POCACITO Summer Camp 2025: Biloxi and Biomimicry

We’re headed back to Biloxi for the 2025 POCACITO German-American Summer Academy, this year with a special focus on biomimicry – the ways in which nature inspires solutions to the climate and environmental issues we face.

• Who: youth ages 14-17, especially from the United States and Germany, but all are welcome to apply; program language is English
• What: a weeklong residential summer camp on environmental challenges and solutions
• When: July 6-12, 2025; Sunday the 6th is arrival day, departures are on Saturday the 12th.
• Where: Camp Wilkes in Biloxi, Mississippi, on the US Gulf Coast (2109 Camp Wilkes Rd, Biloxi, MS 39532)
• Why: to have fun, meet new people, and make the world a little bit better

Each day holds a new adventure for you and 39 of your newest best friends. Led by researchers and scientists working on issues including coastal restoration, marine pollution, ecosystem health, and biomimicry, you will learn about nature and the environment by engaging directly with it. 

• You’ll map our area of study in multiple ways, using drones and kayaks to compare the kinds of information gained from different methodologies.
• You’ll identify the flora and fauna that share the coastal ecosystem with us.
• You’ll visit barrier islands to see how they protect the coast from increasingly damaging storms and find out what we can do to protect them in return.
• With your peers, you'll develop, design, and build a prototype of a nature-based solution to address an issue facing the environment.
• You’ll create a podcast and zine with other participants to share with the world what you have learned.

It's summer, so we will also have fun: campfires, a giant swimming pool, and a day at the beach await. We'll prepare meals together, share in clean-up duties, and practice what it means to take care of our community and our environment.

All programming takes place in English, but intercultural exchange is an essential part of the camp. From food and musical traditions to languages and games, we want you to share your experiences with new friends from new places – and we hope you can learn something from them.

Detailed information for participants in English and German below.

The POCACITO German-American Summer Academy is a joint project between POCACITO and Mississippi State University’s Coastal Conservation and Restoration Program. 

For participants from the US, we ask you to arrange your own transportation to and from Biloxi, arriving on Sunday, July 7, and departing Saturday morning, July 13. Please contact us (email and phone below) if you need assistance getting there or have questions.

The program includes:

• pickup from Gulfport airport / Amtrak
• accommodation at Camp Wilkes in Biloxi from July 6 to July 12,
• all meals, and
• all activities.

For participants from Germany, we will arrange for international transportation.

The program includes:

• roundtrip group air ticket from Germany,
• roundtrip land transport from the airport to Camp Wilkes,
• accommodation at Camp Wilkes in Biloxi from July 6 to July 12,
• all meals, and
• all activities.

The programming is intended for high school students, generally assumed to be between 14 and 17 years of age.

We seek to be inclusive and affirming. Please share your needs or concerns with us so that everyone feels welcome and supported. The program is offered on a pay-as-you-can basis. There is no required fee for participation.

Special thanks to the German Foreign Office, the Consulate General of Germany in Atlanta and the Embassy of Germany in Washington for their support. 

Contact Max Gruenig via email at max@pocacito.org or by phone (text or call) at +1-202-550-9072 with any questions (German / English).

More information about the Mississippi State University Coastal Conservation and Restoration Program: http://coastal.msstate.edu/ccr 

Please sign-up as soon as possible and no later than May 30. Spaces are limited.

2025 POCACITO German-American Summer Academy

We’re headed back to Biloxi for the 2025 POCACITO German-American Summer Academy, this year with a special focus on biomimicry – the ways in which nature inspires solutions to the climate and environmental issues we face. Who: youth ages 14-17, especially from the United States and Germany, but all are welcome to apply; program language is English What: a weeklong residential camp on environmental challenges and solutions When: July 6-12, 2025; Sunday the 6th is arrival day, departures are on Saturday the 12th. Where: Camp Wilkes in Biloxi, Mississippi, along the US Gulf Coast (2109 Camp Wilkes Rd, Biloxi, MS 39532) Offered free, no questions asked. If you think you can support the program, we would be most grateful. We will provide transportation for international participants. For US participants, we offer to pick you up in Gulfport, MS. We will provide: accommodation at Camp Wilkes from Sunday, July 6, until Saturday, July 12 meals during the entire time (self-catered, so everybody will get involved) lectures, field trips and outdoor activities qualified adult supervisors on site at all times (POCACITO and Mississippi State University) What we expect from participants: be respectful to all other participants and staff follow camp rules be there for the entire week participate actively in programming Please take a moment to fill out our survey and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We only collect your information for the purpose of the program organization. We will never use your contact information for commercial purposes and won’t share any of the personal data with third parties. Note: the form might not work from your phone. If you have trouble submitting, please try from a laptop or email us. Please email Max Gruenig at max@pocacito.org or text or call Max at +1-202-550-9072 with any questions.

