StFX Campus Summer Camps 2026
Camp Location: StFX Nasso Family Science Centre, Antigonish.
Camp Hours: 9 am-3 pm Monday - Thursday (*Camps will run Tuesday-Friday during weeks with a Monday holiday). All camps are 4 days in length.
Each camp is geared towards the specified age groups with challenges varying from beginner to advanced. Campers can be registered in the camps for the grade which they are going into in September 2026, ie. a child finishing Grade 2 should be enrolled in a Grade 3-4 camp. Exceptions can be made, within reason.
Chemistry camps (Elements, Atoms and Molecules camps) will involve exciting chemistry demonstrations and hands-on experiments that will capture your imagination!
Science camps (Trailblazers, Adventure, Discovery, and Explorer camps) will be exploring various STEM fields, including biology, engineering, math, physics, psychology, nutrition, and more.
Codemaker campers will explore the basics of coding using various robots (Ozobots, mTiny, Spheros, Osmo Coding Awbie, etc) take a look at the inner workings of computers, use various software (Scratch Jr, Scratch, Make Makey) to learn the ideas behind programming, build items using electronic kits and more at various levels of complexity.
Note: Waitlists will be available for camps that are full! Full camps will be indicated with waitlist links in our schedule below.
| CAMP | GRADES | CONTENT | DATES | CAMP FEE |
| Molecules | 5-8 | Chemistry | Mon July 6 - Thurs July 9 | $150 |
| Girls Codemaker | 1-4 | Girls Coding | Mon July 6 - Thurs July 9 | $150 |
| Atoms | 3 - 4 | Chemistry | Mon July 13 - Thurs July 16 | $150 |
| Codemaker | 1 - 2 | Introduction to Simple Coding | Mon July 13 - Thurs July 16 | $150 |
| Elements | 1 - 2 | Chemistry | Mon July 20 - Thurs July 23 | $150 |
| Codemaker | 3 - 4 | Coding & Digital Skills Activities | Mon July 20 - Thurs July 23 | $150 |
| Pipets | 1 - 4 | Girls Science | Mon July 27 - Thurs July 30 | $150 |
| Discovery | 5 - 8 | Science | Mon July 27 - Thurs July 30 | $150 |
| Adventure | 3 - 4 | Science | * Tues Aug 4 - Fri Aug 7 | $150 |
| Codemaker | 5 - 6 | Coding & Digital Skills Activities | * Tues Aug 4 - Fri Aug 7 | $150 |
| Trailblazers | 1 - 2 | Chemistry | Mon Aug 10 - Thurs Aug 13 | $150 |
| **Codemaker | 6 - 8 | Coding & Digital Skills Activities | Mon Aug 10 - Thurs Aug 13 | $150 |
**Some experience is required for Codemaker V.
Camp Registration is advised to be as early as possible. Registration will cease once camps are full.
To Register
Camp registration begins Wednesday Feb 18th at 7am through PlayFinder. It is highly recommended that you set up a PlayFinder account in advance! Visit Registration Instructions for X-Chem Camps for basic instructions on how to register.
Camp Fees, Payment, and Refunds
Camp fees are indicated in the camp schedule and can be paid online through PlayFinder, by cash, or cheque made out to X-Chem Outreach. Camp fees must be paid by May 30th if registration has happened before May 30th. If the need arises to cancel your child's camp registration, a full refund will be available if cancellation happens up to a week before the start of the camp. Cancellations within 1-7 days of camp starting will receive a 50% refund, and cancellations once the program starts are not eligible for a refund.
Camp T-Shirts
Camp t-shirts are available for Summer 2026 for an additional cost of $15. T-shirt order registration will be available on PlayFinder on Feb 23rd and will remain available until May 30th. There will be a separate t-shirt design for our science/chemistry camps and our Codemaker camps.
Bursary Program
We believe every child should have the opportunity to attend summer camp. Thanks to our generous supporters, we are able to provide bursaries to cover 50% and 100% of the camp registration fees for families who may face financial barriers and would otherwise be unable to participate in our camps at STFX. Note: Bursaries for our 2026 StFX camps will be available starting Feb 23rd. To apply for a bursary, please register in camps first and then complete the Bursary Application Form.
Community Camps Summer 2026
This year X-Chem is offering STEM camps in various communities in coordination with SchoolsPlus. Camp hours are from 9am to 2:30pm
COMMUNITY | GRADES | DATES | LOCATION | CAMP FEE |
Port Hawkesbury | 1 - 4 | July 2nd-3rd | TEC | $30 |
Port Hawkesbury | 5 - 8 | July 2nd-3rd | TEC | $30 |
Guysborough | 1 - 4 | July 6th-7th | CECGA | $30 |
Guysborough | 5 - 8 | July 8th-9th | CECGA | $30 |
Monastery | 1 - 4 | July 13th-14th | EAECA | $30 |
Monastery | 5 - 8 | July 15th-16th | EAECA | $30 |
Canso | 1 - 8 | July 20th-21st | FECCA | $30 |
Inverness | 1 - 8 | July 22nd-23rd | IECA | $30 |
Cape Breton Highlands | 1 - 8 | July 29th-30th | CBHECA | $30 |
St Peter's | 1 - 4 | Aug 4th-5th | ERCE | $30 |
Sherbrooke | 1 - 8 | Aug 10th-11th | SMECA | $30 |
Maryvale | 1 - 6 | Aug 12th-13th | HMMD | $30 |
To Register
- To register for camps in Port Hawkesbury and St. Peter's, please contact SchoolsPlus Community Outreach Worker Kelsey Bowman-White by email
- To register for camps in Guysborough, Monastery, and Canso, please contact SchoolsPlus Community Outreach Worker Amanda Millar-Herritt by email
- To register for camps in Inverness and Cape Breton Highlands, please contact SchoolsPlus Community Outreach Worker Lindsay Watson by email
- To register for camps in Sherbrooke and Maryvale, please contact SchoolsPlus Community Outreach Worker Allison Brennan by email. Preference for the Maryvale camp will be given to students who attend H.M. MacDonald.
Community Camp Fees, Payment, and Refunds
Camp fees are indicated in the camp schedule and can be paid by giving cash or cheque made out to X-Chem Outreach to the appropriate SchoolsPlus Community Outreach Worker. If the need arises to cancel your child's camp registration, a full refund will be available if cancellation happens up to a week before the start of the camp. Cancellations within 1-7 days of camp starting will receive a 50% refund, and cancellations once the program starts are not eligible for a refund.
Bursary Program
We believe every child should have the opportunity to attend summer camp. Thanks to our generous supporters, we are able to provide bursaries to cover 50% and 100% of the camp registration fees for families who may face financial barriers and would otherwise be unable to participate in our camps. Bursary applications must be submitted at least 1 week prior to the start of the camp your child wishes to attend. To apply for a bursary online, click here.
