SigmaCamp

★enthusiastic learner

One star is too generous a rating. The people who run this camp should be ashamed of themselves; it's blatantly obvious that those who are not of a certain background are made to feel excluded. The camp should be re-named "Russian Camp". An overwhelming majority of the campers were Russian-speakers; there is nothing wrong with that, of course, but if you don't speak the language, you're naturally going to feel like an outsider in this environment. Throughout the entire week of camp, EVERYWHERE my kid turned, the kids, counselors and adults alike, were speaking Russian. And they would all crack up and bond over insider jokes and stories from the past (a majority of the campers are returners) and relish in creating this exclusive club environment with a despicable air of "I'm in with the in crowd and you're not but we're jerks so we don't care." My kid was miserable but couldn't communicate that to me freely during camp. Because the camp is in a rural area, there is no cell phone reception, therefore they use a "telegraph" method to communicate, and you can only send/receive messages with your child once a day. Also, the messages were printed out on a piece of paper so if a camp counselor or any admin wanted to read it, they, in theory, could. So my kid and I felt we couldn't air our unhappiness freely due to the potential lack of privacy. My kid reports that the quality of the lectures were high and educational, but the quality of the students were not. In fact, my kid thinks many kids came to camp just to flirt, which was rampant. To top it all off, the food was always cold and flavorless. We live many many miles away from the camp; the round trip back and forth to drop off/pickup my child, the camp tuition, the many many hours my camper put in to solve the admissions qualifying test, and the opportunity cost (my kid says they would have been better off watching TV at home) were all just a huge waste. When I picked up my kid at the end of camp, they were so excited to get out of that unwelcoming environment. Shame shame shame on the people who run this camp.

★★★★★Tatiana Pyatina

I have two kids waiting the year-long for this camp. The camp has being the best experience of their summers for many years by now. My daughter was going to French summer camps for several years and always liked them. But there is nothing like Sigmacamp where kids find other kindred spirits interested in science, engineering, fun games, and activities that do not just educate but steer up your interest, and remain with you throughout each year. Unfortunately there is nothing that could compare to that wonderful camp for me to give a parallel. It is completely unique and completely wonderful. It is a place where children are respected by world-re-known scientists who are happy to spend time with them in discussions, chats, and fun. It is a place where kids want to come back year after year.

★★★★★QuadNuker

Great. Was a camper last year and I LOVED it!!!