Summer Opportunities for Students
Following are a number of summer programs that may appeal to students with a variety of interests and needs.
Summer Opportunities for Students in Lincoln
Bright Lights: Serving elementary and middle school students in Lincoln, Bright Lights offers hands-on summer learning adventures in a variety of topics in half-day or full-day formats for a week. Educational activities are provided in intensive, three-hour blocks of time, allowing studnets to pursue focused interests beyond the school classroom. Most sessions will be offered at Randolph Elementary School, and buses are available from some school sites. Career camps exist for middle school students. Need-based scholarships are available. Registration begins April 1; application forms and registration are online.
Economics Is Everywhere! Camp: Hosted by the UNL Center for Economic Education, this camp is open to students who are post-6th to post-8th grades. The Economics camps takes students on a one-week journey into the excitig world of economics as it relates to personal spending and investing, the business of movies, government, the global economy, and sports. Each day includes an array of activities, speakers and field trips designed to increase understanding of how economics touches our lives. The $200 fee includes field trips, materials, lunches, snacks, and a t-shirt. Contact Dr. Tammie Fischer, Director, UNL Center for Economic Education, 472-2333, tfischer1@unl.edu.
4-H Summer Camps and Trips: Whether students want to learn robotics, camping skills, kayaking, 4-H has a camp for it. With such diverse offerings as Aquatic Skills, Boldly Bound & Beyond (zip lines, high wires, climbing walls, and more), Sky’s the Limit (which includes a night spent at the Strategic Air Command Museum), Veterinary Science, and Outdoor Skills, students are likely to find something appealing that will enable them to spend time outdoors while learning skills. Nebraska 4-H camps are located in Gretna Halsey, and Alma; the 4-H summer programs are open to all youth, whether they are members of 4-H or not. Sessions begin in mid-June, and they are ongoing through mid-August. Camps range in length from 3 to 7 days depending upon the age of the child (ages 5-18). For more information, call 402-472-1710 or visit the web site. For older students, volunteer positions exist.
Advanced Scholars Program: High School students are are interested in taking online college courses over the summer have an online option through the Advanced Scholars Program at UNL. Students have the opportunity to learn from outstanding UNL faculty, gain college credit prior to arriving on campus and “preview” the college experience—all at a reduced tuition rate of $300 per 3-credit course. This summer’s offerings include Introduction to Sociology and Fundamentals in Communication. Both would serve as general education courses for university study. Courses begin May 17 and end July 9.
The Strategic Air and Space Museum has an opportunity to provide some fun, educational summer camps for your students. Visit the website for more info at www.SASMuseum.com under “Education.”
- Weekend Flight Camp:
Clear the runway for takeoff as you jet into the greatest camp experience available for the aspiring aviator! You’ll get to fly in a real single-engine aircraft! - Mad Scientist Academy:
Get in on the secrets of how the world works. You’ll be blown away by what you find! - Resident Flight Camp:
Soar into excitement with aviator challenges and experience a breathtaking adventure in a high-flying private jet! - Astronaut Academy:
Get your astronaut training! SCUBA diving, robotics lab, observatory, planetarium, and ropes challenge course!
In addition to these camps, check out the Parent Handbook (top link on the Parent Newsletter Archive page), chapter 6 for many more summer opportunities; they are divided by those that are in Lincoln, near Lincoln, in Nebraska, near Nebraska, and across the nation.
UNL also has a terrific web site with a variety of opportunities (not all limited to summer) that you might find to be the perfect match for your child.
Summer Opportunities for Students In Nebraska
The Ad Astra program offers gifted youth in post-6th to 8th grades a week-long introduction to stimulating academic-based classes and social activities not usually encountered in the middle school experience.
CEENBoT Robot Training: Two levels of robotics training are available this year, with beginners starting July 11. Those who have already had training begin July 12. Classes run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and registration (for either one or two people) is $250. Classes are held at ESU 3, 6949 S. 110th Street, Omaha. Direct questions to negifted@gmail.com or see CEENBoT Registration July 11, 12, 2013.
Nebraska Scholars Academy: Held at Hastings College, this academic week-long summer camp is open to students in Nebraska who will be in the eighth grade in fall. The curricular offerings are designed to provide high ability students challenging and enriching opportunities in communications, mathematics,
or science. Students must qualify. The cost in 2005 was $425. For more information, contact Linda Engel, 402-644-2500
or Rich Lloyd, 402-461-7360.
The Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival (formerly the Wind on the Buffalo Grass Summer Enrichment Camps) workshops are free and open to the public, but seating is limited. Please call the Mid-Plains Center for Enterprise at 308-345-8122 or email CFEMcCook@mpcc.edu to register for these offerings.
The Peter Kiewit Insitute hosts an annual week-long Academy of Excellence that is designed to bring the brightest and most promising high school sophomores to Omaha for hands-on exploration of information science, technology and engineering disciplines. Each student selected ias asked to invite their favorite math or science teacher to join them in order to attend the Academy. The only cost associated with attending the Academy of Excellence is transportation to and from The Peter Kiewit Institute. For more information contact The Peter Kiewit Institute at (402) 554-3333.
The Central Honors Institute (CHI) is held at Central Community College on its Columbus Campus in Columbus. CHI is a one-week residential academic camp for Nebraska students who have completed the sixth or seventh grades and have demonstrated academic accomplishments, leadership and maturity among their peers. Students must complete an application and submit a recommendation from a recent teacher or counselor to be eligible to attend the camp. CHI campers attend classes during the day, socialize with peers in the evenings and experience life on a community college campus, complete with dorm food and residence halls.