CCS Family Engagement

Columbus City Schools wants to help you find the right summer opportunities for your child. Join us for the 2025 Summer Opportunities and Engagement Fair on Saturday, February 8th, from 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. at East High School (1500 E. Broad Street.)

During this fun, family-friendly event, our CCS Engagement Team will be spotlighting many of the different summer programs, camps, internships, volunteer hours, and employment opportunities for grades PreK-12, special education/adaptive, gifted, and English language learners. Plus, you can register in-person for the CCS Summer Experience. On site translation services will be available.

Click on the link below to pre-register for this special event.

Registration opens February 8 for elementary and middle school students and March 10 for high school students.

The 2025 Summer Experience is FREE to all Pre-K through 12 Columbus City Schools students! Summer Experience for Pre-K through 8 students kicks off June 23, and June 9 for high school students. We're excited to provide CCS students and families with a summer of exciting school and community-based learning experiences.

This year’s Pre-K through 8 Summer Experience includes similar project-based learning students and families have been able to enjoy through our Pathway Express focuses, including Pathways such as Health and Fitness, Performing Arts, Environmental Sciences, World Languages and Cultures, and MORE!

Questions? Contact the Office of Extended Learning: 614-365-5010 or ExtendedLearning@columbus.k12.oh.us.

We combine youth-centric instruction with unique and engaging activities that keep kids captivated,

challenged, and eager for more. Our goals are to teach our campers courage, confidence, and problem solving skills, all while providing an environment where they feel comfortable pushing their own limits.

A Kid Again provides monthly cost-free activities called Adventures for families raising children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Action for Children has resources to help find summer camps for families. Action for Children also provides Help Me Grow and SPARK, two home visiting programs for children ages 0-4, and free parenting programs for the parents.

Adaptive Sports Connection (formerly The Adaptive Adventure Sports Coalition – TAASC) empowers children, adults, and veterans with physical and cognitive challenges through sports and therapeutic outdoor recreation. Summer opportunities include programming for cycling, kayaking, and soccer.

At Adaptive Sports Ohio, we remove barriers to ensure that individuals with physical disabilities have a chance to play, and utilize sport to elevate ability and empower future.

Afterschool Enrichment Solutions and Chess Scholars provides quality, fun, educational services to over 1000+ schools nationwide. As a minority-certified company, we have been impacting diverse communities across 26 states for 20 years!

Autism Society Central Ohio aims to connect those in the Autism community to offer support share resources, and provide a sense of belonging. Connect with peers, parents, and professionals through support groups, events, and learning sessions, to share information and realize that you are not alone in the journey.

We offer job training, volunteer and employment opportunities to people with different abilities in a dog daycare, boarding and grooming setting. Our approach combines professional development with a deep commitment to animal welfare, creating a space where both our participants and the animals they care for can thrive.

Be WISE is a STEM designed to develop interest, excitement, and self-confidence in young women. Be WISE hopes to provide girls with the confidence and motivation to enroll in more STEM classes at the high school and college levels to prepare them for careers in a STEM field. Our camp is designed to provide real-life, hands-on experiences in STEM using problem-solving and thinking skills.

Best Buddies is a nonprofit organization that fosters a mission to create quality one-to-one friendships with individuals who have an intellectual and developmental disability with an individual who does not have an intellectual and developmental disability. The goal is inclusion for everyone.

Located on nearly 800 private forested acres in the Hocking Hills region of Ohio, Camp Oty’Okwa offers mission-based programming including summer and weekend camps, as well as environmental education programming for schools and youth-serving organizations.

Challengers baseball is part of Little League America, offering teams for special needs payers who range in age from 5-18 (or who remain in school.) Players with intellectual and physical challenges, as well as individuals who have an IEP, 504 or those who have trouble with typical team play are aided with a buddy on and off the field to aid in play.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Ohio gives kids ages 5–18 years the support, guidance, tools, and skills to succeed in life. Clubs are open both after school and during the summer, providing youth with a safe, welcoming space, caring mentors, and proven programs so they can learn, grow, and prepare for a great future.

The Buckeye Ranch is one of the country’s leading providers of emotional, behavioral, and mental health services for children and families. It prides itself on offering specialized programming designed to meet the needs of our clients and their families.

Grove City Buddy Ball provides opportunities for individuals to play baseball by removing the barriers that keep individuals with physical and mental challenges off the baseball field. We promote friendships and build self-esteem through community support, volunteerism, and sponsorship.

Camp Nuhop is a week-long residential summer camp and respite program for children diagnosed with (but not limited to) ASD, ADHD, learning disabilities, mood disorders, and other neurodiversities. It provides a structured environment where all campers have the opportunity to make friends and feel good about themselves.

