Summer camps go virtual

By AACC 21st Century Center Staff

Community college summer camps for kids will look different this year.

The summer is a prime time for many community colleges to reach out to K-12 students through workshops and camps. Because of the pandemic, most colleges are moving their summer experiences online.

Alaska’s Ilisagvik College has canceled its overnight summer camps, which serve “as a bridge for students to encourage them to attend college, and in particular attend Ilisagvik,” President Pearl Brower said in a CC Daily article. Usually, nearly 150 students visit the campus, and then the college connects with 100 or more students in their communities over the summer.

“This is a big number of prospective students who we won’t be connecting with this summer for future enrollment,” said Brower.

The college will offer two virtual summer camps.

In Louisiana, Bossier Parish Community College’s Camp Cavs summer program will be a little different this year. Camp Cavs will consist of a suite of virtual STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) summer camps from June to August for children ages 8 to 14.  The virtual programs are provided in a partnership with company Black Rocket.

Courses will be Monday through Friday, with a live instructor each day, small group coaching and an online learning community. Topics include video game design, coding, animation, Minecraft, Roblox, 3D modeling, esports, virtual reality and more.

Pitt Community College (PCC) is moving forward with its annual Explore! Summer Camps program, despite limitations on course content and delivery as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Normally, the North Carolina college provides a wide-ranging series of hands-on learning opportunities for children ages 6 to 18. This year’s Explore! options were reduced by social distancing measures and will meet online rather than in-person, according to PCC Explore! Camp Coordinator Lisa Webb in a press release.

“Registration is underway for our Explore! Camps, and we’re excited about the quality and variety of programs we’re able to offer this summer, considering the difficult circumstances everyone’s facing,” Webb said.

This year’s camps will fall into four categories: STEM, music, arts/creative and cooking.

Midland College in Texas canceled its 2020 Kids’ College Summer Enrichment Program due to COVID-19. But kids can still learn through virtual camps that will teach them gaming, coding, e-sports, virtual reality and more.

The college will offer 20 camps for kids ages 8 to 14.

How is your college engaging K-12 students this summer? Sound off at LinkedIn.

AACC 21st Century Center Staff

is a contributor to the 21st-Century Center.