Create and Explore With Us

READY FOR CAMP JCAS?

We are so excited to be BACK at our home at Lake Merritt this year and bring you even more awesome summer camp fun!

  • 18 camps across 10 weeks!
  • 5 entirely new camps, plus innovative twists on some of the classics!
  • More programming across age groups!
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The Junior Center of Art and Science Returns to Lake Merritt Home!

Our beautiful home on the shores of Oakland’s Lake Merritt was damaged by two separate fires over the last two years, causing us to relocate to a new temporary home. Our programs continued uninterrupted, and we increased the number of public school classroom residencies, after-school, and summer camp offerings over the last year. 

Building rehabilitation has finally finished and we anticipate an even brighter future for our programs. Please save the date for our grand reopening extravaganza in September. We’ll be hosting a series of Saturday programs, including adult and family workshops, animal visits, and more, as we gear up for this special event. We can’t wait to welcome you back!

We look forward to continuing our 65 plus year commitment of providing quality arts and sciences engagements to deserving youth.

In community,

The Junior Center Team

Questions? Contact us at [email protected] and someone from our team will contact you soon!

Junior Center News

In the face of adversity, JCAS emerged with stories of resilience, creativity, and perseverance.

Two fires that devastated our building became a catalyst for reimagining our goals, building new relationships, and deepening our commitment to culturally responsive arts and sciences programs. Despite challenges, JCAS embraced the opportunity for growth and transformation.

Through our arts-integrated pedagogy, we bolster connections across subjects, and bring arts education into classrooms that would otherwise not have it.
Our community partnerships provide free art engagements and family days across Oakland.
We have a dynamic team of teaching artists, naturalists, and makers that enrich our pedagogy, while also infusing curriculum with real world applications and lived experiences.
Over 60% of families who participate in onsite programs, camps, and classes receive financial assistance. We distributed over $27,000 in scholarships and financial aid.

We need your support!

Your generous donation will enable us to:

  1. Support renewed programs.
  2. Increase funding for scholarships and support our sliding scale model.
  3. Facilitate the creation of specialized interactive spaces within the facility.
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