TAMPA, Fla. (Jan. 30, 2024) – The University of South Florida will offer more than 40 educational youth summer camps, including new camps focusing on business, technology, athletics, medicine, science and law. Registration opens Feb. 1, and many are expected to sell out within days.
New summer camps for 2024 include Bulls Disaster Camp, in which teens and first responders from local agencies will triage a mock disaster; and Justice Quest: Criminology Summer Camp, in which campers will explore actual criminal cases, diving into criminal intent and the legal system. Other camps include the Biomedical Engineering Camp, Tampa Theatre Film Camp, Everyone Can Code, Music Tech Lab, Middle and High School Drone Camps, and cybersecurity camps for elementary, middle and high school levels.
There are more than 1,400 spaces available in a full range of camp sessions, offered between June 3 and August 2. Program durations range from two to six days, including half-day and full-day sessions, with camps hosted on the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Sarasota-Manatee campuses. Most are day camps, but a few, such as USF Youth Venture, are residential camps offering campers the opportunity to experience USF student dorm life for a few days. Prices vary from $350 to $2,000, depending on the duration of the program and its features.
“The USF Youth Experiences team is very excited for this year’s lineup of dynamic, educational camps designed to captivate K-12 students during the summer months,” said Caryn Preston, assistant director of the Office of Youth Experiences, which coordinates camps.
In addition to fun and friendship, campers will be able to explore a variety of potential career paths that they may not have encountered.
“We’re introducing them to disciplines such as coding, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship, medicine, engineering, digital music and education – subjects brought to life through interactive experiences, expanding the horizons of students who may not have encountered these subjects in their regular school curriculum,” Preston said.
Beyond expanding horizons, the hands-on nature of the camps promotes critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration – skills that will benefit students academically and professionally.
Additionally, USF is home to a variety of summer sports camps including football, baseball, soccer, volleyball and many others. Information on all USF camps and other youth programming can be found on the USF Youth Experiences website.
About USF’s Office of Youth Experiences:
USF’s Office of Youth Experiences is a division of USF Lifelong Learning, under the leadership of Eric Eisenberg, senior vice president for the Office of University Community Partnerships. The Office of Youth Experiences works to connect the broader Tampa Bay community to colleges, programs and people of USF through summer camps, field trips, community events, guest speakers, educator professional development and curriculum support. With a commitment to fostering lifelong learning, Youth Experiences offers a diverse array of programs, spanning various disciplines and catering to a wide range of interests. From Bulls Family Fest to Rocky’s Run 5K to enriching summer camps, Youth Experiences offers a variety of family-friendly activities that encourage knowledge, exploration and growth.
Check out this highlight reel from 2023 summer camps: