| Application deadline | February 12, 2027 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Global Navigator Scholarship: From $500. Covers USD 500 through 100% of tuition based on financial need and merit; it does not cover airfare, passport/visa costs, or spending money.; Academic Merit Award: $500. Fixed tuition award with broader high-school eligibility and repeat-award restrictions.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Nonrefundable application fee: $25. Due when the application is submitted.; Nonrefundable acceptance deposit: $1,000. Due within seven days of acceptance; the remaining balance is generally due April 15 or 30 days before departure for later confirmations.; Global Navigator Scholarship: From $500. Covers USD 500 through 100% of tuition based on financial need and merit; it does not cover airfare, passport/visa costs, or spending money.; Academic Merit Award: $500. Fixed tuition award with broader high-school eligibility and repeat-award restrictions.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: ZooTeen program fee upon acceptance: $60. Nonrefundable; covers program materials, a camp T-shirt, and borrowing a Zoo uniform shirt. Contact the program if the fee creates economic hardship.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Minimum age 15; Requirement: Rising juniors/seniors and at least 15 at start, without exceptions.; Requirement: English proficiency, TOEFL 90/equivalent or published waiver. | Citizenship: All nationalities may apply to programs; scholarship citizenship rules differ; Residency: U.S.-based and international high-school students may apply; Residency: Global Navigator need-based scholarship requires U.S. citizenship/permanent residency and U.S. residence; Requirement: Complete ninth grade before traveling; rising freshmen are ineligible; Requirement: Meet the chosen program's age, language, academic, health, mobility, and essential eligibility criteria; Requirement: Have a legal guardian complete required tasks; Requirement: Secure a passport valid for the required period and any destination visa; Requirement: Complete required health forms and disclose relevant support needs; Exclusion: Some language programs require prior language study; Exclusion: The need-based Global Navigator Scholarship is limited to eligible U.S.-resident citizens/permanent residents completing grades 9-11; Exclusion: Rising freshmen cannot travel; Exclusion: Program and scholarship capacity is limited; an application does not guarantee the first-choice destination | Ages 13–17; Residency: No formal boundary is published; participants must reliably reach the Cincinnati Zoo for interviews, orientation, camp, and volunteer shifts; Requirement: Be age 13-17; the correct Summer 2027 reference date must be confirmed; Requirement: Show genuine interest in nature and conservation, curiosity, willingness to learn, positivity, and reliability; Requirement: Commit to 100 hours as a first-/second-year ZooTeen or 70 hours as a third-year/returning ZooTeen; Requirement: Be available for a full 40-hour camp week and required visitor-engagement/additional shifts; Requirement: Attend a group interview and complete guardian-assisted online/virtual and all-day in-person orientations; Requirement: Use email and an online profile to receive information and log service hours; Exclusion: The 2027 page's May 1, 2026 age-reference date is stale and must not be treated as the binding 2027 cutoff; Exclusion: The program cannot accept all applicants, and returning participation is not guaranteed; Exclusion: Advanced specializations require separate applications, experience, additional hours, and available capacity |
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| Session dates or duration | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 3–4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | Online / In person | In person | In person / Online |
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| Housing and supervision | Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Marlborough, NEIA day/residential or online, not Wellesley | More than 40 advertised 2027 destinations; each program page defines the location and housing | Cincinnati, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, Ohio |
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| Selection and application | Unconfirmed — check official site | Selection: Program and scholarship capacity varies. Scholarships are competitively reviewed using transcript, GPA, essays, teacher recommendation, and for need-based awards guardian financial information; no umbrella acceptance rate is published. Application materials: For scholarships: short essays and current-year transcript; For scholarships: one teacher recommendation from an unrelated teacher who taught the student for at least six months | Selection: The Zoo says the program is very popular and cannot accept all applicants; it publishes no applicant count, cohort size, or acceptance rate. Application materials: Six written essay responses about motivation, role models, conservation learning, challenge, personal growth, and intellectual curiosity; In-person group interview |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-10Source 2 · checked 2026-10-10 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21 |
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