May 05, 2014

Summer camps offer something for everyone

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill.  -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale will host more than two dozen academic, artistic and athletic camps this summer, providing children of all ages with enriching, educational and fun experiences. 

Here is an overview of the Continuing Education and Outreach 2014 camp schedule, with dates, camp age range, price, brief descriptions and other pertinent information. 

  • Cooperative Youth Conference, June 5-6, grades 10-12, overnight for privately sponsored students. The conference gives campers a taste of college life as they learn about cooperatives, the seven cooperative principles and tour cooperative businesses.  
  • Summer Wings Aviation Camp, June 15-20, grades 9-12, $1,400 for commuters or $1,650 for overnight campers.  Participants will experience the thrill of flight and learn more about aviation. 
  • Girls Make Movies, June 15-20, grades 9-12, $95, overnight.  The camp offers girls who are interested in film and video the opportunity to work with different formats including documentaries, experimental films and fiction. 
  • Challenge to Excellence Camp, June 15-20 for grades 6-8 and June 22-27 for grades 9-11, $325 for commuters or $400 for overnight.  The camp gives academically talented students the opportunity to stretch themselves as they participate in interesting classes promoting higher levels of critical thinking and creativity.  
  • Involving Girls in Science, Technology, Engineering and Agriculture, June 16-18, grades 6-8, $100, for commuters.  This camp is designed to promote interest in these important fields for female students. 
  • Saluki Baseball Camp, June 16-19, ages 7-13, $180, for commuters.  This camp will provide help in the fundamentals of hitting, pitching, fielding and base running.  Campers will have the experience of playing in the new Richard “Itchy” Jones Stadium. 
  • Challenger Sports British Soccer Camp, June 16-20, ages 6-10 during morning sessions and ages 11-16 during afternoon sessions, $135, for commuters.  The focus on this camp is teaching soccer fundamentals and skills, as well as sportsmanship, leadership, respect and responsibility. 
  • Girls Softball Hitting and Defense Camp, June 17-18, grades 2-8,  $120, for commuters.  The camp offers personalized instruction for various defensive positions, as well as work on hitting and bunting.  The cost is $200 for those participating in both softball hitting and defense and softball pitching camps. 
  • 16th annual Young Writers Workshop, June 24-28, grades 10-12, $320 for commuters or $370 for overnight.  The workshop will help students improve their writing skills via daily critique sessions, panels, readings and discussions. 
  • Take Five Summer Art Camp, July 7-11, grades 6-10, $148, for commuters. The camp provides an intensive exploration of various art media, methods and techniques, working with different art forms each day. 
  • Art for Young Hands Summer Art Camp, July 7-11, for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students, $109, for commuters.  Explore art with pencils, pastels, watercolors, acrylic paint, clay and wood to create inspired pieces. 
  • •Girls Softball Pitching Camp. July 8-9, grades 1-12, $100, for commuters. Includes instruction and drills for specialized pitches.  The cost is $200 for those participating in both softball hitting and defense and softball pitching camps. 
  • Saluki Track and Field Throws Camp, July 12, 13, 19 and/or 20, grades 6-12, for commuters, $100 to $300.  The camp cost depends upon how many sessions each participant attends. The focus is on campers improving and learning new skills in the shot put or discus. 
  •  TV News Camp, July 13-18, grades 9-12, $95, overnight.  The camp offers experience for students interested in broadcast writing, producing, performance, videography, editing and field reporting. 
  • Artists in Action Summer Art Camp, July 14-18, grades 4-8, $109, for commuters.  Students will explore how different materials and art forms can express ideas and tell stories.  Participants will also keep a sketchbook and experiment with various art forms. 
  • Explore Art Summer Art Camp, July 14-18, grades 1-3, $109, for commuters.  Participants will create all kinds of art including drawings, paintings and sculptures as they draw inspiration from around the world. 
  • Globetrotters Summer Art Camp, July 21-25, grades 4-8, $109, for commuters.  Participants will explore the ways people of different cultures tell their stories through art and use a number of art forms to do so. 
  • World Art Journey Summer Art Camp, July 21-25, grades 1-3, $109, for commuters. Explore arts and craft traditions around the world and use various art forms to interpret these artistic traditions.  
  • The World of Fibers Summer Art Camp, July 28-Aug. 1, grades 6-10, $111, for commuters.  Students will create woven art works of various styles and techniques in two and three dimensions, build looms and experiment with different fibers. 
  • Fabric Fun Summer Art Camp, July 28-Aug. 1, grades 4-6, $109, for commuters.  The camp focuses on assorted techniques for creating fabric designs and patterns, including tie-dyeing, Japanese Shibori, stenciling and stamping.  
  • Saluki Prospects Baseball Camp, Aug. 4, for commuters.  This camp is for area baseball players who will graduate from high school in 2015, 2016 or 2017, $100.  The camp provides area baseball players the opportunity to showcase their skills for area college coaches. 

There are also several sessions of architecture camp, specifically geared toward various age groups.  Here are the details: 

  • Kid Architecture Camp, June 16-20, grades 4-6, $180, for commuters.  Learn about the world of design and architecture through projects, discussions and hands-on workshops in this award-winning camp. 
  • Middle School Architecture Camp, July 13-18, grades 7-9, $370 for commuters or $520 for overnight. Participants will forge friendships and learn about the build and design world through various intriguing activities and field trips. 
  • High School Architecture Camp, July 20-25, grades 9-12, $370 for commuters or $520 for overnight, students will delve into design and architecture through discussions, studio projects, hands-on activities and field trips.  

Several sessions of Lego camps are also on tap for different age groups.   Each features a take-home project.  The Lego camp schedule includes: 

  • Beginning Lego Engineering Camps, four separate sessions, June 9-13, June 23-27, July 7-11 and July 14-18, all from 8:30 a.m. to noon, grades 1-2, $99, for commuters. Campers create basic Lego construction using pulleys, gears and motors. 
  • Advanced Lego Engineering Camps, five sessions, June 9-13, from 1 to 4:30 p.m., June 16-20 from 8:30 a.m. to noon, June 23-27 from 1 to 4:30 p.m., July 14-18 from 1 to 4:30 p.m. and July 21-25, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, grades 3-5, $99, for commuters.  Create projects including motorized go-carts, airplanes, helicopters, cranes, tow trucks and disk speedsters. 
  • WeDo Robotics Lego Camps, three sessions, June 16-20, July 7-11 and July 21-25, all from 1 to 4:30 p.m., grades 3-5, $99, for commuters.  This camp helps children learn to think critically and solve problems while creating wild animal theme models and utilize the Lego Education “WeDo” hardware and software.

Each camp has specific registration requirements, outlined in the online forms.  Some have set registration deadlines while for others, registration continues until the camp session is full.  

Complete schedule details, registration forms and other information are available online at https://www.dce.siu.edu.  For more information call 618/536-7751.