| 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 | Last year's cycle (2026): Financial assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Available in 2026; 2027 form, criteria and amounts are not yet posted.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Financial assistance: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Available in 2026; 2027 form, criteria and amounts are not yet posted.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): Cook County Summer Fellows 2026 hourly wage: $17; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Up to grade 12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Ages 13–17; Requirement: Be age 13-17 for the ZooTeen program; Requirement: Be able to support summer Zoo Camp participants in person; Requirement: Have interest in animals, environment, conservation and working with people; Requirement: Complete any application and training requirements published for the active cycle; Exclusion: Applicants age 18 or older, who use the separate Zoo Ambassador pathway; Exclusion: Animal handling, animal-care, zookeeping or direct behind-the-scenes animal-contact expectations; Exclusion: Applicants unable to attend required training or assigned camp-support shifts | Residency: 2027 rule not announced: current main page suggests U.S.-wide eligibility, while the 2026 FAQ specified Minnesota high-school students; Requirement: Be in or completing one of grades 9-12 under the applicable cycle's wording; Requirement: Complete application and accepted-student forms; Requirement: Agree with a parent or guardian to the code of conduct and closed-campus rules; Exclusion: Students unable to remain on campus for the full session or comply with the code of conduct; late materials were not guaranteed consideration in 2026 | Ages 16–22; Residency: Cook County or Lake County under the selected 2026 branch and placement rules; Requirement: Be a graduating or recently graduated high-school student or other eligible opportunity youth under the selected branch; Requirement: Be age 16-22 by the cycle's published cutoff; Requirement: Not be a current college student under the 2026 form; Requirement: Meet Cook or Lake County geography and commute requirements; Requirement: For the Cook County IYIP-funded branch, meet and document at least one current state workforce-program eligibility criterion; Requirement: Be eligible for paid employment, payroll, and the assigned public office; Requirement: Commit to 30 hours weekly for six weeks plus workshops and placement-specific requirements; Exclusion: Current college students under the 2026 form; Exclusion: Applicants outside the branch's county or placement geography; Exclusion: Applicants who do not meet the funded branch's workforce-program eligibility; Exclusion: Treating current grades 9-11 Citywide Youth Councils or Youth Organizing Academy as Summer Fellows; Exclusion: Assuming the age 16-22, $17 rate, employer, office, or eligibility checklist persists in 2027; Exclusion: Submitting sensitive eligibility data through a stale form without confirming the cycle |
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| Session dates or duration | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 1 week; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 6 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: 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 | Apple Valley, Minnesota Zoo, Minnesota | St. Paul, Minnesota | Chicago, Illinois, Cook County and Lake County public offices and Mikva workshop locations, branch-specific |
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| Selection and application | Selection: The zoo closes applications when the summer cohort is filled, but it does not publish applicant counts, cohort size, interview process or selection rate. | Selection: 2026 applications were first-come, first-served for 150-200 places per session; the 2027 capacity and selection method are not announced. | Selection: Eligibility and hiring depend on county, age, graduation status, funded workforce criteria, application quality, placement capacity, office fit, and employment requirements. Cook County cited approximately 50 placements; no current overall acceptance rate is published. |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-20Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20Source 5 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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