| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | March 1, 2027 (2027 cycle) |
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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 | 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 | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Weekly salary: $500; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 8–12 when applying; check the provider's rules for graduating seniors | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | 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 | Residency: Practical participation requires travel to Cornell's Ithaca campus; no formal geographic restriction is published; Requirement: Be in grade 8-12 for the current program; Requirement: Register for the Fall 2026 module by November 1 and indicate attendance for November 7 and 14; Requirement: Attend the scheduled on-campus lesson sequence; Requirement: Engage cooperatively in advanced mathematical questioning and problem solving; Exclusion: Students outside the announced grade band; Exclusion: Applicants unable to attend the on-campus dates; Exclusion: Additional topic-specific readiness restrictions if a future module publishes them | Citizenship: U.S. citizen; Residency: Enrolled at an Illinois high school; Requirement: Senior in 2027–28 or 2027 graduate; proof of insurance |
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| Session dates or duration | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 2 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Starts July 12, 2027; Ends August 6, 2027; 4 weeks (2027 cycle) |
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| Format | In person / Online | In person | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Housing and supervision | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Cincinnati, Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, Cincinnati, Ohio | Ithaca, New York, Cornell University Malott Hall campus | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Selection and application | 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: No current competitive screen, capacity rule, or prerequisite is published beyond grades 8-12 and module registration; future topic-specific limits may apply. Application materials: The visible form does not request a recommendation letter or transcript; later form pages were not submitted or inspected | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-09Source 2 · checked 2026-10-09Source 3 · checked 2026-10-09Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20Source 6 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-10 |
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