Many students begin their PACTS experience in the annual four-week summer program. The program runs during the month of July and the hours are 9AM to 2PM.

Students work in teams to investigate a high-interest science area, as well as to engage in active research at Centennial Lake, the PACTS research site in Fairmount Park. Students conduct their research in and around the museum as well as visits to local science oriented institutions where additional data can be collected. Sometimes that may mean collecting butterfly's or grasshoppers in Fairmount Park, of visiting another area museum.

The Summer Institute gives students the opportunity to work in a project-oriented environment. They a responsible for preparing their research information for a presentation at the end of the summer, attended by parents, teachers and community partners. Due to the research intensity of the projects, the PACTS Summer Institute is geared towards students ages 12-15. There is a nominal charge for the summer program.