Campers learn how to safely extinguish a fire [Photo courtesy of USF Office of Youth Experiences]
By Paul Guzzo, University Communications and Marketing
This summer, thousands of young summer campers diving into hands-on programs such as robotics, culinary arts, archaeology, LEGO engineering, Esports, filmmaking, hospitality and more will take over the University of South Florida.
High school students can even stay overnight on the Tampa or St. Petersburg campuses during select weeks, turning their camp experience into a mini college preview.
These programs are part of USF’s record-breaking lineup of 56 week-long educational summer camps, running June 2-Aug. 2. More than 2,500 students in grades two through 12 are expected to attend.
That’s double last summer’s participation.
“The growth in our program is largely due to the expanding partnerships we’ve established across the university, leading to new camp programs,” said Caryn Preston, assistant director of USF’s Office of Youth Experiences, which oversees the summer camp program. “Then, as more people learn about the exciting opportunities we offer, interest continues to rise. To meet this increasing demand, we’ve also added more sessions to certain camps. Many students are eager to spend their summer exploring potential career paths and discovering what they might want to pursue in the future.”
High schoolers make their own movie as part of USF's summer film camp [Photo courtesy of USF Office of Youth Experiences]
USF’s Office of Youth Experiences has added several new camps this year. The Brick-by-Brick Robotics Camp introduces young learners in third through fifth grades to the exciting world of robotics and engineering using the LEGO© Spike Prime system. The Archaeology + Art Camp allows middle schoolers to explore history through hands-on archaeology and creative art projects.
High school students will gain experience in the hospitality industry through the new Wyndham Hospitality Experience camp, which takes place at the Wyndham Grand Clearwater Beach hotel.
“They’ll be in the kitchen, learn about accounting, housekeeping, sales, revenue management, set and prep a banquet, and learn to run their own big event,” said resort general manager Seth McDaniels.
Faculty from USF’s School of Hospitality and Tourism Management will also make presentations on the industry and discuss how the university can further prepare them for a career.
The JGHC Summer Scholars Institute Mock Trial Intensive camp is offered on the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus [Photo courtesy of USF Office of Youth Experiences]
“We owe it as hospitality leaders to make sure that we’re out there creating awareness for younger people and understanding how much fun it really is and how great of a career it is,” McDaniels said.
Also in its inaugural summer, Camp Bullseye, in collaboration with the city of St. Petersburg, offers middle schoolers hands-on experiences in marine science, entrepreneurship and digital marketing through on- and off-campus pursuits.
“They will get to do really cool St. Pete-themed activities like taking an art tour of the city,” Preston said.
Camp Bullseye students can also stay overnight at Ibis Hall on the St. Petersburg campus, providing the opportunity for more field trips into the city.
“The city of St. Petersburg is proud to support Camp Bullseye and their efforts to equip St. Pete’s next generation with the skills and knowledge to drive innovation and sustainability in our community,” Mayor Kenneth T. Welch said. “In alignment with our ‘Education & Youth Opportunities’ Pillar for Progress, the city of St. Petersburg looks forward to this continued partnership with the University of South Florida.”
Summer camps back by popular demand include Everyone Can Code on the Tampa and St. Petersburg campuses, Esports on the Tampa campus and the JGHC Summer Scholars Institute Mock Trial Intensive on the Sarasota-Manatee campus.
During Everyone Can Code, fourth–sixth graders explore the world of Minecraft, robotics, and, of course, coding. The Esports camp helps middle and high schoolers elevate their gaming skills, while the Mock Trial Intensive, also for high schoolers, dives into court proceedings, essential legal knowledge and critical thinking skills.
Campers learn proper CPR [Photo courtesy of USF Office of Youth Experiences]
One of the unique summer programs is the emergency management-themed camp on the Tampa campus. Led by experts from the U.S. Coast Guard, USF Police Department, Medical Response Unit, Office of Emergency Management, Campus Recreation and Hillsborough Fire Rescue, campers learn essential first aid, map out evacuation plans and master advanced disaster response strategies – all while applying them to an exciting and fictitious zombie survival scenario.
“This is a different take on last summer’s Bulls Disaster Camp that was hurricane-themed,” Preston said. “We wanted to come up with something even more creative for this summer. So, we thought we’d teach the kids about things like CPR and how to become a police officer and incorporate the lessons into humans vs. zombie games.”
Regardless of which Tampa campus camp they choose, all high schoolers during select weeks can spend four nights in Juniper-Poplar Hall as part of the new Rocky’s Residents program.
“It’s like sleep-away camp, but during the day they’re going to different camps, and in the evening, all of those campers all across campus gather together for fun activities on- and off-campus,” Preston said. “One night they’ll do moonlight canoeing, and another they’ll explore the Marshall Center.”
USF also offers summer camps focused on filmmaking, creative writing, photography, cybersecurity, music, bioengineering, finance and more.
“There are so many programs,” Preston said. “USF is not just a place behind a fence that is inaccessible to the public. We are part of the community. These summer camps provide kids with a place to learn and have fun while spending time with USF.”
Click here for a full list of camps, dates and signup information