May 25, 2018

Media Advisory – SIU Summer Camps June 1-16

Southern Illinois University Carbondale is hosting numerous summer camps for children of all ages, including several the first two weeks in June. The camps offer a wide variety of opportunities for reporters, photographers and news crews to get engaging activity stories, photographs and video.

Conference and Scheduling Services and Touch of Nature Environmental Center coordinate most of the camps, while Saluki Athletics and other campus units handle others.

Story opportunities June 1-16                          

The schedule for camps that take place June 1-16 and welcome media coverage, along with a brief description of each camp’s activities, good times to capture appealing stories, photographs or video, and the camp’s contact information, includes:

  • Youth Volleyball Camp is June 4-6 in Davies Gym. The camp helps children from pre-kindergarten through seventh grade improve their skills and game play. Media are welcome any day 9:30-11:30 a.m. For more information, contact Lea Hartigan at 712/310-4856 or hartigan@siu.edu.
  • Challenge to Excellence Camp is June 10-15 at locations across campus for children in grades 6-8. The overnight campers participate in all kinds of classes from STEM to wellness, art to drama, and engage in various other activities as well.

Opportune times for media to visit include:

  • 3:30-5:30 p.m., June 11: campers will be playing games at the Student Center’s Bowling and Billiards
  • 6:30-8:30 p.m. June 14 at the Hiram H. Lesar Law Building: participants will have an art show in the lobby, displaying their creations, and a drama presentation in the auditorium.

For more information, or to arrange a visit at another time when the youths are actively engaged, contact Rose Moroz at 618/713-1328 or rmtmoroz@siu.edu.

  • Summer Baseball Camp is June 11-14 for ages 7-13 at Richard “Itchy” Jones Stadium. Campers will work on hitting, bunting, base running, infield and outfield play, pitching and specific positions and will play supervised games. Media are welcome to visit 2-3:30 pm. on June 14 to see campers practice the skills they’ve learned during the camp and slide down the hill. For details, contact Ken Henderson at 618/453-3794 or hendu@athletics.siu.edu.
  • Two sessions of Camp Little Giant, the therapeutic recreation camp for children and adults of differing abilities, are offered during this time at Touch of Nature Environmental Center, about eight miles south of Carbondale on Giant City Road. Camp Olympia I is June 10-15 while Camp Olympia II is June 10-22. Both are overnight camps for adults ages 21 and older with high care needs, low mobility or wheelchair needs. To arrange a visit, or for more information, contact Vicki Lang-Mendenhall at 618/453-3950 or vickil@siu.edu.
  • Two Ed-Venture camp sessions are happening at Touch of Nature Environmental Center in early June:
  • Survival 101 Day Camp, an eco-camp, is June 11-15 for ages 7-10. Campers will participate in hands-on programming, featuring survival skills and connecting to nature. Activities include hiking, paddling, shelter and fire building, water collection, team building exercises and more. To arrange a visit or for more information, contact Steve Gariepy at 618/453-1121 or mammoth@siu.edu.
  • Leadership Survival Overnight Camp is an overnight Voyageurs Camp for ages 11-13 that takes place June 11-15. Campers will enhance their leadership skills during a week filled with simulated survival experiences including fire and shelter building, back-country cooking, navigation skills exercises, canoeing, hiking, zip lining and the high ropes course. Each will also have the opportunity to take on a leadership role during survival challenges, while mentored by the camp’s experience staff. To arrange a visit or get more details, contact Dena Haun at 618/453-3949 or underwayadventures@gmail.com.