June 02, 2022

Media Advisory: SIU summer camps June 5-18

Southern Illinois University Carbondale is hosting a wide variety of camps for children and youths of all ages this summer, offering numerous opportunities for reporters, photographers and news crews to capture engaging activity stories, photographs and video.

Several options for capturing good summer camp stories are available June 5-18. Camps include horses, arts and crafts, aviation, archaeology, outdoor adventure and more.

Media opportunities June 5-11

  • Saddle Up – Campers in grades 6-8 will enjoy learning all about horses, taking care of the animals, careers involving horses, and of course, get to ride them. Media are invited to cover the youths getting involved in horse grooming and bathing from 11 a.m. to noon June 6 at the SIU Equine Center, 2194 Union Hill Road. Contacts are Sam Wuest at 618-978-4976 and wuest@siu.edu or Erin Perry at 573-489-0291 and erin.perry@siu.edu.
  • Clay Dinner Party – Students in grades 4-8 will learn to throw clay on the pottery wheel and hand build with coil and slabs to create a set of dishes in the Craft Shop ceramics studio at the Student Center. Media are invited 9-10:30 a.m. June 7 as campers create the dishes or during the same time period June 9 as they will begin adding color and decoration to their sets. Contact Stephanie Dukat at 618-435-3636 or stephaniedukat@siu.edu or Jackie Welch at 618-453-5672 or jackiew@siu.edu.
  • Junior Aviator III (pilots) – Children in grades 1-3 get a chance to learn all about careers in aviation, with a particular focus on pilots, at SIU’s state-of-the-art Transportation Education Center at the Southern Illinois Airport. There are two opportunities for media to visit this camp session, both at 11 a.m. in the center’s multipurpose room. On June 8 campers will be creating a sidewalk chalk airport and on June 9 they will be taking weather observations as professionals do before flying. Contacts are Lorelei Ruiz, 618-319-2440 and lemiller@siu.edu or Steve Goetz at 618-997-5640 and sgoetz@siu.edu.

Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center, located about 8 miles south of Carbondale on Giant City Road, will be hosting five camps during this week. Most of the camp activities will be outdoors, and campers will be at various locations throughout the park but members of the medica can either arrange a visit in advance by contacting Sydney Pogue  at 618-453-3952 or sydney.pogue@siu.edu or Brian Croft at 618-453-3954 or bcroft@siu.edu. Or they are welcome to come to the Touch of Nature administrative office during the camp hours and staff will direct them to the location of the campers and ongoing activities.

Here are the details of the camps happening June 6-10:

  • Forest Camp: Forest Explorers, for ages 4-5, from 8:45-11:45 a.m. The children will discover the natural world through a variety of activities and free play designed just for them.
  • Forest Camp: Forest Explorers, for ages 6-7, 8:45 a.m.-3:45 p.m. The magical world of the forest will come alive for the children through activities, lessons and exploration.
  • Eco Camp: Aqua Adventures, for ages 8-9, 8:45-3:45 p.m. Campers will learn all about the water as they dip, measure, splash, fish and paddle in Little Grassy Lake and Indian Creek, making waterways, boats, learning about aquatic plants and animals, and much more.
  • Adventure Camp: Youth in the Wild, for ages 10-12. Children will learn what it takes to live in the woods, from creating a shelter to navigating, cooking on a campfire, finding food and other skills.
  • Underway Camp: Adventure Day Sampler, for ages 13-16. Teens will experience a new adventure each day, including mountain biking, hiking, rock-climbing, paddling and enjoying Touch of Nature’s high ropes course. This popular camp is fully booked.

Media options June 12-18

  • Explore SIU- Unearthing History: Archaeology Field Camp – Participants in this fascinating camp for high school students will explore a newly discovered portion of the historic Fort Kaskaskia site, uncovering what has lain buried for about two centuries about 300 meters north of the American fort and unknown to historians until 2017. Media are welcome 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. June 14 or June 15 at Fort Kaskaskia State Park, 14372 Park Road in Ellis Grove as the group learns how to do archaeological digs. Also, at 10 a.m. June 14, Larry Kinsella, who has won awards for rediscovering the techniques used by ancient peoples to manufacture stone tools such as spear and arrow points and axes, will give a demonstration to the students on the basic steps in making stone tools and other skills including rope making and spear throwing. Contacts are Mark Wagner, 618-521-9217 and mjwagner@siu.edu and Layla Murphy at 618-453-2466 and layla@siu.edu.
  • Fun with Fibers – Campers in grades 4-8 will learn how to marble fabric and paper by floating ink on top of a seaweed bath from 2 to 3:30 p.m. June 14 or 16 at the Craft Shop paint bar in the Student Center. Contact Stephanie Dukat at 618-435-3636 or stephaniedukat@siu.edu or Jackie Welch at 618-453-5672 or jackiew@siu.edu.
  • Junior Aviator III (mechanics) – Participants in this intriguing camp at the Transportation Education Center, at the Southern Illinois Airport, learn how aircraft maintenance technicians do their jobs. There are two opportunities for media to visit this camp session for children in grades 1-3, both in the center’s multipurpose room. On June 15 at 10:15 a.m., they will tour the aviation flight aircraft and aviation technologies lab, and at 11 a.m. June 16 they will do a hands-on bolt board activity. Contacts are Lorelei Ruiz, 618-319-2440 and lemiller@siu.edu or Steve Goetz at 618-997-5640 and sgoetz@siu.edu.

Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center will host five camps the week of June 13-17 as well.

  • Forest Camp: Water Explorers, for ages 4-5, from 8:45-11:45 a.m. The children will find out all about water as they splash their way about Little Grassy Lake and Indian Creek, getting acquainted with the plant and animal life and doing a bit of fishing, paddling and other water fun.
  • Forest Camp: Water Explorers, for ages 6-7, 8:45 a.m.-3:45 p.m. Campers will explore every aspect of the world of water as they dip, measure, splash and paddle in Little Grassy Lake and Indian Creek, learning about living things within the water as they create waterways, dams, and boats.
  • Eco Camp: Outdoor Adventures, for ages 8-9, 8:45-3:45 p.m. Campers will learn the basics of being an outdoors person as they hike, explore and even camp out. They will pitch a tent, fish, make camp snacks, hike, and learn Leave No Trace principles.
  • Adventure Camp: Aquatic Adventures, for ages 10-12. Campers will explore the Little Grassy Lake watershed and learn about the importance of protecting this important natural resource as they enjoy water games, get to know aquatic animals, and travel in canoes, kayaks and on paddleboards.
  • Underway Camp: Rock Climbing Day Camp, for ages 13-16. Teens will get the chance to explore some of the region’s most popular rock-climbing areas including Giant City State Park and Alto Pass.

Conference and Scheduling Services and Touch of Nature Outdoor Education Center coordinate most of the camps while Saluki Athletics and other campus units take care of the rest.