The Astronomy Camps began in 1998, with Dr. Ray White (Astronomy Professor) and Ms. Joan Morrill (Director of Lifelong Learning and Travel at the UArizona Alumni Association). The first Camp included 21 teenage children of University alumni and was held at the Catalina Observatories at the summit of Mt. Lemmon (9200 feet), north of Tucson. Afterwards, Dr. White concluded that he didn't enjoy working with teenagers and offered Dr. McCarthy the opportunity. Don was already including teenagers in actual research, both at the MMT Observatory and at Sahuaro High School with veteran teacher Jeff Lockwood. The concept of "research-based science education" expanded rapidly.

Since 1998, many different types of Camps were created, such as Beginning/Advanced versions for Teens and Adults; an Educators Camp; Camps for schools around the U.S. and Mexico; the Girls Scouts of the USA; Camps for local groups (UArizona Honors College; Pima Community College,); and special events to support both faculty research grants, College of Science outreach (e.g., Hands Across Borders; Galileo Circle), as well as the local community (e.g., Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson’s Boys and Girls Clubs).

The Camps have benefitted UArizona, its faculty, and students:

• ~70 Camp alumni enrolled as undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and faculty at UArizona.
  • Others became essential technical staff at five observatories throughout Arizona.
• The family of a Teen Camper funded ...
  • a new dome now housing a 40-inch telescope used for asteroid recovery by the Catalina Sky Survey.
  • $20M to the UArizona Mirror Lab and Giant Magellan Telescope.
• Camp supported a postdoc's NSF CAREER proposal to fund ...
  • a new dome for the 20" Jamieson Telescope, now the SkyCenter's 24" Phillips telescope.
• An Adult Camper funded ...
  • ~30% of the annual operating costs of Mt. Lemmon Observatory for several years.
  • the creation of the Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter (MLSC)
• Astronomy Camp was the educational heart of UArizona's proposal to NASA for NIRCam on JWST ...
  • This 20-year partnership ($1M) with the Girl Scouts of the USA "Trained the Trainers" (400 from 47 states) so young women could engage in hands-on STEM activities related to JWST.
• A former UArizona President donated $250K for improvement of Camp facilities on Mt. Lemmon.
• Astronomy Camp itself funded ...
  • computer hardware to control the 60" telescope on Mt. Lemmon.
  • hardware improvements for Internet bandwidth, A/V, and kitchen equipment at the MLSC.