News Release

PFW Summer Camp Experiences Range from Athletics to Virtual Reality and Most Everything In Between

FORT WAYNE, Ind.—Purdue University Fort Wayne can help parents answer this question: What are my kids going to do all summer?

The answer is simple: Purdue Fort Wayne is once again offering a wide variety of camps for boys and girls of all ages and abilities.

Here is a look at what’s available with links to learn more.

Appleseed Writing Project Summer Camps

All three Appleseed youth writing camps will include the following:

Writing in a variety of genres (poetry, story writing, narratives)
Engaging activities and collaboration (choosing a topic, sustained writing time, revising, editing, publishing, and sharing)
Understanding the writing process (in a variety of writing contexts)
Learning in a supportive environment under the tutelage of experiences writing teachers (but without the concern of earning a grade)

To register, visit the Appleseed Writing Project or contact Cheri Pruitt, AWP’s Youth Camp Coordinator, at 260-710-3418 or [email protected].

Elementary Writing Camp (Students Entering Grades 4, 5, or 6)m June 10–21, 2019 (10 meetings), Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–noon
Middle School Writing Camp (Students Entering Grades 7,8, or 9), June 10–21, 2019 (10 meetings), Monday–Friday, 1–4 p.m.
High School Writing Camp (Students Entering Grades 10, 11, or 12), June 10–13 and June 17–20, 2019 (8 meetings), Monday–Thursday, 12:30–3:30 p.m.

Community Arts Academy
The Community Arts Academy, a division of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at Purdue University Fort Wayne, offers a wide range of instruction in art, music, theatre, and dance for students in grades pre-K–12 in the summer as well as throughout the school year. Call 260-481-6977 or learn about our courses.

Fort Wayne Athletics Camps and Clinics
For kids of all ages, Fort Wayne Athletics offers camps throughout the year in baseball, volleyball, basketball, and soccer. For general information, call Katie at 260-481-5445 or visit Fort Wayne Athletics.

Niecee Nelson Basketball Camps: Learn more about basketball camps.
Jon Coffman Basketball Camps: Learn more about basketball camps.
Steve Florio Volleyball Camps: Learn about volleyball camps.
Fort Wayne Softball Camps: Learn more about softball camps
Jason Burr Soccer Camps: Learn about soccer camps.

Gender and Justice Institute
Hosted by Purdue University Fort Wayne Women’s Studies and facilitated by advanced students in our program, the Gender and Justice Institute is a three-day educational workshop open to area high school students who wish to explore and learn more about how gender impacts their lives. Throughout the three days, students will participate in fun and informative discussions and activities focused on gender, privilege, identity, popular culture, feminism, activism, and social justice. For information, visit the women’s studies website or call 260-481-6711.

Gene Marcus Piano Camp and Festival
June 9–14, 2019: The Gene Marcus Piano Camp and Festival aims to inspire young pianists to strive for artistic excellence and to encourage them to reach their potential in piano study and performance. Under the direction of Hamilton Tescarollo, professor of piano and director of keyboard studies at Purdue Fort Wayne, students are immersed in all things piano, from a variety of workshops and group sessions, master classes, music theory, and keyboard musicianship classes and ensemble playing, to daily individual lessons with camp faculty and practice sessions guided by experienced practice coaches, all to help them progress rapidly and continue to be excited about making music throughout the year. For more information, call 260-481-6059 or learn more about piano camp.

Institute of Reading Development: Summer Reading Program
In the programs for children (4-year-olds through 5th grade), students have fun while learning phonics and word-attack skills, building fluency and comprehension, and becoming confident readers. Your child will be excited about books and reading and get off to a great start in the upcoming school year.

In the programs for adolescents (6th grade and up), students improve comprehension in both fiction and non-fiction while doubling their reading speed. Students get better grades in school by learning the best way to read and study textbooks, take notes, and study for tests.

The focus of the adult program (12th grade through adult) is to improve reading efficiency. To that end, eye-tracking exercises, retention techniques, and systematic analytical approaches are taught.

For more information and to register, call the Institute for Reading Development at 1-800-964-8888.

