Stetson University is offering a wide range of summer camps for school-aged youth from Florida and around the country – in subjects including science, music, athletics and other academic disciplines. Camps will be held weekly from June to August at the DeLand campus.

Attendees live in Stetson residence halls and eat in the Commons. In some cases, young people come to campus with their organizations. For example, the non-denominational Christian organization Student Life brings up to 1,300 youths from across the country to Stetson’s campus each summer. Like many other visiting camps, Student Life gives back to Stetson during its stay and also helps the West Volusia community with outreach such as painting houses, gardening and spending time with seniors.

In addition to offering campus facilities to outside organizations, Stetson also offers an extensive array of its own programs to enrich young children’s lives and get them involved in summer activities that might spark a future career or educational interest or hobby.

“We will see about 7,000 to 8,000 kids a summer on campus,” said William O’Connor, director of Continuing Education at the university. “Because Stetson is in a great location in central Florida, camps are able to take their campers to Universal, Disney or places like that.”

The go-to website for Stetson’s summer camp offerings is https://www.stetson.edu/other/summer/home/special.php. Contact Stetson University Department of Continuing Education for more information: (386) 822-7500, [email protected].

Stetson camps include:

• StetsonUniversity’s High-Achieving Talented Students (HATS) Program offers a variety of hands-on programs designed to challenge Florida’s brightest young minds. Courses will be July 16-20 and July 23-27 on the DeLand campus. Contact: Lynn Albinson, director of HATS, at (386) 822-7091, [email protected] or visit https://www.stetson.edu/other/hats/summer-program.php.
• Destination Science offers interactive science programs to young people in week-long sessions with teachers from the community, focusing on activities such as G-force rockets, moon blasters, aliens and robots. Campers will be challenged to engage in critical thinking, problem solving and team building while learning about science. Themes include “Crazy Coaster Science & Sea-fari Park,” “Robo-Dragon Extreme Techno Challenge” and “Wild Extreme Physics Fun.” Contact: Continuing Education at (386) 822-7500, [email protected] or visit https://www.stetson.edu/administration/conted/destinationscience.php.

Music – Summer music camps incorporate several different kinds of instruments to help young students improve and master their skills in double reed, clarinet, brass, flute and saxophone. These students also get to hear and perform with Stetson’s faculty.

• The 29^th annual “Double Reed” workshop June 11-16 is for students entering seventh- through 12^th-grade. The intense week-long event focuses on the fundamental principles of double reed performance including an emphasis on specialized classes in reed-making techniques. The workshop encompasses chamber music for double reed ensembles, master classes and performance classes. Registration deadline is May 15. Contact: Ann Adams, (386) 822-7504, or Ashley Heintzen, (386) 822-8981, or visit https://www.stetson.edu/other/summer/home/media/2012-stetson-double-reed-workshop.pdf.
• The annual Stetson University Clarinet Clinic, dates TBA, is a week-long event focusing on the fundamental principles of clarinet performance. The clinic will encompass performing in a large ensemble and a chamber ensemble and participating in master classes and performance classes as well as enjoying faculty and student recitals. All participants play in a clarinet choir and a chamber ensemble and are eligible to audition to perform a solo at the Stetson Honors Recital. The final concert includes performances by the clarinet choirs and selected chamber ensembles. Contact: Lynn Musco at (386) 822-8953.
• The Stetson University Brass Camp, July 16-21, is a week-long workshop focusing on the fundamentals of brass performance and practice. Students gain experience playing in large and small brass ensembles in both mixed and matching instrumental combinations. Nightly recitals will feature performances by Stetson Brass Camp faculty and staff as well as selected workshop participants and chamber groups. The final workshop concert will feature all students in large ensemble performances. Contact: David Schmidt, (386) 822-8949 or visit https://www.stetson.edu/other/summer/home/media/2012-stetson-brass-camp.pdf.
• The 18th annual Florida Flute Workshop, June 26-30, is open to students in grades 7-12 and focuses on building performance and musicianship skills. Students will learn through a combination of technique classes, master classes, flute choirs, small ensembles and private lessons and classes in rhythm, theory and music history. Outstanding guest artists from around the state will perform in an evening recital and present clinics. The culmination of the workshop will be the student’s final concert for family and friends. Contact: Susan McQuinn, (386) 822-8960 or visit https://www.stetson.edu/other/summer/home/media/2012-stetson-brass-camp.pdf.
• The 8th annual Stetson University Saxophone Workshop, July 9-14, for middle- and high school students, is an intense, week-long event focusing on the fundamental principles of saxophone performance, including an emphasis on specialized classes in playing techniques, jazz, chamber and FBA All-State audition music. The workshop encompasses chamber music for saxophone ensembles, master classes and performance classes. Contact: Jeremy Williamson, (386)822-8975 or visit https://www.stetson.edu/other/summer/home/media/2012-stetson-saxophone-brochure-updated.pdf.

Athletics –Stetson University’s Athletics Department offers a variety of summer programs and camps in the following sports: baseball, softball, men’s and women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s basketball.

• Pete Dunn Baseball Camps are designed to give players individual instruction in all phases of the game. All sessions are designed to build and strengthen the camper’s basic fundamentals of baseball. The drills and techniques taught at the camp are the same used by the Stetson baseball team. The Teaching Day Camp is July 9-12 and the Super Skills Two-Day Camps for Hitting July 16-17 and for Pitching/Defense is July 18-19. The Mid-Florida Showcase is June 26-28. Contact: Matt Untiet at [email protected], (386) 822-8107 or visit www.petedunnbaseballcamps.com and http://www.gohatters.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=14600&ATCLID=741763.
• Softball camps teach skills appropriate for the age. The Blue Chip Academy for high school students is June 12-15. The Pitching and CatchingAcademyis open to all ages and skill levels and is June 15-17. The YoungHatterAcademyis for elementary and middle school ages and is June 19-22. Contact: J.J. Payette: (386) 822-7337, [email protected] or visit http://www.gohatters.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=14600&ATCLID=741772.
• Women’s Basketball offers two camps determined by skill and age. The Hatter Shootout summer camp is designed for team activity on June 23-24. It is a fun and intense environment designed to challenge each team to compete as a group. Teams will participate in at least five games; for middle school, JV and Varsity divisions. Lil’ Hatters Day Camp is June 25-27, designed for players in third- through eighth-grades. Lil’ Hatters will learn to dribble, pass, shoot, defend and be a part of a team. Games, races and lots of one-on-one attention assure a fun time. Contact: Coach Nicole Woods, [email protected], (386)822-7156 or visit http://www.gohatters.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=14600&ATCLID=741768.
• Men’s and Women’s soccer camp dates have yet to be determined, due to field construction. For information about the men’s camp, check back to:  https://www.stetson.edu/other/summer/camps/mensoccer/homepage.php, and for the women’s camp, the site is: https://www.stetson.edu/other/summer/camps/womensoccer/index.php. Contact: for Men’s Soccer, Coach Logan Fleck, (386) 822-7014 and [email protected]; and for Women’s Soccer, Coach Julie Orlowski, [email protected] or (386) 822-7035.
• Stetson Men’s Basketball is offering three camps this summer. Individual Camp is June 11-15 for boys ages 9-15.The Junior Hatter Camp June 11-14 for boys ages 6-10. High School Team Camp is June 8-10 for Varsity and Junior Varsity competition. Contact: Steve Drabyn, [email protected] or (317) 822-8144 or go to http://www.gohatters.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=14600&ATCLID=205399887.