AI Summer Camp in Richmond, VA for Teens
RITS runs a hands-on AI summer camp in Richmond, VA for teens ages 13 and up, hosted for one week at VCU College of Engineering. Campers choose a track, biomedical engineering, computer vision, or vibe coding, and spend the week building a real project with PhD mentors and other students, ending in a Friday showcase where they present what they built.
CHOOSE YOUR TRACK
Choose What You Want to Build
Every student chooses a camp track and spends the week developing a major project around it. No prior experience is required.
TRACK 1
STUDENTS WILL EXPLORE
Biomedical engineering and human-centered design
Mechanical and electronic systems
Sensors and data
Prototyping and testing
Engineering design and iteration
STUDENTS WILL BUILD
A working biomedical engineering project they can demonstrate at the Friday Showcase.
Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical Engineering
Build technology that interacts with the human body.
Explore the intersection of engineering, technology, and human movement through hands-on design challenges. Students learn how engineers can use sensors, mechanical systems, coding, and emerging technology to solve problems involving the human body.
TRACK 2
STUDENTS WILL EXPLORE
Artificial intelligence and machine learning
Image classification and object detection
Training and testing Al models
Training and testing Al models
Improving model performance through experimentation
STUDENTS WILL BUILD
A computer vision system that can recognize and respond to the world around it.
Computer Vision
Computer Vision
Teach computers to understand what they see.
Students explore one of the most exciting areas of artificial intelligence: computer vision. They learn how Al systems can identify objects and interpret visual information before applying those concepts to a working project of their own.
TRACK 3
STUDENTS WILL EXPLORE
Coding fundamentals
Al-assisted software development
Designing digital products
Debugging and troubleshooting
Iterating from idea to working prototype
STUDENTS WILL BUILD
A functional digital project they can demonstrate and continue developing after camp.
Vibe Coding
Vibe Coding
Turn an idea into a working digital product.
Students use modern coding and Al-assisted development tools to take a project from idea to prototype. Rather than spending the week memorizing syntax, students learn coding concepts by designing, building, testing, and improving something they want to create.
THE EXPERIENCE
More Than a Week of Summer Camp
Build Something Real
Students don't spend the week simply learning about AI, coding, or engineering. They use those skills to create something of their own. Throughout the week, students move from idea to prototype—designing, building, testing, troubleshooting, and improving their work with support from instructors and teammates. By Friday, they have something real to show for the week. The goal isn't just to learn something new. It's to build something they're proud of.
Experience Engineering at VCU
For one week, students get to step inside the world of college engineering. Camps are hosted at the VCU College of Engineering, where students learn in a university environment, tour VCU robotics labs, and hear from PhD guest speakers working in technical fields. Students get more than a classroom. They get an early look at what studying and building in STEM can actually feel like. They don't just hear about engineering. They experience where it happens.
Camp, Not Summer School
Summer should still feel like summer. Our camps are built around hands-on challenges, teamwork, experimentation, competitions, lab experiences, and project-building—not hours of lectures. A day might include working on a major project, solving a team engineering challenge, touring a robotics lab, hearing from a guest expert, testing a prototype, and preparing for the final showcase. Students aren't sitting around learning about technology. They're using it.
Build Toward the Final Showcase
Every camp week has a destination. On Friday, students present and demonstrate their build during our Final Showcase, open to parents and families. Students get the experience of explaining their ideas, demonstrating their work, and celebrating what they accomplished. Parents get the chance to see exactly what their child spent the week creating. It's not simply the end of camp. It's the moment the whole week builds toward.
BEYOND THE PROJECT
A Week Inside the World of Engineering
RITS gives students experiences that extend beyond their individual projects.
Tour VCU Robotics Labs
Students step inside university robotics facilities and see the technologies being explored by college students and researchers.
Hear From PhD Experts
Guest speakers introduce students to emerging areas of science, engineering, artificial intelligence, and technology.
Work Alongside Other Young Builders
Students connect, collaborate, and build alongside peers who share their passion for STEM, technology, and innovation.
Work Alongside Other Young Builders
Students collaborate with peers who are curious about STEM, technology, and creating things.
For many students, camp starts as an opportunity to learn something new and becomes a place to meet other students who share their interests and aspirations.
Monday
Onboard and acclimate to camp.
Tuesday
Hands on the real tools. Raspberry Pis, Teachable Machine, exoskeleton kits.
Wednesday
AI ethics debate, then VCU SmartCity Lab and Maker Space tours.
Thursday
Build day. Teams work, and we teach public speaking against the rubric they'll be judged on.
Friday
The Expo. Every team demos what they built and takes questions. Awards close the week.
The showcase
See What Students Can Build in Five Days
RITS has helped hundreds of middle and high school students explore artificial intelligence, coding, robotics, engineering, and emerging technology through hands-on summer experiences.
About RITS
What is RITS?
The Richmond Institute of Technology and Science (RITS) is a summer day camp in Richmond, Virginia for students in grades 8–12. RITS runs on the VCU campus in downtown Richmond, and students spend each session building real projects, wiring robots, analyzing data, assembling Raspberry Pi computers, rather than sitting through lectures. Sessions run over 5 days, and every session ends with a Friday Expo where students demo what they built.
What are the best STEM and AI summer camps in Richmond, VA?