For more information on program content by age group, click on the following links:

Lighting Technology Intensive
June 10–14, 2019: This week-long training intensive will cover how moving lights and LEDs work and how they can be programmed. Also covered will be using intelligent lights in the design process. Open to high school students, high school teachers, church lighting technicians and other individuals who use this type of technology and want to learn more about how to use it effectively. This program will take place in Williams Theatre and be led by Mark Ridgeway, Purdue University Fort Wayne Associate Professor of Scenic/Lighting Design. For more information, call 260-481-6059 or learn more about summer lighting intensive.

Purdue University Fort Wayne Math and Science Camp
July 8–11, 2019: For students between the ages of 11 and 13. Participants engage in hands-on science and minds-on problem solving with a variety of activities. Past examples have been hot air balloons, buoyancy investigations, robots, column strength, chemistry, and optics. They will solve logic puzzles, create mathematical games, and investigate the stock market all while having fun! Camp sessions are led by university professors, high school and middle school teachers. For details, call 260-481-6306 or register online.

STEM Summer Explorations
Summer STEM Explorations are enrichment camps for 8th through 12th grade students that enhance the participants’ knowledge of engineering, technology, and computer science. The 2019 camps include 4 exploration areas: Engineering Robotics, Computer Science, Industrial Technology, and Girls STEM Leadership.
Youth will expand their repertoire of technology skills as they engage in one or more of the following activities depending on their chosen exploration camp: the engineering design process, problem-solving, programming, project-based learning, collaborating with students from other schools, applying their creativity, and exploring one or more technology skills. All camps provide career and college major information and emphasize the relevance to real world engineering, technology, and/or computer science.

Descriptions of each exploration camp can be found by visiting the College of ETCS Summer STEM Explorations webpage.

Summer Choir Camp
June 10–14, 2019, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.: Join in the fun and learn more about the art of singing. Under the direction of Susan LaCroix of Fort Wayne Children’s Choir, singers will be introduced to basic music theory through musical games, instruction, and, of course, singing. The week culminates in a short program for parents and family members. This camp is for students entering 1st-6th grade in fall 2019. Call 260-481-6977 or learn more about the choir camp.

Summer String Camp
June 17–21, 2019, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Run by Fort Wayne Philharmonic musician Marcy Trentacosti, this camp features string orchestra, chamber ensembles and group classes for violin, viola, cello, bass, and guitar. Students must have a minimum of two years of string instruction to take part in this camp. Learn new music in a week of the string orchestra, group classes and chamber music playing. For more information, call 260-481-6059 or learn more about summer string camp.

Summer Virtual Reality Camp
July 8–12, 2019: Get inside the creation of virtual worlds through the most advanced technology available. You will create your own virtual worlds, full of interactive objects that will teach you how a virtual world looks and reacts. Moreover, you will be the creator and the protagonist of this cinematic experience as well. For more information, call 260-481-6059 or learn more about the Summer Virtual Reality Camp

Summer Wind Music Week
June 17–21, 2019, 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.: Summer Wind Music Week is a day camp for beginning to advanced woodwind students age 12 to 18. Offering instruction in flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn and bassoon, this program includes chamber music and introductory music theory classes. For more information, call 260-481-6059 or learn more about the Summer Wind Music Week.

Statements and Procedures
Parental Supervision Statement:
Purdue University Fort Wayne is a public institution of higher education that offers a wide variety of classes, to a wide range of students from differing backgrounds, including adults and children in grades pre-K–12. While Purdue Fort Wayne is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all students, parents are reminded that it is their responsibility to supervise minors when they are on campus and not in the classroom. Before and after class, our teachers cannot take the place of a parent and assume responsibility for unsupervised children.
In case of an emergency please contact the Purdue Fort Wayne University Police at 481-6827.

Purdue University Procedures for Programs Involving Minors
Purdue University Fort Wayne abides by the operating procedures and policy outlined in the Operating Procedures for Programs Involving Minors and programs.

Programs for Minors Registration Form

For additional information, contact Susan Alderman, at 260-481-6165 (office), 260-489-5349 (cell), or [email protected]

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