WSU Summer Camps Plant Seeds of Learning

OGDEN, Utah – Youth from across Utah have the opportunity to spend summer learning skills, sports and technology as Weber State University offers a wide range of summer camps, including filmmaking, computer design, 3-D printing for medical purposes, leadership and sports.

YMCA of Northern Utah is also partnering with Weber State to offer specialty summer day camps to children and teens focused specifically on science, technology, engineering and math, while also including outdoor adventure and art. Weber State provides facilities, as well as faculty and student volunteers, in order to help YMCA offer the camps to a broad segment of community youth.

“We never turn anyone away for their inability to pay,” said Jill Wood, YMCA camp director. “This partnership embraces the idea of community and the role the university plays as a pillar in the community and as an integral part of strengthening the community.”

Weber State's director for Science and Mathematics in the College of Science, Jennifer Claesgens, said 140 youth are signed up this year, an increase of more than 50 percent from 2016, the inaugural year.

"The partnership with the YMCA of Northern Utah allows us to extend a great big welcome to families in our community to come to Weber State," Claesgens said. "And on a more personal level, filling the campus with the sound of excited student voices engaged in STEM camps in the summer is one of my dreams."

WSU's summer camps begin in June and run through August. They vary in length from a few hours to all summer, depending on the subject.

“Our summer camps are a chance to reach beyond the campus and engage with the community,” said Brian Stecklein, Continuing Education associate dean. “In addition to filling their summer with fun learning activities, youth are able to familiarize themselves with the campus and feel like it is someplace they would want to be someday.”

WSU’s Division of Continuing Education collaborates with departments across campus to offer compelling topics that will enhance students’ success as they progress in their education.

Camps are designed for specific age groups from 5 to 18. The number of participants is limited, so there is plenty of opportunity for hands-on learning. Some of the camps are offered annually, such as the individual sports camps offered through athletics, others, such as The Art & Science of Metalwork, are offered occasionally.

“Though we have some camps that will return every summer, others are more unique in their content and will change on a year-to-year basis,” Stecklein said. “Our hope is that maybe some young student will attend a camp and say ‘This is fun. I would want to study this.’ It’s an opportunity to learn something new.”

Registration for all camps is open, and prices vary.  Visit weber.edu/summercamps for a list of summer camps and registration information.

For more information about the YMCA camps at Weber State, visit ymcautah.org/summerdaycamp/webercounty/wsu.

Visit weber.edu/wsutoday for more news about Weber State University.

For photos, visit the following links:

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Contact:

Charles Elzinga, Continuing Education program administrator
801-626-7920 • charleselzinga@weber.edu

Jill Wood, YMCA camp director
801-839-3386 • jwood@YMCAutah.org

Author:

Charles Bowker, Office of Marketing & Communications
801-626-7295 • charlesbowker@weber.edu