Summer camps spread enthusiasm across campus

How do parents introduce their children to what might become their dreams? It isn’t rocket science—though just maybe it could be.

This year’s Purdue University Fort Wayne summer camp programs offer 79 options for kids ages 2–17 to explore. Almost anything children can imagine can be investigated in the safe environment of Fort Wayne’s premier campus, guided by faculty and students who already have passions they love sharing. It’s even possible to study more than one option at a time. More than 2,500 children are creating lifetime possibilities and meeting new friends with similar interests in the weeks ahead. 

But what are some of those possibilities? Every idea fits somewhere. Students might become future scientists, engineers, computer programmers, artists, poets, pianists, architects, physicists, writers, actors, musicians, athletes, singers, dancers, photographers, ceramic artists, or robot builders. And that’s not the entire list. 

They might even be learning antique bookbinding in Helmke Library under the instruction of Emily Tok, information services and instruction librarian. As part of the first College of Liberal Arts camp, students said their finished 125-page products would become dairies, notebooks, sketchpads, or even a Father’s Day gift.

Along with learning from the past, there are plenty of ways to look to the future. Some of the options are the ETCS Summer Exploration and Community Arts Academy camps.

One of the longest summer programs on campus—21 years— the Appleseed Writing Project has endeavored to inspire the next generation of creators to become writers of music, electronic games, stories, videos, movies, TV shows, poetry, or whatever form they choose to express themselves. Somebody has to write new ideas for Taylor Swift or Beyonce songs.

“You should write whatever you want to write whenever you want to write it,” said Sarah Sandman, program co-director and senior lecturer in the Department of English and Linguistics. “Every time you put something on paper and release it into the world, it matters.”

Along with Kate White, co-director and associate professor of English, Erica Anderson-Senter, limited term lecturer, and Amy Dreibelbis, camp coordinator, they are planting seeds of creativity for 13 middle and nine elementary school students with seemingly endless enthusiasm and encouragement. Throughout the week of three-hour sessions, somehow none of the students ever looked at their phones, mostly keeping their heads down in their notebooks to scribble ideas, lyrics, and parts of future stories.

The camps are a great opportunity for everyone involved to try something new. Want to indulge a secret passion for Legos, virtual reality, or dancing, or see if you can improve as a basketball, volleyball, soccer, or baseball player? Lace ’em up and let’s go!

After a long academic year, it’s as if the campus needed a refreshing breeze of energy to start over with youthful inspiration. From beginners to accomplished prodigies, the only things more plentiful around campus last week than the tons of snacks, reward stickers, and compliments were the smiles and laughter.

Isn’t that what summer is supposed to be?