. We notify parents of minor injuries (like scraped knees) during the check-out process every day. In the event of a more serious injury, we will call 911 if needed, and notify the parents or guardians immediately.

Camper safety is our top priority. Due to potential allergen risks, we do not allow campers to share food. All of our camp programs are nut-free. Campers are instructed not to bring any food containing nuts with them, nor do we provide or stock any products that contain nuts. Furthermore, most of our camp locations are run at school sites that are also nut-free campuses. Our staff members are trained in how to recognize the signs of anaphylactic shock and administer an EpiPen if needed. EpiPens brought to camp will remain with the camper and supervising staff members at all times.

We take allergies very seriously. As part of the enrollment process, you’ll complete a detailed Camper Information form and communicate any information we should know about your camper’s allergies. The staff at your camp location reviews this information before your camper’s first day of camp. Before camp begins, we welcome you to proactively contact your Camp Director to talk through any concerns or specific information you may have. You will receive the Guide to Camp in early June, which includes contact information for your Camp Director.

If canceling for illness before your session begins, you will be offered a free transfer to another available week in the current season. If you choose to decline this offer, the standard cancellation policies apply. If canceling for illness mid-week, no transfers or refunds will be offered.

The safety of our camp community is our top priority. All camp locations will follow the most current federal, state, and local health guidelines regarding COVID-19. We recommend all customers review and follow their local Public Health guidelines regarding COVID-19.

You can add authorized pick-ups/emergency contacts to your camper's profile by logging into your account portal HERE, scrolling to Child Information, and selecting Camper Information. NOTE: campers may only be left at camp with an authorized emergency contact. If this is not complete when you arrive for the first day of camp, we will ask that you complete this in your profile before leaving camp.

We pride ourselves on a small group format where staff can work closely with campers and provide the personalized encouragement and support they need. During class time, we maintain a camper-to-staff ratio of 12:1. Camp Galileo campers are never alone—even trips to the restroom happen with a buddy or in a group—and our staff is trained to take attendance every 15 minutes and during every transition.

To check on the status of your Camper Aide’s onboarding, please reach out to our Customer Service Team at [email protected] for more information.

Once the initial form indicating your camper will attend with an aide has been completed, we will reach out to your aide via email to confirm the approval and to begin the clearance and Galileo onboarding process. Camper Aides will need to obtain a LiveScan background check and TB clearance test in order to be approved to attend camp. Families are expected to cover the cost of the background check. Please note that background checks can take up to two weeks to clear. Once all of their test results are in and verified, they will be approved to attend Galileo with your camper!

Galileo does NOT charge a fee to bring an aide to camp. We will provide the aide with a Camp Galileo staff shirt and nametag and help onboard them into the program. California requires any business that provides services to minors to have all administrators, employees, and regular volunteers complete a one-time live scan background check. The family or aide will need to cover this cost.

Yes! To begin the process, please provide the information of your aide/agency as soon as possibl

Absolutely! The aide will need to complete the necessary steps, and we would be delighted to welcome them at camp. Please provide the information for your aide as soon as possible

We don't directly supply aides for our campers, but we have a list of approved agencies to help you find the right person. Please note, all aides will be required to complete the Galileo Live Scan process using the link provided. We are unable to accept verbal confirmation from agencies.

We are pleased to inform you that we welcome camper aides, provided that they go through our onboarding process prior to the start of camp. NOTE: This process can take up to two weeks and needs to be completed before the start of your camp week. While our camps aren’t specifically designed to accommodate campers with special needs, many kids with a wide range of needs have had great experiences with us over the years. If your child has a 1:1 aide at school, it is likely that given the nature of Galileo's programming, which is delivered "classroom style," your child would benefit from the same level of support. We can usually accommodate most common needs and/or potential challenges, but we know that every person and family is unique. Given the nature of our programming, Galileo is not able to provide 1:1 support or act as the primary aides for any individual camper. If your child requires the assistance of an aide at camp, it is the responsibility of the family to complete the Camper Aide process. Please feel free to contact our customer service team HERE for more information about whether our camp would be a good fit for your child.

