Garden Chefs

Full—Waitlist Started

Summer Camp for 4th through 6th Graders

Monday, August 3 through Friday, August 7, 2026 – 9:00 am–3:30 pm

Spark Healthy Habits That Can Last a Life Time!

Young Chefs go from garden to table in this week-long, hands-on gardening and cooking class. Campers learn about growing fresh veggies at home, participate in daily taste tests, and prepare recipes from scratch.

Basic cooking and gardening skills are covered. Campers are closely supervised as they practice kitchen techniques like slicing, chopping and using kitchen gadgets.

Campers bring lunch from home Monday through Thursday. Campers cook lunch on Friday. Camp size is 16 campers.

Have a Chef from a previous year? No worries, curriculum is on a three-year rotation to allow campers to attend multiple years without repeating recipes and activities!

Here are some other great camps for rising 4th through 6th graders:

• EcoExplorers (4th-6th graders, July)
• Nature Adventures (2nd-5th graders, July)
• Garden Discovery (2nd-5th graders, August)

Ages

Rising 4th through 6th graders — Campers should be entering the listed grade levels in the upcoming school year (2026-2027).

Cost

$350.00 per camper.

Camp Schedule

Camp is the full week, Monday through Friday with camp activities between 9:00 am and 3:30 pm. Lunch and snack times will be during scheduled camp time.

Camp drop-off begins at 8:30 am each morning. Camp pick up begins promptly at 3:30 pm.

Camps take place rain or shine. Camp activities may be adjusted due to weather (including heat and air quality), but campers can expect to be outside enjoying the gardens as much as possible!

2026 Summer Camp Registration Information

• Tuesday, January 27, 2026 at 12:30 pm — Registration for JCRA Members at the Family/Dual level or above
• Monday, February 2, 2026 — Public registration

Registration is completed through our online system, Reporter. Full payment for camp will be due at the time of registration. Camps are filled on a first-come, first-served basis. When a camp fills, a waitlist will be started.

You must have an active JCRA Family/Dual level or above membership by Monday, January 26 at noon to gain access to early registration. Become a JCRA Member or renew your membership today!

JCRA Members at the Family/Dual level or above will receive an email the morning of Tuesday, January 27 with registration links and instructions. Emails will be sent to the email address on file in your membership record. If you have not received the email by 11:00 am on January 27, check your spam or junk email and search for an email from jcraprograms@ncsu.edu. If not there, please contact Elizabeth Overcash at elizabeth_overcash@ncsu.edu or 919-513-7011 before noon on January 27 to gain access to the registration links.

A JCRA Family/Dual level or above membership does not guarantee a spot in camp. If the camp you want is full, we encourage you to join the waitlist.

Registrations received during the members-only period (January 27–February 1) not associated with a current Family/Dual level or above membership will be refunded minus a 15% administrative fee. To make sure your registration is completed, join or renew now!

Registration links will be posted to each camp page when registration opens to the public on Monday, February 2.

Waitlist

When a camp session fills, a waitlist will be started in the registration system, Reporter.

During the members-only registration period (January 27–February 1), only JCRA Members at the Family/Dual level or above will be placed on the waitlist. Others who join the waitlist during this time will be placed after all JCRA Members (Family/Dual level or above) who registered for the waitlist during the members-only period.

If a space becomes available, families will be contacted and given the opportunity to accept or decline the space. The open camp spot will be held for 24 hours. Upon accepting the open space, payment will be due within 24 hours of acceptance.

Cancellation

Participants wishing to withdraw from a camp must provide a written request by Friday, May 22, 2026 to Elizabeth Overcash, at elizabeth_overcash@ncsu.edu. If the withdrawal request is received by May 22, a refund will be processed minus a 15% cancellation fee per child per camp. No fees will be refunded if registration is canceled after May 22.

If the JCRA cancels a camp, a full refund will be made.

Memberships purchased in association with a camp registration are not refundable.

Location

JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, NC 27606.

Camp drop-off and pickup will be in the brick circle at the Bobby G. Wilder Visitor Center.

Directions

Need directions? Click here.

Questions

Try our frequently asked questions, or contact the JCRA Education Team at jcraprograms@ncsu.edu.