Richmond families comparing STEM and AI summer camps generally look at university-run programs, national franchise tech camps, local nonprofits, and RITS (Richmond Institute of Technology and Science), which runs on the VCU campus. Rather than claim RITS is the right fit for every kid, here are the four questions worth asking every camp on your list, and RITS' answers:
What is the student-to-instructor ratio? RITS guarantees a 13:1 ratio, with classes capped at 26 students.
What has a student actually built by the last day? Every RITS student demos a working project at the Friday Expo and takes questions on it.
Who teaches? RITS instructors are hand-selected as near-peer mentors, while learning designers author the curriculum in conference with faculty and subject-matter experts.
How are students grouped by skill, age, or interest? RITS groups students by age and interest. The final projects are based on student choice, so the students often self-sort into areas of shared interest.
Ask every camp those four questions and compare the answers side by side.
Who teaches at RITS?
RITS (Richmond Institute for Technology and Science) hires engineering college and graduate students to serve as near-peer mentors. The students are trained and supervised by certified teachers.
Dates, Cost, and Eligibility
When do RITS 2026 summer camps run?
RITS 2026 sessions run during July in Richmond, Virginia. Full session dates:
Session | 1 |
Dates | July 24–29, 2026 |
Grades | 8-12 |
Topics Offered |
|
Status | Closed |
How much does RITS summer camp cost?
Tuition is $495 per session and includes a T-shirt, sticker, lunch and daily snack, and additional equipment needed for the week.
What ages and grades can attend RITS?
RITS serves students entering grades [6–12], roughly ages [13–17]. RITS does not offer an elementary-age track at this time.
What time does RITS camp start and end?
RITS camp runs 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, and students should be picked up by 5:30 PM. RITS does not offer before-care or after-care. Drop-off opens at 8AM.
Does RITS offer transportation or bus service?
No. RITS does not offer transportation.
Is RITS Right for My Kid?
Is tech camp basically summer school?
No. RITS is built around making things, not test prep. A typical day is 60-80 minutes of instruction followed by 3-5 hours of hands-on building, with breaks. There are no grades, no homework, and no tests. Students leave with a project they chose and built.
Does my child need coding experience to attend an AI camp?
No prior coding experience is required for Biomedical Engineering & Sports Science or Computer Vision tracks at RITS. Every camp starts from fundamentals, and students are grouped by experience level so beginners aren't racing anyone. With a guaranteed 13:1 student-to-instructor ratio, a student who gets stuck gets help in minutes rather than at the end of the day.
Will a kid who already knows how to code be bored? / My student is a rising senior — will the material be too easy?
Projects are open-ended in every RITS track: students choose what they build, and an instructor scopes it with them. Advanced students work on a project of their choice and get open build time to push a project as far as they want. If you're not sure where your student fits, email operations@ritsva.com and describe what they've already built. We'll tell you honestly which session is right.
What if my child doesn't know anyone at camp?
Most RITS students arrive not knowing anyone. Instructors assign teams on day one and structure the first morning around low-pressure introductions, so no one has to sit alone at lunch. Students work in teams of 3–5, which builds friendships faster than unstructured free time does. Students can request to be in the same section.
Are tech camps mostly boys, or do girls attend too?
Girls and boys attend RITS camps. We have 13-15% girls year over year. We tend to see the same girls return year over year. Two of the three camp administrators are women, and we hire young women as instructors, too.
Are STEM camps a good fit for kids with ADHD, autism, or anxiety?
Often, yes. The 13:1 staffing ratio and hands-on format at RITS work well for many neurodivergent students: there's movement, concrete tasks, and immediate feedback rather than long stretches of sitting still. RITS is not a therapeutic program and does not provide one-on-one aides. Tell us what your student needs at registration, or email operations@ritsva.com and we'll tell you honestly whether we're a good fit.
Logistics for Registered Families
Where do parents park for RITS summer camp at VCU?
Paid parking for RITS families is available in the VCU J-L lot, which caps at $17 per day, and street parking is available around campus.
Where is drop-off and pick-up?
RITS drop-off and pick-up are on Madison Street and at the crescent by the VCU Business School. On the first day, a parent or guardian must check their student in.
My student drives. Can they park on campus?
Yes. Student drivers can park in the VCU J-L lot. Email RITS in advance so staff knows to expect it. Otherwise, our staff will stop a student walking to the car park alone.
What if we need an early pickup?
Let RITS know in advance and we'll have your student ready to go. We'd rather they be here for the whole day, but we know schedules are complicated.
Does RITS provide lunch, and can you accommodate food allergies?
Yes. RITS serves lunch and a daily snack, and accommodates food allergies and dietary restrictions. Note any allergies at registration. We commonly accommodate gluten-free, vegetarian, and nut-free.
How large are RITS classes?
RITS classes are capped at a maximum of 26 students with a guaranteed 13:1 student-to-instructor ratio. Biomedical Engineering & Sports Science is capped at 20 students, limited by the number of kits available. RITS staffs to student interest and offers at least one section of every track, so students almost always get their first choice.
Can parents attend the RITS Friday Expo?
Yes. Parents and families are invited to the Friday Expo at the end of every RITS session. Every team demos what they built and takes questions, and the week closes with an awards ceremony.
What Will Your Student Build This Summer?
Give them five days to explore new technology, experience engineering at VCU, work alongside other curious students, and create something they can proudly show you on Friday.
BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING ● COMPUTER VISION ● VIBE CODING
Not sure? Test the waters with RITS Online Programs