| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | 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 | Wild Country2027: $5,200. Selected trek only, not a single umbrella tuition quote.; Mountain Desert2027: $8,795. Selected trek only, not a single umbrella tuition quote.; Paleontology2027: $4,400. Selected trek only, not a single umbrella tuition quote. (2027 cycle) |
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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 | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | 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 | Ages 13–18; Residency: Applicants may come from the United States or abroad if they can lawfully travel to the program; no citizenship restriction is published; Requirement: Select the trek and its age/gender band: Prairie14-16 young men; Turquoise14-18 young women; Wild Country13-15; Mountain Desert16-18; Paleontology14-18.; Requirement: Confirm selected trek physical, consent, payment and travel terms.; Exclusion: Applicants outside a selected trek's age band; Exclusion: Applicants who cannot participate safely in the trek's essential physical and community activities with available supports; Exclusion: Applicants unable to attend the full residential dates; Exclusion: Applicants seeking a gender-specific Prairie or Turquoise placement who do not fit that trek's published grouping |
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| Session dates or duration | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 2–6 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | Unconfirmed — check official site | In person / Online | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Unconfirmed — check official site | Cincinnati, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, Ohio | Thoreau, New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, American Southwest and Four Corners |
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| Selection and application | 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 | Selection: Trek acceptance is based on the application and ability to participate fully; Pick Your Price selection does not affect admission. Capacity, fit, health and safety, and financial-aid availability can still limit placement. Application materials: For need-based aid: separate scholarship form, amount requested, household financial information, parent statement, and applicant written statement or video |
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| Official sources | 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 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-12Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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