Schools and districts interested in partnering with Galileo X can get in touch with us by filling out the form on the bottom of this page. Once the form is submitted, a member of the Galileo X team will reach out.

You should receive a confirmation email for your registration upon completing the initial enrollment. You will also receive camp guides about one week prior to the start of the registered camp date. These guides will provide site specific information (including CD contact info, pick-up and drop-off instructions, etc) and what they can expect for their time at camp. If you have not received the registration confirmation or camp guides, please reach out to our Customer Service Team at [email protected]

Yes! Lunch is provided at Galileo X sites. Some sites also provide breakfast and snacks.

Families must be nominated by their school district in order to enroll at a Galileo X site.

Depending on the position you have been hired for, Galileo staffers are offered a variety of different staff perks, including discounted camp rates for their children. To find the perks for your specific position, you can check out our Staff Perks page here!

Our paid summer positions require that the applicant be 16 years old or older before the start of June. For more information about jobs at Galileo, you can access our website here.

You can check out all of our open summer and year round positions here on our job page!

If your school or organization has a fundraising code with Galileo, they should have provided your community with the code via a flyer. If you did not receive any information about a fundraising code from your organization and would like for us to double check, please reach out to our Customer Service Team at [email protected] BEFORE you complete your purchase to ensure the code is used if it exists.

No. We are not able to retroactively add a discount to a purchase. Customers may use the code for an additional week of camp this summer, or may cancel the sessions and re-enroll with the discount; if you choose to do this, regular cancellation fees will apply. Please note if the session is already full when they cancel/re-enroll, they will lose the initial spot and be placed on our waitlist upon re-enrollment.

No. Auction codes are intended to be used for the season in which they are created. To maintain fairness and consistency for all of our customers, we are not able to extend these codes to future seasons.

Thank you for reaching out and considering Galileo as a potential donor for your upcoming event! We have updated our process for donation and auction requests this year. To start the process please complete this form, our marketing team will review your request and get back to you as soon as possible. Please let me know if you have any further questions

Schools and organizations that service Galileo families in our off season can request that we donate to their school auctions. The schools and organizations that apply to this program will receive both an auction code, and a fundraising code. Each auction code is valid for one free week of camp; each fundraising code provides $50 off each session to the customer, which is then donated to their school/organization

For enrolling their own children in the camp, current Camp Directors receive four free weeks—including extended care—with more if space is available. Current Camp Directors may also gift two free weeks of camp to any child and recommend scholarship approval for additional weeks with normal contribution amounts. Former Camp Directors who worked with Galileo for more than three years receive 50% off camp sessions and extended care for their own children.

The short answer is: Yes! We’d be delighted to see your application, even if you’re still on the fence. An early application lets us know you’re interested, gives you an opportunity to discuss the role in depth with the Galileo team, and allows your Regional Director to support your growth into the Camp Director role, this year or someday in the future. Apply away. We can’t wait to talk to you about your potential to take a seat in the director’s chair.

We generally have at least one opening in each of our regions every year. You’ll have an opportunity to indicate your preferences on the application, and we discuss details throughout the interview process. Why don’t we open applications for specific sites? Our Camp Director team is made up of over 60 spectacular leaders, all with varying plans from one summer to the next. Some are with Galileo for the standard three-year commitment; others have been with us for a decade. Between this varying degree of turnover and new site openings, we often don’t get into the specifics of location preferences or assignments until near the end of our annual hiring cycle.

Creating inclusive and diverse communities and cultures is deeply linked to Galileo’s mission to develop innovators who envision and create a better world. We strive to design programs that take all campers and staff into account. That said, we will not always be able to accommodate every individual’s specific needs. Most common needs and/or potential challenges are often accounted for, and we know that every person and family is unique. We commit to providing transparency and support during the selection process and week(s) at camp.

Summer staff members at all sites are eligible to receive one free week of camp (including extended care) for one camper, plus 50% off additional weeks for all campers. This discount is only for staff members’ own children and does not apply to other family members. Staff at select Bay Area sites may also be eligible for additional incentives. Check out our updated Galileo Staff perks, and how employment on our team can lead to more camps for kids you love.

