Have the kids been inside too long? UCalgary summer camps to the rescue

Summertime is here and you know what that means: UCalgary summer camps are back with happy campers taking over our campus for the next two months.

Scaled back in 2020 due to COVID-19, camps return this week with more than 50 programs. You name it there is a camp for everyone: from drama and the arts, to outdoor camps like mountain biking or Keiki longboarding, to STEM-based activities, where children will learn and apply science, technology, engineering and math.

No matter the program, “all campers who participate in our programs take 10,000 steps or more per day,” says Logan Jones, manager of youth programs in Active Living.

Connection to community

It is a “unique opportunity that kids haven't had in the last year, to socially engage in a fun activity with their friends outside of school. It’s really important for kids’ social, mental and physical well-being in these camps. That's a key message that I think we can continue to promote,” says Jones.

Summer camps are also an important connection to the community. Camps are often the first introduction that parents and future students have to all the amazing facilities and opportunities that UCalgary has to offer.

Summer camps also provides students with hundreds of employment opportunities with more than 200 students hired for this summer.

Safety precautions

As the camps roll out, so will safety precautions. Prior to registration, all participants must complete a COVID-19 waiver. In addition, there will be approximately a one-to-eight ratio of leaders-to-campers in any given program. 

Pre-COVID-19, camps had around 10,000 campers each year. Due to the pandemic, that number dropped to about 3,500 last year. This year, that number is expected to rise to between 4,000-6,000 campers.

Impressively, this year’s summer camp programs took only to two weeks to put together and make ready for registration, following the “Open for Summer” plan launched by the province of Alberta.

Sign up for new programs

Although camps typically fill up quickly, there are still several programs with availability for children of all ages. This includes a brand-new program called Digital Library Explorers where campers will have the opportunity to learn how a digital library, archive and gallery works with hand-on activities with specialists in the Taylor Family Digital Library.

Visit Active Living on the UCalgary website to browse and register for the available camp programs. For tips on how to register and information on health and safety measures, visit the 2021 UCalgary Summer Camps FAQs.