FAQ: Student Life

At EXPLO, we know new ideas come from unique personalities. Teens and tweens who join EXPLO get to be their full selves here: curious and quirky. Creative and kind. Silly and serious. EXPLO students try new things and embrace discovery.

Sketchbook in one hand, soccer ball in the other, mind buzzing with engineering “what-if,” they swap ideas with kids from everywhere, ditch their phones, and dive into workshops just because. Curiosity is their passport, kindness their language, and possibility—their favorite playground, every single day.

Most students come to EXPLO not knowing anyone—but that changes fast. At EXPLO, we’re experts at showing you how to make friends. We provide more opportunities than traditional summer camps and support intentional community building. 

You might wonder how to make friends during the summer. EXPLO provides more flexible opportunities than at a traditional camp. Tweens and teens bond over shared interests in workshops and electives. They join afternoon clubs, leagues, and activities—from Dungeons & Dragons to Basketball—to try new things together.

Nightly events like outdoor movies and game-show contests plus weekend trips give daily opportunities for connection.

EXPLO unplugged is another part of the magic, giving tweens and teens a different approach on how to make friends at summer camp. With phones stowed away, everyone is looking for face-to-face conversation. And with a 1:7 staff-to-student ratio and dedicated EXPLO Student Life team, advisors check in daily and loop quieter kids into activities, so nobody slips through the cracks.

Residential and Day students are connected with a living group on their hall, led by two Resident Advisors. They eat, hang out, and head to events together at the beginning of the program—so no one starts the session alone.

Preparing for Your First Overnight Camp or Program?

Yes! We’ve welcomed tweens and teens from over 101 countries here. About one third of students come from outside the U.S.

See International Life

EXPLO’s schedule is more flexible than a traditional summer camp daily schedule: join clubs and leagues like soccer, D-&-D, or A Cappella singing. Chill in the quad, play board games, or take a walk downtown to grab some ice cream. Evenings bring campus-wide mixers like carnival night, outdoor movies, talent shows, and dance and glow-stick parties. Weekends offer trips for overnight students to Boston museums, Red Sox games, Salem tours, or whale-watching—always staff-led, always your choice of trip, always fun.

See A Day in the Life

Yes! Everyone spends the afternoons together as a group. Day students can also opt to join us for dinner and evening events ($38 per evening, charged to the sundries account). The experience at EXPLO is very inclusive, no matter if you’re a Day or Residential student.

We help resolve conflict by working on how to avoid it in the first place. For example, on the first night of the program we have residential students go through a guided exercise of talking with their new roomie about what they want, what is OK, and what bothers them. By having the conversation up front, it really prevents problems down the road.

When roommate squabbles or friendship friction occasionally pops up, staff don’t step in to “fix it for you.” Instead, we treat conflict as a learning moment. Your two Resident Advisors coach everyone through calm, face-to-face conversations: naming what happened, listening for feelings, and brainstorming solutions. With a 1 : 7 staff-to-student ratio, someone is always nearby to guide. 

Living this way helps students practice self-advocacy, empathy, and conflict-resolution skills without relying on parents.

It’s simple: Be Kind, Be Safe, Be True, Be Curious. Everything else flows from this. Students learn these pillars and rules at the opening community meeting on the quad. 

Be Kind—Bullying, harassment, or discrimination aren’t tolerated; treating peers, faculty, and staff with courtesy is mandatory.

Be Safe—Follow staff directions and observe the daily timetable. Alcohol, vaping, drugs, and unapproved trips are forbidden. 

Be True—No theft, vandalism, plagiarism, or misrepresentation; own your actions and be true to yourself. Leave phones at home and keep electronics stowed: EXPLO is a proudly unplugged program, with all mobile devices locked away so students engage face-to-face.

Be Curious—Try new workshops, respect others’ ideas, and embrace the experience.

Advisors coach students through any conflicts; more serious or repeated issues escalate to the EXPLO Student Life team and can lead to loss of privileges or dismissal. Living those four words keeps the community safe, welcoming, and wildly fun for everyone.

See an example summer program daily schedule at EXPLO! 

Mornings
7:45 AM — Morning Huddle
8:00 AM – Breakfast
8:30 AM – Day student arrival 
9:00 AM – Workshop 1 (or Focus Program)
10:40 AM – Workshop 2 (or Focus Program)


Afternoons
12:00 PM – Lunch
1:15 PM – Electives (or Focus Program)
2:45 PM – Community Meeting
3:00 PM – Clubs, Leagues + Activities
4:15 PM – Flex Time
5:30 PM – Day Student Pickup

Evenings
5:30 PM – Dinner
7:15 PM – Check-In
7:30 PM – Evening Events
9:00 PM – Late Day Student Pickup
9:15 PM – Hall Check-In
10:15 PM – Room Curfew 

Weekends
8:15 AM – Morning Huddle
8:30 AM – Breakfast
9:45 AM – Trips
12:00 PM – Lunch (Off-campus bagged lunch)
4:00-5:00 PM – Trips return to campus
4:15 PM – Flex Time
5:15 PM – Dinner
6:45 PM – Evening Event
8:45 PM – Winding-Down Time 
9:15 PM – Dorm Check-In
10:15 PM – Room Curfew 

Weekends are for overnight students only.

See a Day in the Life

The weekday schedule differs from the weekend. Each weekend day, you choose what you do and where you go. Maybe it will be whale watching, exploring Salem, or a foodie trip. Or maybe a day at the Museum of Science. A trip to a Red Sox game? A Duck Tour? We can’t answer this one for you because it’s up to you! You have way more influence on your EXPLO schedule than with a typical summer camp daily schedule.

You’ll eat in Wellesley College’s bright, all-you-care-to-eat dining hall three times a day. Menus rotate: omelet and waffle stations, global entrées, salad and grain bars, grill, pizza, soups, desserts, plus cookouts and weekend meals on the go. Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly choices are available, with fruit, snacks, and hydration stations open between meals.

Yes! Vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and allergy-friendly choices are available. Please let us know about your dietary needs in advance.

At EXPLO, phones stay stowed. This is key for how EXPLO does community building. For two or four weeks, no pings or pressure to post—just face-to-face talk, listening, and living in the moment. House challenges, lakeside hangs, and shared meals feel richer when nobody’s scrolling. Students say unplugging—made easy because everyone does it —is one of the program’s best gifts.

EXPLO is intentionally “unplugged” so your child can fully immerse in their new world of connection and exploration. While texts and calls to their phones won’t work, here’s what will:

• Letters or one-way emails: Mail a note or use EXPLO’s website form; staff print and deliver messages of love and support. 
• Scheduled calls: After the first week, students can phone home from dorm landlines. 
• Urgent matters: Call the Main Office (781-762-7400) or email summer@explo.org—staff are available around the clock.