Summer camps hosted by the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas provide unique and enriching experiences for local children and teens. These camps cover a wide range of majors within the college, offering students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in their fields of study while also providing campers with memorable experiences, new skills, and the chance to make new friends.
One of the camps hosted by the Department of Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy’s Speech and Hearing Clinic was an Olympic-themed summer camp. Led by faculty member Stephanie Hicks, campers engaged in speech, language, and literacy activities centered around the Olympic Games in Paris. Camp attendees even had the opportunity to meet Olympic gold medalists, such as Razorback gymnastics head coach Jordyn Wieber and assistant coach Kyla Ross, who shared insights on training for the Olympics. Graduate student Bailey Standridge, who assisted Hicks during the camp, highlighted the valuable experience gained by working with a diverse group of clients with varying goals.
The Augmentative and Alternative Communication Lab (AAC) introduced a new camp experience for children who are AAC users or candidates. This three-week camp paired AAC users with non-AAC user peers for a STEM-themed experience. The camp culminated in a field trip to the Physics Department for interactive experiments. AAC Lab co-directors Elizabeth Lorah and Christine Holyfield, along with graduate and undergraduate students, facilitated the camp, providing children with the opportunity to improve their communication skills using AAC devices. The camp was made possible through the College of Education and Health Professions‘ WE CARE funding, offering children like Hayley Hames‘ son a summer camp experience tailored to their needs.
The College of Education and Health Professions‘ Clinic for Literacy hosted its annual Literacy Camp, where Master of Arts in Teaching candidates worked with children in grades K-5 on reading intervention and non-fiction comprehension lessons. The camp also included museum-inspired animal research projects, allowing students to develop final non-fiction texts or posters based on their research. Additionally, a new Middle Grades Storytelling Camp was introduced for students entering grades 5-8, focusing on visual storytelling and comic book creation inspired by museum collections.
The Young Writer’s Camp, sponsored by the Northwest Arkansas Writing Project, returned to various locations in Northwest Arkansas, including the U of A campus. Northwest Arkansas teachers led the camp, which catered to students in second through 11th grades, offering opportunities for creative and academic writing. Campers also had the chance to interact with UAPD K-9 handlers and Razorback student-athletes, further enriching their camp experience.
Overall, the summer camps hosted by the College of Education and Health Professions at the University of Arkansas provide a diverse range of experiences for campers, from engaging in speech and literacy activities to exploring STEM concepts and honing their writing skills. These camps not only offer valuable learning opportunities for students in the college’s programs but also create memorable and enriching experiences for local children and teens.