Camp OFLA is a residential elementary foreign language camp for students in grades 3-8. Students have the opportunity to learn Spanish, French, German, Russian, Japanese, or Korean in a small group setting and practice their skills through cooking, dancing, singing, playing sports, hiking, and making arts and crafts.

Camp Wyandot provides an inclusive nurturing environment for youth to have fun, make friends, serve others, and explore the great outdoors. Wyandot has a day camp near Hoover Reservoir and a day and overnight camp in the Hocking Hills.

Cancer Support Community is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that all people affected by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action, and sustained by the community. Programs and services are offered to all those affected by cancer: patients, families, children, friends, coworkers, and caregivers at no cost so no one faces cancer alone.

CAP4Kids is a website that lists free and low-cost resources available for families in the central Ohio area. Some of those resources include Summer Camps, Financial Help, Education, Childcare, Housing, etc. We have free housing, food, and emergency hotline brochures that we can bring and hand out to the attendees.

Healthcare information, specifically Medicaid, Medicare, Marketplace products.

The work is focused on every child, family and senior should have the resources and emergency assistance they need to reach their full potential. The neighborhood-based community center in the Near East neighborhood of Columbus offers free, comprehensive programming and community services.

The PLTI program is a two-generation strategy to bolster parental involvement while promoting the lifelong health, safety, and learning of children. Parent voice, Social justice, Racial equity, Inclusion, Advocacy, Civic engagement

Central Ohio Parent Leadership Training Institute (COPLTI) offers a transformative 20-week program empowering Parents with civic engagement and advocacy skills.

Capital Kids is an after-school enrichment program for children in grades K–5. Our trained staff take a comprehensive approach, leveraging state-of-the-art technology, field trips and high performance standards to bolster your child’s academic achievement. The program is currently offered at four community centers:

Fee: $100 for eight-week camp
Financial assistance is also available to qualified applicants through our PLAY Scholarship Fund.

Campers enjoy a summer of fun, creativity and learning in a safe environment. Days are filled with a variety of activities including computer lab, reading, academic assistance, research projects, gardening, swimming, presentation, field trips and recreational activities. Meals and snacks are provided daily.

Applications will be available online or at any of our community centers. Priority is given to youth who are currently enrolled in the Capital Kids school year program.

This program was established to develop the city leaders of

tomorrow by providing an orientation of the City of Columbus to

include Science, Technology, Arts, History, Education, Health &

Nutrition, Social Services, Law Enforcement, Safety, Government,

Economic Development and Community Service through hands-on

learning opportunities and meetings and mentoring by current city

leadership. The hope is the selection process will render a very

diverse group of forward-thinking children, eager to learn all about

their city. 614.645.3330

Community centers offer themed, week-long camps for youth ages 6-12. Campers experience many activities including, but not limited to, arts, crafts, sports, games, science experiments and nature exploration. Register for one session or for the entire summer.

A confirmation email will be sent immediately after registering online. Prior to registration, there is an option to add desired camps to a wish list.

The City of Columbus Recreations and Parks is looking for hard-working individuals to be lifeguards and rec aides at City of Columbus outdoor pool sites.

The APPS Job Readiness Program (AJRP) is a year-round comprehensive workforce development program that provides practical work experience, training, and career pathways with the City of Columbus and the business community.

Therapeutic Recreation sponsors recreational activities that are modified to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities. We enhance an individual’s physical, social, and lifetime recreational interests in a broad spectrum of leisure experiences. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to participate, including the non-disabled.

City Year is an AmeriCorps program that sends young adults ages 18-26 to serve as student mentors and success coaches in systemically under-resourced schools across the United States.

Classroom Antics offers weeklong summer camps in a variety of STEAM activities, including video game design, robotics, animation, and coding using Minecraft, Roblox, LEGO and VEX, among others. Attend half-day or full-day in a location close to home.

CollegeAdvantage offers Ohio's 529 Plan to families both in Ohio

and nationwide – it's a tax-advantaged way to save for future

college expenses.

The Summer Experience 2024 schedule is now available! From track & field with Ohio State athletes to Broadway and everything in between, you can start making your plans now for a summer of endless possibilities!

Columbus Area Speech Therapy provides Speech-Language and Myofunctional Therapy to public, private and home-school students. In-home or in-school sessions available in some areas. Virtual/online sessions available to students living anywhere in Ohio.

Columbus Children's Theatre inspires, enriches, and empowers young people through the transformative power of the arts. Offering a variety of camps and programs, CCT provides hands-on theatrical experiences that encourage creativity, build confidence, and foster lifelong skills in a fun and inclusive environment.

Participants will live on-campus during College Preview, and explore the city with chaperoned trips to sites of interest such as the Scioto Mile, Otherworld, and the Franklinton Arts District. Students also have the opportunity to participate in a public-facing exhibition as the culmination of this program.