Google Docs

Die POCACITO deutsch-amerikanische Sommerakademie ist ein Gemeinschaftsprojekt von POCACITO und dem Küstenschutz- und -restaurierungsprogramm der Mississippi State University.

• Wer: Jugendliche im Alter von 14 bis 17 Jahren, insbesondere aus den USA und Deutschland, aber alle sind herzlich eingeladen, sich zu bewerben; Programmsprache ist Englisch.
• Was: Ein einwöchiges Sommercamp mit Unterkunft zu Umweltproblemen und -lösungen.
• Wann: 6. bis 12. Juli 2025; Anreise ist Sonntag, der 6. Juli, Abreise ist Samstag, der 12. Juli.
• Wo: Camp Wilkes in Biloxi, Mississippi, an der US-Golfküste (2109 Camp Wilkes Rd, Biloxi, MS 39532).
• Warum: Spaß haben, neue Leute kennenlernen und die Welt ein bisschen besser machen.

Jeder Tag hält ein neues Abenteuer für dich und 39 deiner neuen besten Freunde bereit. Angeleitet von Forschern und Wissenschaftlern, die sich mit Themen wie Küstenrestaurierung, Meeresverschmutzung, Ökosystemgesundheit und Biomimetik beschäftigen, lernst du Natur und Umwelt kennen, indem du dich direkt mit ihnen auseinandersetzt.

• Du kartierst unser Studiengebiet auf verschiedene Weise und nutzt Drohnen und Kajaks, um die mit verschiedenen Methoden gewonnenen Informationen zu vergleichen.
• Du entdeckst die Flora und Fauna, die das Küstenökosystem mit uns teilt.
• Du besuchst vorgelagerte Inseln, um zu sehen, wie diese die Küste vor zunehmend zerstörerischen Stürmen schützen, und findest heraus, was wir im Gegenzug tun können, um sie zu schützen.
• Du erstellst gemeinsam mit anderen Teilnehmer*innen einen Podcast und ein Zine.
• Außerdem kochen wir alle zusammen, kümmern uns um das Camp und umeinander.

Für Teilnehmer*innen aus Deutschland organisieren wir den internationalen Transport.

Das Programm beinhaltet:

• Hin- und Rückflugticket für Gruppen ab Deutschland,
• Landtransport vom Flughafen zum Camp Wilkes,
• Unterkunft im Camp Wilkes in Biloxi vom 6. bis 12. Juli,
• alle Mahlzeiten und
• alle Aktivitäten.

Das Programm richtet sich an Schülerinnen und Schüler im Alter zwischen 14 und 17 Jahren.

Wir möchten inklusiv und bestärkend sein. Bitte teilt uns Eure Bedürfnisse und Anliegen mit, damit sich alle willkommen und unterstützt fühlen.

Das Programm wird auf Basis eines freiwilligen Kostenbeitrages angeboten.

Ein besonderer Dank gilt dem Auswärtigen Amt, dem deutschen Generalkonsulat in Atlanta und der Deutschen Botschaft in Washington für ihre Unterstützung.

Bei Fragen wendet Euch sich bitte per E-Mail an max@pocacito.org oder telefonisch (SMS oder Anruf) unter +1-202-550-9072 (Deutsch/Englisch).

Weitere Informationen zum Küstenschutz- und -restaurierungsprogramm der Mississippi State University: http://coastal.msstate.edu/ccr

Bitte bewerbt Euch so bald wie möglich, spätestens bis zum 30. Mai. Die Plätze sind begrenzt.