Youth camps enliven a quiet ECU summer

Hundreds of children from the surrounding community will visit East Carolina University this summer in order to participate in camp programs hosted by several departments on-campus.

Youth ages 5 and up will gain skills in music, science, athletics and more, all while having fun and getting a feel for campus life.

Already, camp participants have solved a dog-napping mystery using crime scene investigation techniques, performed a band concert for family and friends and worked together to complete the ECU Challenge Course.

There are still plenty of opportunities to see these camps in action. A list of upcoming events that may be of interest to reporters and photographers follows:

– Summer Science Camp – July 7-11, July 14-18 – Involves children in grades second through eighth. Kids will be exploring Secret Formulas, aerodynamics, Endangered Animals, Elementary Engineering, Wild Things, Ocean Explorers, DigiComp Computation, crime scene investigation, space and robotics. Two sessions for three age groups are held daily.

– Campus Recreation and Wellness Summer Youth Camps – July 7- 11, July 14- 18. July 21- 25 – Involves children ages 5 to 8. Campers will be discovering dinosaurs, mammals, bugs and birds, planets, stars and the universe, oceans, lakes and ponds and the world of plants. Children ages 8 to 12 will participate in activities including swimming, rock climbing, bowling, sports activities, challenge course and field trips.

– Summer Drama Camp – July 28-Aug. 2 – Involves children in kindergarten through high school. Will feature storybook theater, puppetry, improvisation, musical theater and acting. “Share Day” is Saturday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to noon.

– PIRATES (Partnering with Industrial and Regional Assets for Teaching and Enrichment in Science) – June 22-July 7, and July 9-18 – Targets rising high school juniors and seniors from the counties of Beaufort, Martin and Greene. A majority of the campers are female and minority students typically underrepresented in fields of science and technology. The two-week, overnight camp provides students with hands-on learning. Campers attend at no cost, and the program is funded by a grant from the Burroughs-Wellcome Fund Student Science Enrichment program.

For more information about these camps, or to schedule an on-site visit, call the East Carolina University News Bureau at 252-328-6481.