{"url":"/sherman-oaks/social-detective-academy","provider":{"id":"social-detective-academy","name":"Social Detective Academy","kind":"organization","about":"Social Detective Academy is an educational organization that provides social skills classes in a private practice setting and in schools, camps and after-school programs. Its curriculum was created by developmental psychologist Jeffrey Jessum, Ph.D., author of the book Diary of a Social Detective, who trains and supervises the group leaders. The Southern California groups meet in Sherman Oaks; the organization also runs groups in Palo Alto. Besides summer camp it offers weekly in-person and virtual groups, individual coaching, school programs and parent and teacher consultation.","website":"https://socialdetectiveacademy.com","phone":"(818) 305-4889","email":"info@socialdetectiveacademy.com","instagram":null,"founded":null,"credentials":["Curriculum created by Jeffrey Jessum, Ph.D., developmental psychologist","Stephanie Wright, Psy.D., licensed clinical psychologist"],"languages":[],"image":null},"location":{"id":"main","name":null,"street":"15409 Dickens St","unit":null,"city":"sherman-oaks","zip":"91403","neighborhood":null,"coords":[-118.469453,34.153417],"precision":"exact"},"serviceArea":[],"programs":[{"id":"adventure-camp","type":"camp","name":"Social Detective Adventure Camp","summary":"Social skills summer day camp in Sherman Oaks for elementary-age kids (typically 6-12), with games, art, yoga and mindfulness.","description":"A summer day camp in Sherman Oaks built around social skills. Campers act as social detectives, solving social mysteries drawn from the day's activities to build self-awareness, empathy, self-regulation and leadership. A typical day mixes social detective skill building, cooperative and competitive activities, art projects, yoga, dance, music, kid-friendly meditation games and optional animal interactions. Typical ages are 6-12, with exceptions possible. Hours are 1:15-3:15 on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays. Groups are led by trained instructors, summer activities by counselors, and Dr. Jeffrey Jessum supervises all staff and leads some groups. Families register through Activityhero, then share information about their child so the camp can confirm the child is group ready and the camp is a good fit. The organization also accepts donations for a scholarship fund and child sponsorships ($350).","categories":["special-needs"],"ages":{"min":6,"max":12},"format":"in-person","financialAid":true,"camp":{"day":"half","hours":{"days":["mon","thu","fri"],"start":"13:15","end":"15:15"},"seasons":["summer"],"sessions":[]},"traits":{"specialNeeds":"focused","goals":["social","leadership","wellbeing","fun","creativity"],"methods":["social-emotional","mindfulness"],"parents":"drop-off","assessment":true,"feel":"A short-afternoon summer camp that teaches social skills through mystery-solving games, art, yoga and mindfulness.","topics":["social-skills","social-detective","yoga","mindfulness","activityhero-registration","scholarships","sherman-oaks","san-fernando-valley"]}}],"source":{"url":"https://socialdetectiveacademy.com","fetched":"2026-10-12"},"updated":"2026-10-12","checked":null,"closed":null,"sample":false}