Columbus Fencing & Fitness is the home of competitive, Olympic-style fencing in Columbus, Ohio.

Every year, the Columbus Metropolitan library has the summer reading challenge to encourage students to continue reading over the summer. They also provide volunteer opportunity for students.

Play, experiment and create with us! Summer Art Workshops in the CMA Center for Creativity encourage the exploration of ideas through imaginative play, exploration of art materials, and lively gallery games over the course 5 days of in-person instruction.

The Columbus Division of Police is actively seeking applicants for the Cadet Program and members for the Public Safety Corps Program.

Camp Public Health gives young people an inside look at the vast and ever evolving world of public health. Participants will learn first hand from public health professionals at Columbus Public Health and visit The Ohio State University College of Public Health to see up close how students prepare for careers in public health.

Get ready to ignite your curiosity and embark on an eight-week academic extravaganza on CSG’s main campus—it’s Summer at CSG, and it’s going to be a blast!

Columbus Speech & Hearing Center has offered exceptional service, such as hearing healthcare, speech clinics, and ASL programming to individuals and their families throughout Central Ohio. As a nonprofit we are proud to be able to serve families, regardless of their income or insurance.

CTA is a speech-language & occupational therapy practice providing services in the Columbus, Ohio area. Our team provides comprehensive evaluations and therapy for children & adults from early intervention on.

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium provides learning opportunities

for people of all ages! Visit our website, www.columbuszoo.org for

program information and scholarship opportunities.

CND offers In-School, After-School and Summer Day Camp Prevention Services to children 5-14 years of age.

CRIS is a local nonprofit whose mission is to help refugees and immigrants reach safety and stability, sustain self-sufficiency, and achieve successful integration into the Central Ohio community.

Through professional productions and education programs, The Contemporary strives to become a nationally recognized, anti-racist contemporary theater company that anchors a thriving Columbus

theater ecosystem in an empathetic, equitable world.

The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) is the regional public transit provider for greater Columbus and Central Ohio. We serve an area with more than 1.2 million residents.

Cultured Kids Club is a foreign language learning center just for kids!! This summer we will be offering Spanish Camp, French Camp, and world culture camp to children in grades K-6.

Discovery Riders is a PATH-accredited therapeutic riding center located in Bellefontaine, Ohio. We are dedicated to providing services to individuals with disabilities from the ages of four and up.

DSACO serves individuals with Down syndrome and their loved ones. We offer many programs and services from supplemental learning support to swim camps - many with opportunities for scholarships to participate!

Dynamic Agility Sports is designed to teach children the core values to achieve personal success through a fun, active, and competitive environment. We offer multi-sport/sport-specific day camps, evening sports clinics, and speed & agility training. Serving ages 5-13 with full-day and half-day options.

Easterseals offers TWO Summer Day Camp Options focused on providing a safe and caring environment throughout the summer for kids with and without special needs, for the duration of the summer months.

ElevateDD’s mission is to increase authentic inclusion for people with developmental disabilities by amplifying voices, supporting families, illuminating opportunities, and launching innovative solutions.

Enriching Kidz offers after-school, weekend, and summer enrichment classes such as Kidz Home Alone, Better BabySitters, Empowering Girls with Confidence, and a problem-solving class called Brain Teasers, Planning and Parties.

Epilepsy Alliance Ohio through training about seizures and epilepsy, support groups, camps, art therapy, information and referral services, and by being a resource and support for anyone living with epilepsy, their families, friends, and anyone else who wants to know more about seizures and epilepsy.

Falcon Camp offers an eye-catching lakefront setting, a talented staff and a wide range of activities. Boys and girls ages 6-16 choose daily from a variety of activities such as sailing, horseback riding, tennis, mountain biking, theater, sports, riflery, crafts, nature study and so much more.

Looking for individuals interested in furthering their career with FedEx. Opportunities are for individuals 18 years of age and olde

Femergy is a non-profit that provides girls and women with the resources, tools, and skills they need to combat and overcome gender barriers in public and private spheres.

Children ages 5-18 can join First Tee — Central Ohio. All CCS students receive FREE admission to First Tee programs. Members have access to sign up for the First Tee Life Skills programming and will have the opportunity to utilize the learning center and golf course

Camp experience for youth living with serious medical or mental health conditions! Cost-free experiences for summer and family camp!

The Franklin County Board of Developmental Disabilities (FCBDD) is a county agency providing support to children and adults who have developmental disabilities. Services are provided to residents of Franklin County, Ohio. Helping people to live, learn, and work in our community, FCBDD supports parents and family members with life-long services where needed.

Franklin County Department of Jobs and Family Services provides public benefits to residents of Franklin County Ohio.

Franklin Park Conservatory is a botanical garden that offers a paid educational internship to teens 15-18. During this work based learning opportunity, you will learn about gardening, customer service, and jobs related to our local food system and horticulture, all while building valuable work and life skills.