We accept applications from all candidates who are eligible to work in the United States. International staff must have their own method of obtaining a visa that allows the holder to work for any employer (not only the visa-sponsoring employer).

It is our non-negotiable policy that all staff—including interns—must be 16 years old by the start of employment, which is the first day of paid work (start dates vary by site). If you don’t quite make the cutoff, we hope you’ll apply in future seasons once you turn 16.

Galileo operates day camps, so we don’t provide housing for campers or staff.

As we view the well-being of our campers, their families, and our staff as our most important concern, we ask all staff to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by the start of camp.

First of all, congratulations! Sign and accept your offer letter, which we emailed to you shortly after a Galileo staffer called to give you the good news. If you haven’t seen it, search your spam folder, then contact [email protected] for support. This FAQ document should help you from there.

Way to go! Next steps in our hiring process will be communicated via email. You’ll always hear from us regarding your candidacy, regardless of our decision. If you submitted an application and have not heard from us within five business days, check the spam folder of your email account, and then call us at 510.595.7293 x2 or email us at [email protected] if you still don’t see an email from us. Please note: Our hiring team will contact you from an email address ending in @agents.icims.com, which may be filtered into your spam or junk email folders. We strongly recommend that you add the following address to your Contacts: *@agents.icims.com.

Fear not. We’re just an email or a phone call away and happy to support. You can reach us at [email protected] or 510.595.7293 ext. 2 during regular business hours, Pacific Time. Include your resume and the job title of interest. We’ll get you on the right track!

If you see a position listed, it’s most likely still available at one of our sites. Because we hire hundreds of staff on a rolling basis, we aren’t able to update listings each time a staff member is hired. We ask you to be as open as possible to other positions and locations if your first choice isn’t available. If you’re invited to the next stage of the hiring process, you’ll have an opportunity to discuss position and location availability in more detail.

Yes! Here’s what you need to know about our requirements… Some Summer Staff positions are full-time, others are part-time, and some vary from week to week. All regular staff must work a consistent Monday–Friday schedule, and that schedule is determined by the number of campers enrolled. Substitutes may have more limited availability of 2–5 days per week. When it comes to summer camp positions, if you’re interested in working at just one location, it’s helpful to be available for all dates at that site. Though our full summer season runs from early June through mid-August, some sites begin later or end earlier, so there’s probably a site that fits your summer schedule. In addition to hiring full-summer staff at individual sites, we hire additional staff members to fill shorter commitments as substitute staff members, provided they can travel to multiple camp locations. If your schedule doesn’t fit one of our locations just right, and you’re flexible enough to work at more than one of our locations, we encourage you to apply for one of our substitute positions. No matter your availability, we encourage you to apply! In your application, please provide as much detail as possible about your schedule and location preferences, and we’ll work with you to find the right fit.

Our process is designed to welcome as many exceptional people into our community as possible—apply for the position and general location that feels best, and we’ll work with you to find an ideal match. And because our process is focused on working together to find the right fit, you only need to complete one application. We’ll take all your qualifications into consideration, and keep our minds open to all the ways you might contribute to camp (in the role to which you applied, or in another role). We recommend taking the following steps to be sure you have the information you need before submitting your application:

• Review our camp locations
• Review the Summer Staff positions 
• Apply for a job at your preferred location and tell us about all your location availability

1. Submit Application
2. Virtual Group Interview
3. Offer

Check out a detailed outline of our hiring process, as well as some tips and tricks for putting your best foot forward. Then visit our Summer Staff page to learn more about our summer positions and locations.

Our staff undergoes a rigorous interview process that includes an application, in-person interview, reference check, and criminal background check. Leadership team members attend additional one-on-one interviews. Those who meet our standard of excellence are invited to join the Galileo team. Once hired, all staff receive several hours of online training plus two full days of in-person training, followed by ongoing supervision and professional development provided by their Camp Director.