Summer camps offer youth a university experience

Looking for an engaging and educational way for your child to spend the summer? Look no further. FIU will host a variety of summer camps this year, with themes ranging from engineering and science to art and sports.

Panther Summer Music Camp @ MMC

At Panther Summer Music Camp, students entering grades 6 through 9, regardless of musical background, will have the opportunity to develop their vocal and instrumental skills by participating in small and large ensembles, ending with a performance at the Herbert and Nicole Wertheim Performing Center Concert Hall.

Growlight: Design Discovery @ South Beach

Hosted by the School of Architecture at FIU’s Miami Beach Urban Studios, DD@SoBe is an intense introduction to architecture and related design disciplines, like landscape and interior architecture, for high schools students interested in studying architecture in college.

The program helps students improve their design technique and problem-solving skills through studio work, drawing, lectures and field trips. Throughout the program, students will work with design faculty to develop a project that will become part of the application portfolio all design programs require of applicants.

DD@SoBe will be held June 8 through June 19. The program is limited to 30 students, and tuition is $545, but a limited number of scholarships are available for students who qualify.

Application deadline: April 27. For more information, click here or contact David Rifkind at david.rifkind@fiu.edu.

Miami PREP Summer STEM Program @ FIU Engineering Center

The Miami PREP Summer STEM Program gives students the opportunity to develop their science, technology, engineering and math skills through both applied and theoretical training.

During the five-week camp, students will participate in hands-on activities that address STEM-related topics, such as robotics, coding, circuit building, aerodynamics, transportation issues and bridge construction, and they will also have time for outdoor recreation and physical education.

Miami PREP is open to students entering grades 4 through 12 and will be held at the Engineering Center from June 29 to July 31. The program costs $125 per week, but a limited number of scholarships and stipends are available for students who qualify.

Application deadline: May 8. For more information, click here or call (305) 348-3690.

EcoAcademy @ BBC

At the EcoAcademy, hosted by the School of Environment, Arts and Society, students have the chance to explore a range of ecological issues, including sea level rise, South Florida’s ecosystems, recycling and more.

During the month-long camp, which takes place July 6 through July 31, students will participate in hands-on activities like dissections and crafting with recyclables, as well as outdoor recreation and snorkeling.

The EcoAcademy is open to children ages 6 to 14 and will be held at the Biscayne Bay Campus from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Tuition is $225 per week. Pre-care, from 8 a.m., and post-care, to 6 p.m., is available for an additional $25 per week.

For more information, click here or call Nick Ogle at (305) 919-5568.

Center for Children and Families @ MMC

Beginning June 15, the Center for Children and Families will host its nationally recognized Summer Treatment Program, open to children entering Pre-K through 11^th grade who have been diagnosed with ADHD or who have emotional, behavioral or learning disabilities.

The eight-week, therapeutic day camp combines individual and group treatment plans, which are implemented by trained paraprofessionals under the supervision of senior staff members.

Interested families may also be eligible to participate in a research study conducted by CCF psychologists who are studying possible effects of ADHD medication and whether taking weekend breaks helps with effectiveness over time.

Participating children will receive behavioral treatment and be given a controlled test of medication during the program. These children will also be followed the next school year by CCF clinical staff to monitor their progress.

Enrollment in the Summer Treatment Program is underway. Fees are determined based on family income using a sliding scale. For more information, click here or call (305) 348-0477.

Sports Summer Camps @ MMC

Football

Hosted by a coach with 36 years of experience, including 12 seasons in the NFL, Coach Ron Turner’s football camp offers high school students the opportunity to work with college- and pro-level coaching techniques to develop their athletic abilities.

A total of five one-day camps will be hosted in the months of June and July at the FIU Stadium. Two additional camps will be held at the Jacksonville Jaguars Facility in Jacksonville and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Facility in Tampa.

A $10 discount is offered to those who pre-register, up to two weeks before each camp. For more information, click here or call (305) 348-4150.

Soccer

The Golden Panther Soccer Academy offers high school athletes the chance to develop fundamental soccer skills through drills and organized games between campers.

GPS camps are held at the FIU Soccer Complex. For more information, click here or email Thomas Chestnutt at Thomas.Chestnutt@fiu.edu.

Baseball

Turtle Thomas Baseball Camps help youth below grade 9 develop fundamental baseball skills under the supervision of FIU’s coaches and current team members, as well as some of the top high school and college coaches in the area.

Camps are held at the FIU Baseball Stadium. For more information, click here or call (305) 348-7403.

Other sports camps have yet to be confirmed, but the university expects to host boys’ basketball and volleyball and girls’ basketball and softball again this year. For more information and to check for updates, click here.