children jumping into a lake from a dock

June 16, 2022

Media Advisory: SIU summer camps June 19-July 9

by Christi Mathis

CARBONDALE, Ill. — 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 19-July 9. Camps include arts and crafts, aviation, architecture, baseball, outdoor adventure and more.

Media opportunities June 19-25

  • Junior Aviator II (aviation careers) – Children in grades 4-5 get a chance to learn all about careers in aviation, as they enjoy hands-on activities, mini-field trips and more, 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. Campers will be engaging in an aerodynamics zipline activity at 11 a.m. June 21, and they will be rotating among a variety of engaging activities including flight simulators, crafting paper airplanes and other hands-on flight-related learning experiences at 9 a.m. June 24. All activities will occur in the center’s multipurpose room. Contacts are Lorelei Ruiz, 618-319-2440 and lemiller@siu.edu or Steve Goetz at 618-997-5640 and sgoetz@siu.edu.
  • Kid Architecture Camp – During this award-winning camp, children in grades 4-6 will learn about architecture, buildings and design through hands-on activities. You will find them casting colorful concrete block designs in the lot next to the blue barracks at 1075 S. Washington St. from 9:30 to 10 a.m. June 22. Contact Jon Davey at 618-453-1108 or jdavey@siu.edu or Rebecca Dycus at 618-559-1047.
  • Art Exploration – Students will explore the world of art by focusing on a different art material each day as they create their own masterpiece using clay, fibers, printmaking, painting and drawing, seeking inspiration from famous artists. The morning sessions are for grades 1-3 while grades 4-8 will participate in the afternoon in the Craft Shop paint bar at the Student Center. Media are invited 9-10:30 a.m. or 2-3:30 p.m. June 23 as campers will be printmaking from linoblocks they carved into their own designs. Contact Stephanie Dukat at 618-453-3636 or stephaniedukat@siu.edu or Jackie Welch at 618-453-5672 or jackiew@siu.edu.
  • Saluki Opportunities in Accounting Residency (SOAR) – This innovative career development program is for students from underrepresented populations who are entering their sophomore through senior years in high school. The goal is to introduce them to college life and the opportunities offered in accounting, finance and other business-related fields while enhancing their financial literacy and interpersonal skills. There are two opportunities, both at the Stadium Club in Saluki Stadium:
    • June 24, 6-9 p.m. — The first half of the evening campers will enjoy a four-course dinner learning about professional business dinner etiquette, and then at 8 p.m. they will present projects they have been working on for judging by local business owners and School of Accountancy board members.
    • June 25, 9:30 a.m. — Campers will participate in a closing ceremony featuring a guest speaker and presentations by each of the campers for their parents and other guests. Winners of the group project will be announced and certificates and scholarships awarded.

Contacts are Nija Harvey at nija@siu.edu, soar@siu.edu or 217-848-0291 or Tarnisha Green at green@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. You 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. You are also welcome to come to the Touch of Nature administrative office during the camp hours, and staff will direct you to the location of the campers and ongoing activities.

Here are the details of the camps happening June 20-24:

  • Forest Camp: Forest Critters, for ages 4-5, from 8:45-11:45 a.m. Little explorers will investigate the wild creatures who call the region home and learn more about animals by asking questions and seeing them in their surroundings.
  • Forest Camp: Forest Critters, for ages 6-7, 8:45 a.m.-3:45 p.m. Children will learn about local wildlife and their habitats and find out the answers to questions about how they grow, what they eat and how they get around.
  • Eco Camp: Water Adventures, for ages 8-9, 8:45-3:45 p.m. Campers will find out what the lakes and streams in Southern Illinois are all about as they paddle, swim, fish and play water games all the while learning about life in Little Grassy Lake and nearby creeks.
  • Adventure Camp: X-Treme Outdoors, for ages 10-12. Children enjoy a real Touch of Nature adventure experience as they hike, canoe, kayak, go rock climbing, do the high ropes challenge course, zip line and have fun and adventures.
  • Underway Camp: SUP Overnight Camp, for ages 13-16. Teens enjoy camping, paddleboarding, backcountry cooking, portage and other adventures at a variety of Southern Illinois locations, including Devils Kitchen Lake, Little Grassy Lake, Panther Den Wilderness, as well as Touch of Nature.

Media opportunities June 26-July 2

  • Saluki Baseball Kids Camp – Campers ages 7-13 will be get instruction to improve all aspects of their baseball game including hitting, fielding and pitching. They will hone their hitting skills at 10 a.m. on June 27 at the Richard “Itchy” Jones Stadium. Contacts are Tyler Cook at salukibaseball@siu.edu or 309-824-0488 or Jackie Welch at jackiew@siu.edu or 618-453-5672.
  • Summer Wings Aviation Camp – High school students will experience the thrill of flight firsthand via simulators and in the air, and they will learn about being a pilot and more. Media can join them on two occasions at the Transportation Education Center Flight Operations. At 2:45 p.m. June 27, they will be doing aircraft preflight inspections, and at 9:30 a.m. June 28, they will be doing preflight inspections and departing on local area flights. Contact Lorelei Ruiz at lemiller@siu.edu or 618-319-2440 or Steve Goetz at sgoetz@siu.edu or 618-997-5640.
  • Drawing Comic Books – Campers will create their own storyline, characters, and drawings to make and bind handmade comic books using pencils, markers, colored pencils and assemble with sewn binding. Media are welcome at the Craft Shop paint bar in the Student Center from 9 to 10:30 a.m. (for grades 1-3) or 2-3:30 p.m. (for grades 4-8) June 30 as the campers will be completing their comic books. Contact Stephanie Dukat at 618-453-3636 or stephaniedukat@siu.edu or Jackie Welch at 618-453-5672 or jackiew@siu.edu.

Media opportunities July 3-9

  • Junior Aviator I (pilots/aviation careers) – Children in grades 4-5 get a chance to learn all about careers in aviation, as they enjoy hands-on activities, mini-fieldtrips and more, 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. Campers will be touring the facilities and doing preflight inspections at 2:15 p.m. July 5, and they will be rotating among a variety of engaging activities including Truflight simulators, working on sectional charts and more at 2 p.m. July 7. All activities will occur in the center’s multipurpose room. Contacts are Lorelei Ruiz, 618-319-2440 and lemiller@siu.edu or Steve Goetz at 618-997-5640 and sgoetz@siu.edu.

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.