MSEC FAQ

The "Base Camp" is targeted towards elementary schoolers, Grades Rising 4th -- 6th. The "Advanced Camp" is targeted academically towards middle schoolers, Grades Rising 6th -- 9th. (There is overlap as FCPS places 6th Grade in elementary school, but all neighboring counties and cities do not.)

At the Fairfax location, classrooms will be separated by grade level and age group, but lunch periods and the final presentation will be held all as one. At the SciTech (Manassas) location, small groups will be separated by grade level and age group, but all students will be in the same classroom.

On the SciTech Campus, we have a smaller maximum capacity per week. There is one option for Retail Dining, Randall's Cafe. Meals are typically around $15 per person.

On the Fairfax Campus, we have a larger maximum capacity per week and classrooms will be separated by grade level. There are multiple options for Retail Dining. Our camp will be visiting the Johnson Center during the lunch period daily, and the full list of establishments can be found on Sodexo's site. Meals are typically $12 -- 24 per person.

If you would like to change any details about your camper's registration, such as the date of the camper's registration, please contact camp administration at masonspacecenter@gmail.com. We request at least 1 week notice for registration changes. 

The summer camp is divided by curriculum at the rough equivalent of "upper elementary" and "middle school" levels. For an exception to be made and place your academically gifted camper in the "middle school" level, please contact the camp administration.

We currently are not open to registration for campers younger than rising 4th grade. For interested high schoolers, the observatory directors recommend the ASSIP Program and the SCHAR Astro-Scholars.

Our staff are able to accommodate your camper's sensory and neurological needs. Use the P.E.C. medical form to indicate your camper's individual needs. For specific accommodations, such as needing quiet time, fidget toys, etc., please contact camp administration at masonspacecenter@gmail.com. 

For 2026, the camp is offering a 10% discount on Summer Camp registrations for all George Mason University staff and faculty. To receive the code, contact camp administration using your @gmu.edu email account.

To cancel your reservation, please contact camp administration. We can connect you with the TouchNet administrators to proceed with the cancellation and refund. Be advised that the refund will be subtracted of credit card fees from George Mason's payment card processor, Elavon.

 -- UPDATE 07/16/25: --

Though Mason Marketplace accepts ACH/eCheck payments, customers should note that due to internal accounting processes, a refund check cannot be issued without a payee G number. The only approved process to refund revenue received via ACH will require the customer register for a George Mason G#. They will do this by electronically completing and submitting the Commonwealth of Virginia Substitute W-9 through the Vendor Registration and Maintenance Portal. The G number and order number must be provided when requesting a refund from the Mason Marketplace store. Note: The customer will not receive a 1099 and they will not be taxed on the refund.

For the Fairfax Campus, George Mason Parking Services has requested that MSEC Families make use of the Shenandoah Parking Deck. Floors 1, 4, and 5 are permitted for 30-minute intervals for MSEC Families during our listed Pickup and Drop-off times.

For the SciTech (Manassas) Campus, the parking area for Pickup and Drop-Off is Discovery Parking Lot A. 

Additional details for drop-off and pick-up will be emailed out 1 week prior to your registered camp date.

The primary target demographic for our camp events are the equivalents of 4th through 8th grade.

For MSEC alumni still interested in astronomy at George Mason, we recommend both the Schar Astro-Scholars program and the Aspiring Scientists Summer Internship Program (ASSIP). Both programs offer research credit and publication opportunities. More information about those programs can be found on their respective hyperlinked pages.

Unfortunately for the Grades rising K -- 3 demographics, the Mason Space Center does not currently offer services to those age groups. We are looking to expand the age range downwards further in the future, but as of this time we do not anticipate enough interest or enough classroom space to accommodate "junior cadets". However, the George Mason Observatory Public Tours are accessible to all ages! Please see the GMU Observatory website for more details.

TouchNet is the market platform and billing center George Mason University uses for most official online payments. Through our page on the Mason Marketplace, parents of aspiring astronomers are able to sign up for camp events. I

Many parents in the past have reported difficulties with the TouchNet Platform. If you do not receive email confirmation of your order, please check your junk mail or spam folder(s) for emails from "masonspacecenter@gmail.com". If no emails from us are present there as well, please contact camp administration.

We have been well aware of the issues many camp parents have been facing with the TouchNet marketplace system in recent weeks. Camp administration and the Mason Marketplace owners have been working together to investigate the cause of issue since February. Although an official fix has not been issued, our experimentation suggests that it is a result of using a Gmail account to sign up for registration. Use a non-Gmail email address to register, if possible, and contact camp administration for your email confirmation if not possible.

⚠ UPDATE: ⚠ We have heard from the support team of TouchNet. Due to the inner machinations of the TouchNet marketplace, the email confirmations are marked as "Undeliverable" when using certain major email hosts, includingGmail.com. TouchNet, Mason Marketplace, and GMU IT are working together to fix this critical error.

If your only email provider is Gmail, the Mason Marketplace administrators propose the following workaround:

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As displayed in the image, when arriving at the "Order Summary" screen, hit the "Print" button and download the .pdf of your camper's confirmation. 

If you have difficulty with the process and/or need more details (such as EIN), please contact camp administration.

Due to the combined policies of University Risk Managment and the Programs, Events, and Camps Committee, unless otherwise specified parents and families will not be allowed to attend the events of our camps (with one exception at the end of the week).

For commuting families, we recommend making use of the many study or dining areas of the Fairfax and SciTech campuses. Dining hours and location can be found on the Mason Dining website, and academic buildings like Horizon Hall or Katherine Johnson Hall offer ample locations for remote work. However, we advise to move your vehicle from the Shenandoah Deck to the General Lot K.