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the colleges
Camping Out Though thousands of students continue their education on the UNO campus each summer, parking never is a problem for many of them. That’s because they can’t drive. In fact, Mom or Dad usually has to drop them off. UNO bustles with activity every summer as colleges and departments host camps and clinics for children in a variety of disciplines and activities — math, science, robotics, athletics, the arts and more. It’s a tradition with a long history. In 1938 the university hosted six weeks of study for children in grades one through six with classes in music, art, nature study, physical education and municipal government. Dubbed “Children’s School,” it featured nationally known educators as guest instructors and allowed practice teaching by university students. Cost was $10 per child. Today, the physics department stages one of UNO’s most ambitious summer camps — Aim for the Stars. Begun in 1998 with 500 participants, it attracted more than 1,700 kids ages 8 to 15 this year taking part in nine weekly camps based out of the Durham Science Center and at off-campus sites such as Heron Haven and Schramm Park. Fifty-plus staff members run the camp, loaded down with computers, cell phones and walkietalkies to make the 47 different offerings work. And it does work. “We want kids to leave here inspired,” says Connie O’Brien, Aim for the Stars director and among those who launched the program. Her staff includes UNO students with varied majors, from education to physics to music. Over at the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Building, meanwhile, the Mav Kids program for 6- to 14-year-olds attracts more than 80 kids a week during its seven-week run. Campers enjoy field trips, arts and crafts and use of HPER’s indoor rock climbing center and swimming pool. Director Lisa Medina says her staff includes three one-time campers themselves. HPER’s recent major renovation/
Camps and clinics attract thousands of children to UNO each summer
addition allows more room for Mav Kids, now in its 16th year. “Parents tell us that a lot of their kids fall asleep in cars on the way home,” Medina says. “Moms and dads are pretty happy about that.” Nearby in Sapp Fieldhouse, more than 3,000 children soaked up the advice and tutelage of Maverick coaches and players at camps for volleyball, basketball and soccer. UNO baseball ran a clinic at its home field at Boys Town. There were 2,200 volleyball campers, from first graders to whole high school teams. On the Pacific Street campus the College of Information Science and Technology (IS&T) exercises the minds of children 11 to 16 with weeklong summer workshops on tech topics like 3-D modeling, Gaming with Flash and Photoshop. These were the third Summer Workshops IS&T hosted. They’re seen as valuable community outreach. “It’s a way to showcase what we’re doing in the college and we hope it gets people excited about IT,” says Deepak Khazanchi, associate dean in the college. The newest camp at UNO also took place on the Pacific Street campus. The College of Business Administration hosted its first-ever, three-day long Girl Scout Spirit of Nebraska “Cookie University.” Fourteen Girl Scouts from across the state learned about business and personal finance. They capped their visit by visiting North Sioux City, S.D., where one of the two licensed Girl Scout Cookie Bakeries in the country is located. “It is so important to have kids on our campus,” O’Brien says. “They enjoy it so much, and their parents are just amazed to see what we have here.” — Tim Kaldahl, Associate Editor
See a list of various UNO camps at www.unomaha.edu/camps.
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