In the summertime, UNC Greensboro buzzes with the happy squeals of kids swimming in Piney Lake, the thud of basketballs echoing off the hardwood, the swoosh of paintbrushes upon canvases, and lively musical beats filtering down studio hallways.
As most Spartans head home for their well-earned break between semesters, UNCG’s faculty and staff open their classrooms and workspaces to children from the community with summer camps satisfying a range of personalities and interests. Some kids want to refine their athletic prowess before their next season or find inspiration with expert artists. Others with medical conditions that make a traditional camp a challenge find a sense of belonging thanks to activities led by graduate students who are experts in their field of care.
No matter which experience brings them to UNCG, campers leave with smiles and a sense of fulfillment to carry them through the rest of their year.
Maestros in the Making
Music Camp
This immensely popular camp attracts roughly 1,600 high schoolers skilled in all kinds of instruments. The emerging artists get to practice alongside distinguished professors and conductors from UNCG in a weeklong session, closing out with a performance for families and community members. Programs will center on band, chorus, orchestra, and piano, and they can sign up for beginner-, junior-, and senior-level sessions.
Summer Arts and Design Intensive
Up to 100 teens may take part in a week-long residency where faculty-led studios combine lessons in traditional art techniques with contemporary experimentation. Campers can experiment with various art forms. They will hear artist talks, visit galleries, and attend a career seminar. At the end of the residency, they’ll host their own student art exhibition at the Maud Gatewood Studio Arts Center.
New this year, the School of Art and Department of Media Studies will provide a filmmaking class. Other art forms include drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, photography, animation, and graphic design.
“I grew up in a rural area where musical opportunities were limited, so I truly treasured my summers at camp. Those experiences helped to shape my love of music, and they’re a big part of why this work means so much to me today.”
— Emily Scotton ’06, former Music Camp participant, now associate director
See the incredible talent on display.
Tech and Science Savviness
Esports and STEM Camp
The Esports and Gaming Summer Camps are for children ages 8–17. Over five days, campers will get tech-driven STEM education by instructors from Black Rocket. Each attendee can focus on two major subjects — one in the morning and one in the afternoon — with plenty of time allotted for gameplay and friendly competitions.
Global Leaders Academic Exploration Program
This camp, hosted by the Global Engagement Office, is all about raising the next generation of leaders. High school students will join interactive workshops and complete projects about leadership, personal growth, foreign language, and global awareness. Field trips to museums, movie theaters, bowling alleys, and more ensure they get their fill of educational fun.
The camp is also open to international students, who will enjoy an extended stay to immerse themselves in United States culture and work on their English-speaking skills. In the second week, they join domestic students to gain a deeper understanding of one another.
Technovation 4 Good
Rising high school sophomores through seniors develop key technological skills that will serve them in the long term. Led by the Department of Information Systems and Supply Chain Management, campers get hands-on lessons in programming, cybersecurity, data analytics, mobile app development, the Internet of Things, sustainability, and analytics.
“It’s not an opportunity every student gets…. I was thinking, ‘Do I want to go into the tech field?’ Now I’m helping more students feel comfortable with that decision.”
— Ashley Mejia, Technology4Good former participant and residential leader
Hear what more previous campers took away from the experience.
ExPlorers
In a week with ExPlorers, high school students build their knowledge of phosphorus sustainability in North Carolina. They observe and work with innovative technology, including 3D-printing, conduct their own interactive experiments and problem-based learning, and take field trips to learn more about agriculture. They also see how STEM comes into play every day in industries, the government, and global communities.
Scoring Goals for the Game and Sportsmanship
Soccer? Baseball? Basketball? Softball? What sport puts a smile on your child’s face? They’ll learn more about it at the G. Spartan coaches and team staff hold these camps for kids to hone their skills and work up a sweat. They form a healthy athletic outlook that will benefit them in the game and the game of life.
Sign up for a camp or clinic.
A ‘CHANCE’ of a Lifetime
The highly popular CHANCE Camp combines rolls a sample of the college experience into the fun and games. With activities centered on academic success and personal growth, it encourages high school students to pursue a college degree by showing that it is well within their reach. The weeklong experience links them with mentors and teaches them about leadership, empowering them to make an impact in their communities.
Extending the Camp Experience to Everyone
In keeping with UNCG’s mission to enrich the community and serve those most in need, some of its programs ensure that all kids enjoy summer camp, especially those with disabilities or medical challenges. These come together thanks to the dedicated work of faculty and their graduate students.
“Kids are getting to do the same things that kids at other camps are doing, like swimming, yoga, playing, and yet they’re still working on skill-building and they’re having fun while doing it.”
— Dr. Lisa Fox-Thomas, Assistant Director, Speech and Hearing Center
Camp Speakalot
This free camp is tailored specifically to children with stutters. They will take part in all the staples of summer camps: hiking, art, games, and water activities at Piney Lake. This camp is also part of the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders’ research study of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, so the participants will receive special attention from certified speech-language pathologists and graduate clinicians.
Listening Lab
The Listening Lab turns 10 years old this year. Thanks to the UNCG Speech and Hearing Center, elementary-aged children with auditory processing disorders get to enjoy engagement with professionals and their peers. They rotate between listening stations and receive group and one-on-one training, alongside speech-language intervention and emotional regulation strategies.
Hear more from families about what makes this camp different.
Dream Camp
UNCG’s Psychology Clinic hosts Dream Camp every year, a summer day camp for children with social skills and friendship challenges, including — but not limited to — autism spectrum disorder. In between arts and crafts, musical performances, and sports, the campers practice communication and coping skills and emotional awareness while gaining socialization experience with one another. Adolescents will receive appropriate life skills training.
Story by Janet Imrick, University Communications
Photography by Sean Norona and David Lee Row, University Communications
Video by David Lee Row, University Communications
