About Harker Summer Programs

The Harker School, founded in 1893, has been offering Bay Area families outstanding summer programs for more than 50 years, and we're looking forward to another exciting summer of learning and play!

Summer programs at Harker include a wide variety of academic and recreational offerings, all taught by exceptional, experienced faculty and staff. Held on our safe, secure and centrally-located campuses, we offer our academically focused K-6 Summer Camp+; the Summer Institute for middle and high school-aged students; our English Language Institute for international students; and a variety of sports camps.

Harker has a century-old reputation for excellence, and our summer programs reflect our commitment to providing Bay Area children with a dynamic and exciting educational experience. We invite you to contact us for a tour.

Join us for a summer at Harker!

Accreditation

Our K-6 Summer Camp+ programs are accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA). This certification and our membership in the Western Association of Independent Camps (WAIC) assure that we meet more than 300 high standards regarding health, safety, staffing and program content.

The ACA is a community of camp professionals who, for nearly 100 years, have joined together to share knowledge and experience and to ensure the quality of camp programs. ACA accreditation assures parents that a camp has had regular, independent safety audits that go beyond the minimum requirements of the regulations in most states.

Accreditation is different from licensing. Licensing (which is conducted annually by state agencies) focuses on enforcement of minimum regulations and primarily covers sanitation, food service and facility safety. Accreditation focuses on education, camper development and quality programming, as well as supporting best practices in all aspects of camp operation. Licensing varies significantly from state to state; the accreditation standards and process are nationally developed, tested and accepted - both by camp professionals and by legal and regulatory authorities. Lastly, while licensing is required and imposed, a camp's accreditation is voluntary.

Camps that are accredited have demonstrated their commitment to providing a safe and nurturing environment for children. This is why we say that ACA accreditation is a parent's best evidence of a camp's commitment to a safe and nurturing environment for children.

Harker Summer Programs is a nonprofit organization. Admission is decided without regard to a child's race, creed, color or place of national origin.