After getting canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, Summer Lab programming will return for 2021 with significant changes to its structure and enrollment, including just one class for incoming high school students and fewer employment opportunities. 

For over 20 years, Summer Lab has been a staple in the Hyde Park community providing students from nursery to high school with everything from field sports to robotics. 

Audrey Hampton, director of family life programs, said that, like fall and winter classes, the University of Chicago had to approve any in-person activities for Summer Lab.

“We put our summer proposal together back before Thanksgiving break in order to get the process started,” Ms. Hampton said. “We planned our summer for what had been approved at that point for the N-2 return.” 

A key difference from past years is that enrollment to Summer Lab 2021 is only open to current Lab families. Registration is open until April 23.

Last year’s cancellation of Summer Lab, a primary source of revenue for Lab, put a strain on an already affected budget. 

“This being a Lab-only summer, we won’t see a substantial amount of profit,” Ms. Hampton said. “We really are looking at this as an opportunity for our families to feel some kind of normalcy and get back to kids just being kids as opposed to this being a real revenue generator this year.” 

Another key change is that rather than moving between different classes, students will follow a cohort model where they will be with one group of 12-15 people for the whole day, according to Ms. Hampton. 

“This would minimize exposure in the event of a COVID-19 case,” she said. 

Parents may register for pre-determined tracks that include a mix of academic and educational classes and more traditional summer camp activities through Adventure Kids. 

Like in previous years, students are able to take and receive credit for U-High courses over the summer. 

Geometry will be running but Intro to Computer Science will not. According to Ms. Hampton, Lab will be offering ACT and SAT prep through an outside company.

Beyond school credit, many U-High students seek employment through Summer Lab, especially as counselors for Adventure Kids. This year there may be fewer, if any positions available, depending on enrollment numbers according to Ms. Hampton.

 Ms. Hampton encouraged interested students to check the Lab website the first week of May. 

“It’s a little bit unfortunate that this summer is only open to current Lab students because one of the things that Lab loves to be able to do is open our doors to the community, especially during the summer,” Ms. Hampton said, “but we’re really excited that we’re at least able to be fully in person with our students.”

Students will still be mandated to keep their masks on throughout the day, save for eating and drinking, but the bustling energy of Lab over the summer is a step back to normal.