Guidelines

1. Scholarship consideration is based on need, merit, timeliness of application, and funding availability. At least one letter of recommendation is required for middle and high school students. One letter is encouraged for students in kindergarten through 5th grade on how camp or EcoClub could benefit your student. Letters of recommendation can be written by teachers, principals, counselors, neighbors, family friends, or any non-family members who can speak to the student’s character.
2. A separate application is required for each child.
3. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. All fields in the application must be completed or the application will not be considered. Review your application thoroughly before submission. Paper applications will not be considered.
4. Submission of this scholarship application DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY ENROLL YOUR CHILD IN CAMP OR ECOCLUB. We will notify you if a camp for which you have requested scholarship funding is full and will suggest available alternate weeks.
5. Zoo camp will likely sell out prior to the application deadlines; therefore, if you would like to attend camp regardless of receiving a scholarship, then we recommend registering and paying for the camps you'd like. If you receive a scholarship, we will refund you that scholarship amount.
6. If you apply to a scholarship and are not awarded funds, then you will be responsible for paying the full camp or EcoClub fee.
7. Partial scholarships may be awarded.
8. A maximum of three weeks of camp scholarship funding per child will be awarded. Please choose your weeks carefully. Scholarship awards cannot be transferred to a different week of camp.
9. Due to the competitiveness of scholarships, daily participation is expected. If your child is unable to attend for any reason, please email Education@Topekazoo.org to notify.
10. If your child is awarded more than one week of camp and fails to attend the first week, subsequent weeks may be forfeited. Failure to attend camp or EcoClub after receiving a scholarship may affect your eligibility for future scholarships.
11. APPLY EARLY! Camp awards will be announced by February 12th, 2024 for spring camp scholarships and April 8th, 2024 for summer camp scholarships.
12. Due to the volume of requests, you may be required to pay a deposit of $25/child/week on camps. In this instance, you will be contacted to make arrangements to pay the deposit and complete the registration at the time of the award. Your child is not enrolled until any required deposit is paid. A payment plan can be established; the camp fee must be paid at least one week before camp begins.
13. Youth camp runs from 9:00-3:00 Monday-Friday during spring break and the summer. Teen Camp runs from 8:30-3:30 Monday-Friday during the summer. Middle School EcoClub runs from 5:15-6:45pm and is the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month from September-April. High School EcoClub runs from 5:15-6:45pm and is the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month from September-April. Please ensure these camp or EcoClub times work for you, as there are no early drop-off or stay-late options. 
14. For the essay questions, please have middle and high school applicants answer these themselves. For elementary applicants, a parent/guardian may answer the questions. Please note that all essay question answers must be written in complete sentences.

If you have any questions, please call our office before submitting your application. We are happy to assist you. Any questions may be directed to the Education Department at 785-368-9137 or Education@Topekazoo.org.

Information provided on this application is considered strictly confidential by the Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center. Applications will be reviewed anonymously by our Education Scholarship Fund Committee. Please refer to the Camps - Topeka Zoo & Conservation Center page for more detailed information on zoo camp dates, times, and details. Please refer to the https://topekazoo.org/education/clubs/ page for more detailed information on zoo EcoClub dates, times, and details.