Hands-on creative, athletics experiences geared for middle, high school students
By Abbey Goers, UW Stout
This summer, middle and high school students can discover exciting career paths in science, technology, engineering, and art and design, while nurturing creativity and critical thinking skills or improve their athletic skills at a variety of youth camps led by University of Wisconsin-Stout faculty and coaches.
Children can ignite their curiosity, creativity and passion for learning in a supportive and engaging environment with opportunities at the popular Summer STEAM and Junior STEAM camps, as well as two new camps in Video Game Development and Theatre, and several sports and recreation camps.
Registration is open for STEAM. Registration will open soon for UW-Stout Athletics youth sports camps and Stout Adventures’ Youth Climbing League.
Junior STEAM Experience
Junior STEAM Experience, for students entering grades six to eight, offers two sessions:
Exploration Camp, Sunday, June 16, to Thursday, June 20: Campers will embark on an all-in-one experience through various STEAM disciplines, including 3D Printing, unravel the mysteries of Genetics/DNA Analysis, delve into the world of Unhackable Quantum Codes, and unleash their creativity in Video Production and Video Game Design. They’ll also gain team building skills conquering the outdoor Challenge Course.
A series of specialized camps, Sunday, July 7, to Thursday, July 11: Campers can dive deeper into the subjects that interest them most, including Chain Making, Fashion Design Drawing, Storytelling and Video Production.
Summer STEAM Experience
Summer STEAM Experience offers a diverse array of weeklong sessions in June for students entering grades nine to twelve, designed to engage and provide hands-on learning experiences. Activities and a college student panel will provide experiences that highlight the value of creative and critical thinking.
Students can choose from 10 unique tracks in a variety of STEAM disciplines.
Sunday, June 9, to Thursday, June 13:
Graphic Design and Printmaking: Students will explore graphic styles, typography design and how to print designs using ink and hand presses. They will create their own plant/letter poster and participate in a print exchange with campmates.
Metal Work: Explore the unique medium of enameling. Students will create a variety of 2D and 3D works as they learn techniques for using powdered and liquid enamel, including stenciling, drawing, painting, photo decal and raku pottery.
Roleplaying, Worldbuilding and Storytelling: Storytelling and imaginative play go hand-in-hand. Students will create characters, sketch stories and build worlds. Participants will create a variety of written works for their creative portfolios.
Video Production: Learn to make a movie, from scriptwriting to production to editing to the big screen. Students will use industry-standard software and prepare a final film for screening in UW-Stout’s historic Harvey Hall Theatre.
Sunday, June 23, to Thursday, June 27:
Acting: Explore new performance avenues by learning to develop characters and theatre techniques, comedy improvisational skills and stage combat techniques.
Fashion Drawing and Draping: Students will bring their fashion designs to life by learning to sketch professional fashion figures and then translate their sketches to fabric on a 3D form. Students will showcase their designs at the end of the week.
Microbiology: Genetics and DNA Analysis: Discover the world of molecular biology and how scientists solve problems with DNA – from population studies to forensic identification to medical screening.
Video Game Design: Students can level up their skills and learn the end-to-end process of creating video games using professional techniques and tools. Students will play-test their games with the class, family and friends at the end of the week.
Friday, June 21, One-Day Theater Experience: Experience a play in a day from brainstorming ideas to creating a production.
Sunday, July 14, to Thursday, July 18, Video Game Development: Students will bring their game ideas to life and dive into coding, creative writing, game design and concept art.
Cost is $495 for overnight campers, who’ll stay in the residence halls; and $345 for day campers. Menomonie and Chippewa Falls students’ cost is covered by their district, and scholarships are available for others as well. Contact Continuing Education for more information.
The STEAM programs are sponsored by the Menomonie and Chippewa Falls school districts, Parker, OEM Fabricators and Delta Fastener in partnership with Continuing Education and Conferences.
Sports and activities
Athletics offers multiple summer sports camps led by university coaches, staff and student athletes. Camps include basketball, football, gymnastics, soccer, softball, track, volleyball and dance.
Youth Climbing League offers introductory activities, designed to empower kids ages 6 to 12. Experienced instructors lead activities for all skill levels. Two sessions will be held from Tuesday, June 11, to Wednesday, July 17; and Tuesday, July 23, to Wednesday, Aug. 21.
Continuing Education and Conferences is a unit of Educational Pathways and Outreach. It provides adult learners and youth access to education and resources for personal and professional enrichment through conferences and workshops, credentialing, youth camps and more.
UW-Stout is Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, with a focus on applied learning, collaboration with business and industry, and career outcomes. Learn more via the FOCUS2030 strategic plan.
