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Summer Camp staff with children on a playground

Summer Camps and Programs (K-8)

Human Service Programs

The Department of Human Service Programs (DHSP) offers a variety of safe and fun summer programming for Cambridge children and youth currently in Kindergarten through 8th grade: Community Schools Summer Camps, King Open Extended Day Summer Program, and Cambridge Youth Programs (CYP) Pre-Teen / Middle School Summer Programs.

All DHSP Summer Camps and Programs are filled through a lottery system. 

Eligibility 

  • Applicants must be Cambridge residents or City of Cambridge employees
  • Children currently in Kindergarten - 8th grade are eligible to apply

Apply to the 2025 DHSP Summer Lottery!

  • The deadline to apply is Monday, March 3, 2025.
  • Families who apply by March 3 will be notified of their child's placement in a camp/program or in the Waiting Pool by the end of March.
  • Applications received after March 3 will be automatically added to the Waiting Pool. 

In-Person Application Help

Families can get help completing their online application throughout the application period. No appointment is needed; just stop in! 

View in-person application help dates and locations (PDF). 

Summer 2025 Information

  • All DHSP Summer Camps and Programs will run Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
  • Cost is based on family size and income. CYP Pre-Teen / Middle School Programs are free for 13-year-olds. 

Applicants can apply to the following sessions:

Session 1 (1 week): June 30 - July 3 (closed July 4)
Session 2 (2 weeks): July 7 - 18
Session 3 (2 weeks): July 21 - August 1
Session 4 (2 weeks): August 4 - 15

Please note: applicants cannot split or combine sessions. 

Summer Camps/Programs for Current Kindergarten - 4th Graders

View Sample Schedule

  • Amigos Community School (15 Upton St.)
  • Cambridgeport Community School (at King Open School, 850 Cambridge St.)
  • Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community School (102 Putnam Ave.)
  • Fletcher Maynard Academy Community School (225 Windsor St.)
  • Graham and Parks Community School (44 Linnaean St.)
  • Haggerty Community School (110 Cushing St.)
  • Kennedy-Longfellow Community School (158 Spring St.)
  • King Open Extended Day Summer Program (850 Cambridge St.)
  • Morse Community School (40 Granite St.)
  • Peabody Community School (70 Rindge Ave.)

CYP Pre-Teen / Middle School Summer Programs for Current 3rd - 8th graders 

View Sample Schedule

  • Frisoli Summer Program, Frisoli Youth Center (61 Willow St.)
  • Gately Summer Program, Gately Youth Center (70R Rindge Ave.)
  • Russell Summer Program, Russell Youth Center (680 Huron Ave.)
  • Sports Leadership Academy, Moore Youth Center (12 Gilmore St.)

  

DHSP Summer Lottery Frequently Asked Questions

What is a typical day in a DHSP Summer Camp / Program? Is there swimming?

You can view sample schedules of DHSP Summer Camps / Programs and CYP Pre-Teen / Middle School Programs

All summer camps and programs include weekly swimming opportunities.

DHSP Summer Camps and Programs provide snacks and a cold lunch option every day. The cold lunch option is pork-free and nut-free.

Families also have the option of providing lunch and snacks for their child.

Can I sign up for a single week of DHSP Summer Camps or Programs?

Session 1 is a single week. All other sessions are a 2-week commitment.

Sessions cannot be split or combined. 

Can my child attend half days at DHSP Summer Camps and Programs?

No, DHSP does not offer any half-day options through the DHSP Summer Lottery.

All DHSP Summer Camps and Programs are full-day programs that run from 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. daily.  

Do you offer any summer programming the last two weeks of August?

No. DHSP Summer Camps and Programs end the second Friday in August.   

Does DHSP provide transportation to DHSP Summer Camps and Programs?

No. Families are responsible for getting their children to and from camp.

Can I enter more than one child through the same application?

Yes. If you have more than one child living in your household and eligible for the DHSP Summer Lottery, you will use the same application to apply for each of your children.  