The CDF Freedom Schools model engages scholars and college-age Servant Leader Interns who staff the program to make a difference in themselves, their families, their community, and the world. We expect our teachers, parents, children, and staff to set high expectations for themselves and to become equipped to excel through the challenges of personal growth and transformation.

We are a coaching organization, pairing up a Volunteer with a kid

during the school year. We meet once a week to introduce and

coach kids through a process to identify and reach a goal that is

important to them.

G Mechanical Inc. is a commercial HVAC contractor that has served

the central Ohio area for over 20 years. We are offering summer

internships to students before the beginning of their senior year.

At Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland, we have an extensive history of partnering with schools, community centers, faith-based institutions and youth organizations/camps, etc. From opportunities to engage students with field trips, to our camp properties, to our community outreach programs which uplifts girls who might not be able to experience Girl Scouts otherwise.

Since 1974, Glen Helen Ecocamp has provided countless opportunities for campers to experience the beauty of Glen Helen Nature Preserve up close, while creating a safe space for them to build community, connect with friends - old and new - and gain new skills as they build self-confidence.

Goldfish Swim School is proud to provide state-of-the-art aquatic facilities that are dedicated to indoor swim classes and programs for children, ages 4 months and up.

Audubon Centers nurture belonging and connectedness to place, spark dialogue and experimentation, and inspire both personal and collective conservation action in a rapidly changing world. Select from four summer adventure camps offered in June and July.

Hattie Larlham’s TTW program is a chance for individuals with I/DD to explore various work settings to get a better idea of how to plan for their future.

The Board of Commissioner’s Health and Human Services Mobile Unit consists of the four HHS agencies including: Franklin County Job and Family Services, the Franklin County Office on Aging, Child Support Enforcement Agency, and the Office of Justice, Policy, and Programs. Our goal is

to meet Franklin County residents and families in their communities and connect them with the full array of resources and programs administered by our Health and Human Services agencies.

HEART Mobile CPR is a Phlebotomy school in Central Ohio.

Our team specializes in providing whole-person health care for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and the community.

I Know I Can is the only college access program in Columbus and one of the largest and most successful in the nation. Since its beginning, I Know I Can has made higher education a reality

for tens of thousands of Columbus City Schools’ students who dreamed of a college education and worked hard to get it.

The AMP Program at IMPACT Community Action focuses on Career Exploration, Workforce Development, Work Experiences, and Academic Enrichment for Franklin County Youth ages 16-24.

“Circle of Friendship” is a day camp program of Inner Circle Communities that offers summer enrichment opportunities for children ages 6-16 years old. We provide an opportunity for families to relax and have fun in a safe environment.

Summer jazz camps for middle and high school instrumentalists and vocalists who are interested in learning more about jazz music, soloing & improvisation, the history of jazz, and so much more!

Guided by Jewish Values, Jcamp puts safety first and does so while creating a welcoming environment where campers can be silly, laugh, and discover new interests.

Jeremiah’s Corner: Empowering Every Ability. Elevate learning with our tailored tutoring, adaptive classes, and early childhood enrichment. We champion inclusivity, providing advocacy and IEP support for a brighter educational journey.

A national provider of ABA therapy, Kadiant equips parents and therapists with every tool, resource, and advantage needed to help children with ASD and other developmental disabilities thrive and pursue an extraordinary future.

Kaleidoscope Youth Center is dedicated to serving and supporting LGBTQIA+ youth and young adults ages 12-24. In addition to our drop-in programming, which runs 3:30-close each day, we have a Summer Institute -- a free, four-week program featuring team building and leadership development activities, creative projects and more to foster community with other LGBTQIA+ youth ages 12-18.

Our Education Program has garnered acclaim as a multi-disciplinary initiative tailored for children and teens outside of school hours. The program features an eight-week summer arts camp along with annual spring and winter arts academies.

The Law & Leadership Institute (LLI) is a non-profit in Ohio that works with high school students from under served communities to educate them about and prepare them for careers in the legal profession. LLI is free, providing participants with year-round, four year programming to learn about the law and build their reading, writing, public speaking, critical thinking, networking, professional, and leadership skills.

The LEAD STEM Summer Camp is an exciting and engaging program designed to introduce students to the fascinating world of Engineering, Technology, and other STEM careers. Throughout the program,

students will learn foundational skills in a variety of STEM subjects, including computer-aided design, coding, and website creation.

The Central Ohio Leadership Academy (COLA) is a high-impact leadership development experience designed for rising high school junior and senior student leaders throughout Central Ohio. COLA Week creates life-changing experiences for our community’s young leaders, develops their leadership skills, increases civic engagement, and enables them to work with others, lead with purpose, and make positive changes in their schools and communities.