Tapia STEM Camps are award-winning residential summer programs hosted at Rice University for students in grades 8 through 12, combining rigorous hands-on STEM projects with communication and leadership development. Over six days and five nights, campers live in university dormitories and work on challenging projects in areas such as data centers, algorithm design, carbon capture and storage, and renewable energy, learning directly from Rice students and professors. The program places a distinctive emphasis on public speaking and teamwork alongside technical skills, giving students a well-rounded experience that mirrors real-world STEM careers. Registration costs $2,200 with an early bird discount (before March 1, 2026) or $2,500 at the regular rate (before May 30, 2026), making it a significant but worthwhile investment for motivated students eager to explore STEM at the university level.
Breaking down a challenge and working through it methodically to a solution.
Delivering ideas clearly and confidently in front of an audience.
Guiding a group toward a shared goal and keeping everyone moving together.
Using equations and formulas to represent and predict real-world situations.
Designing studies, testing hypotheses, and drawing evidence-based conclusions.
Students design algorithms for college admissions and learn AI detection using math and physics principles.
Campers explore how algorithms shape real-world decisions and investigate data center impacts.
Students build heatsinks for heat transfer challenges and design model wind turbines.
Campers investigate environmental impacts of data centers and build carbon capture storage reservoirs.
Students learn from Rice researchers and gain exposure to cutting-edge STEM research and mentorship.
Community Experiences
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