In the online application, you will be asked how many children in your household are applying to the DHSP Summer Lottery. If you select more than one child, additional fields will appear where you will fill out specific information for each child. All fields must be filled out for each child for them to be eligible for the lottery. 

After submitting your application, each child’s eligibility and application will be reviewed by DHSP staff.  You will receive separate notifications and letters for each child that you include in your application. 

Are siblings guaranteed placement together?

Siblings receive the same lottery number and are given preference to be placed together. However, sibling placement depends on seat availability at each site for each child’s age group and is not guaranteed.

Can I apply after the application window closes?

Yes, but applications submitted after the lottery deadline will be automatically added to the Waiting Pool.  

Can I make changes to my application after I have submitted it?

Changes cannot be made by the applicant once an application has been submitted. Please review your application for accuracy before submitting it.

If you make a critical error on your application (e.g. you spelled your child's name wrong, entered the wrong grade, or accidentally selected the wrong program selection), you can contact DHSP at askdhsp@cambridgema.gov or 617-349-6200 to update the application. Any changes to your application must be  requested before the application deadline.  

 
 

How do I know my application was submitted?

You will receive a confirmation email from noreply@opengov.com after submitting your application. If you think you submitted your application, but did not receive a confirmation email, log into your Viewpoint account to see if your application is still in draft form. Follow the application prompts until you complete and submit your application.   

When and how will I find out if my child has a seat at a Summer Camp / Program?

Families who submit their application by the deadline will be notified of a summer placement offer or Waiting Pool placement the last week of March. Families will have 14 days to accept their seat by registering in Trax or to decline their seat.

This information will be provided through a message and notification letter on Viewpoint. Families will receive an email message from noreply@viewpointcloud.com with the subject line “City of Cambridge, MA” letting them know a document has been issued to their Viewpoint account. Log into your Viewpoint account to access the letter details.

What happens if my child is placed in the Waiting Pool?

Every year, there are more applicants to the DHSP Summer Lottery than we have seats available in our programs. We anticipate a second round of placement offers , after families who received a first-round placement offer decline their seats. You will be notified through email and your Viewpoint account if an opening becomes available for your child.

If you would no longer like your child to be in the Waiting Pool, you can fill out the Opt out of Waiting Pool Form to remove your child from it. 

Why do you have a lottery process for DHSP Camps and Summer Programs?

Every year, there are more applicants than there are available seats. We have learned that the first-come, first-served registration model negatively impacts our ability to equitably serve families, especially families that are historically underserved. We have therefore adjusted our registration process and enrollment model to better prioritize equitable access.

What are my child’s chances of getting into camp?

Every year, there are more applicants than there are available seats.

Seat offers depend on how many applications DHSP receives for each grade level, location, and session; your child’s lottery number; and whether your child meets one or more priority / preference factors. 

What is the criteria for the DHSP Summer Lottery process?

Each applicant is assigned a randomized lottery number.

A set amount of available “priority” seats at each site and each grade level are designated for a specific group of children with priority income preference (65% or less of Area Median Income (AMI)). Only applicants who have applied through Opengov and meet the criteria of that specific group are entered into the lottery for the priority seats.

Applications are reviewed so that eligible students are considered first for the designated seats. If a match can’t be made, they will be placed in the Waiting Pool for designated seats and entered into the Lottery for the general seats. If the priority seats do not fill in the lottery, they will not be automatically filled with applicants outside of the defined group. This allows a program to ensure the seats remain open for post-lottery applicants who meet the specific group criteria.

We also consider the following preferences:

  • Sibling Preference: Siblings of children who are offered a camp seat through the Lottery are prioritized for a seat, but not guaranteed one.
  • Equitable Access (Hardship) PreferenceEligible applicants who are experiencing homelessness or are in Department of Children and Families (DCF) custody. 

Where can I find information about other Cambridge summer programs ?

The Cambridge Agenda for Children Out-of-School-Time maintains Summer Resource Guides for K-8th Graders.

FindIt Cambridge is another great resource for finding local summer camps and programs. You can also search for childcare, afterschool programs, housing resources, free events and more: www.finditcambridge.org.

Page was last modified on 2/5/2025 5:17 PM
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