Nebraska

Youth have the opportunity to explore career fields alongside University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty during the 2005 Big Red Summer Academic Camps in June and July.

Several academic departments are teaming up with Nebraska 4-H to host a series of career exploration camps open to Nebraska junior and senior high school students, said Kathleen Lodl, 4-H youth development specialist.

"These three to five day camps are designed to provide students with an introduction to UNL, as well as exposure to a future career field," she said.

Participants can choose from topics such as child development, building the best burger, culinology, movie making, golf, fashion design, horsemanship, computers and more. Each camp will have a culminating event to allow campers to demonstrate their new knowledge and skills.

Camp participants will explore UNL, experience campus life, interact with faculty members and develop friendships with peers who have similar interests, Lodl said.

Camp titles, dates and topics are:

--June 12 to 17: Fashion Design, grades 9 to 12. Participants will enhance their design skills and learn to select and work with natural fibers such as cotton, silk and wool.

--June 12 to 17: Culinology, grades 9 to 12. Participants will explore this new career field and bring out their creative side with activities such as plate painting, dessert designing and garnishing dishes with edible flowers.

--June 12 to 17: Golf, grades 9 to 12. Participants will learn, develop or improve their golf game. A PGA professional will teach the lessons.

--June 12-17: Child Development, grades 9 to 12. Become a camp assistant during the third annual Ruth Staples Nature Camp for children ages 3 to 5. Learn how children think, behave and learn about their world.

--June 12 to 17: Ultimate IT Getaway for Girls, grades 9 to 12. Design a website complete with animation. Camp fee includes Flash software.

--June 12 to 17: Linux Boot Camp, grades 9 to 12. Participants will get hands-on experience with Linux, a free operating system used to create software programs, ranging from simple games to 3-D simulation software.

--June 12 to 17: Theatre, grades 9 to 12. Participants will meet and work with theater professionals from across the country in workshops, rehearsals and performances. At the end of the week, there will be a fully staged workshop production that will give every camper the opportunity to act.

--June 12 to 17: Movie-making, grades 10 to 12. Participants will be immersed in theater during one full week of classes, workshops, rehearsals and performances working with movie-making professionals from Nebraska and across the country.

--June 14 to 17: Horsemanship, grades 9 to 12. Participants will learn about horse anatomy, care, handling, riding and career possibilities.

--June 14 to 17: Building the Best Burger, grades 9 to 12. Discover the fast-paced, high-paying challenging and rewarding careers in the world of food and animal science.

--July 17 to 22: Web Design/Flash/3-D Animation, grades 9 to 12. Design a website complete with animation. Explore Flash animation and create a Flash movie and use 3-D animation. Camp fee includes Flash software.

--July 17 to 22: Media Mania, ninth-12 grade. This camp will offer an introduction to the media world from the perspectives of creators of media messages and their intended audiences. Explore the changing media environment and discuss issues facing the industry today.

Registration deadline is May 1. Register early as space is limited and camps will fill on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information about the camps, cost, scholarship information or a registration form, visit the Web at http://bigredcamps.unl.edu/ or contact Lodl at 402-472-9012 or e-mail klodl1@unl.edu.

4-H is part of Cooperative Extension in the university's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Date: 4/21/05