July 14, 2021

Media Advisory – SIU Carbondale Summer Camps July 18-end of summer

Southern Illinois University Carbondale has welcomed hundreds of children and youths to a wide variety of camps this summer and the excitement continues for a few more weeks. The camps offer myriad opportunities for reporters, photographers and news crews to obtain engaging activity stories, photographs and video.

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

Upcoming media opportunities

Members of the media will find several options for capturing summer camp stories during the last few weeks of the camp season. Noted below are the scheduled camps that welcome media coverage, along with a brief description of each camp, opportune times to secure engaging stories, photographs and video, as well as the appropriate contact information.

  • Challenge to Excellence – This camp for high school students, now in its 39th year, promotes creativity and higher-level thinking skills in math, art, psychology, drama, biology and more. Campers stretch their limits and enjoy a variety of experiences. Many have gone on to incredible career success; one earned a Pulitzer Prize for journalism. Media are welcome to cover the hands-on science project class with participants building rockets from 10:30 to 11:20 a.m., July 19-21, in Parkinson Lab, Room 110. They will be launching the rockets during that same time period on July 22 and media are welcome. Contact Rebecca Dycus at 618-559-1047 or rdycus@siu.edu or Duane Lickteig at 618-713-5749 for rocket launch location or more information.
  • eSports Bootcamp 101 – This exciting new camp for youths ages 12-15 offers a crash course in the world of competitive e-sports featuring gameplay, team play, learning about healthy gaming habits, communication and problem-solving skills and much more. It takes place at the Student Center’s eSports Arena and media are welcome from 9:30 a.m. to noon, July 20-21, as participants strategize, solve problems, participate in current e-sport event discussions and get busy gaming. For more information, contact Drew Armone-Hillis at 618-453-3766 or dshillis1s@siu.edu or Faith King at 618-453-3488.
  • Outdoors Draw and Paint – This is the second session of this popular camp offered by the Student Center’s Craft Shop this summer. Children in grades 4-8 will spend the morning outdoors around campus drawing and painting the beautiful scenery using watercolors, acrylics and other media. News crews can find campers painting outside landscapes from 9:30 to 11 a.m. on July 29 in the wooded area by Morris Library. For more information, contact Stephanie Dukat at 618-453-3636 or stephaniedukat@siu.edu.