| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $899; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 | Grades 10–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Ages 15–17; Requirement: For 2026, be a rising high-school sophomore, junior, or senior age 15-17; Requirement: Demonstrate academic performance, authentic media interest, and potential to benefit from and contribute to camp; Requirement: Be able to live in supervised shared university housing and remain on campus; Requirement: Submit original application responses without generative AI; Exclusion: Rising freshmen and current middle-school students were ineligible in 2026; Exclusion: Single rooms and alternative lodging were not permitted; Exclusion: Selection is competitive and the school cannot provide individual application feedback; Exclusion: The 2027 eligibility rules are not yet confirmed | Residency: Applicants may apply from anywhere in the world through a regional or global selection committee; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: Be at least 15 when the session starts and not yet 17 when it ends; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: Attend the entire four-week residential session; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: Communicate in English well enough for safety instructions and full participation; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: For international campers, obtain a valid passport and visa when required; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: If accepted, complete physical and mental-health evaluation and vaccination documentation; request available exemptions as needed; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: Children/grandchildren of alumni use the separate legacy-camper application route; Requirement: Accepted 2026 age rules were at least 15 at session start and not yet 17 at its end; future cycle rules are unconfirmed.; Exclusion: LAJF states no age exceptions for first-year CRS applicants; Exclusion: 2026 applications are closed; Exclusion: A complete application does not guarantee an interview or admission; Exclusion: The separate TELE program is not Camp Rising Sun; Exclusion: Second-year campers and legacy campers use different application rules | 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 | Catalog terms: 1 week; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | Unconfirmed — check official site | In person / Online |
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| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Phoenix, Arizona, ASU Downtown Phoenix campus and Gordon Commons residence hall | Unconfirmed — check official site | Cincinnati, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, Ohio |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Applications are reviewed for academic performance and media interest, with current juniors sometimes prioritized because of demand. The 2026 acceptance rate and 2027 capacity are not published on the current page. | Selection: Regional/global selection committees review applications for cohort fit and invite some applicants to interview. LAJF seeks diverse strengths, backgrounds, interests, and commitment to change, but does not publish current applicant totals, cohort size, or acceptance rate. Application materials: If selected: regional/global committee interview | 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 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-12Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21 |
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