Wayne State University released a lineup of more than 80 virtual K-12 offerings for the summer months. Included are programs for young gamers, creative thinkers, explorers, business-medical-and science-minded students, and much more.

The camps are traditionally held on the university’s Midtown campus, but will continue online this summer, allowing campers to participate from their own homes, due to the continued need for social distancing caused by Covid-19.

“Wayne State offers a wide variety of challenging and exciting summer programs that families in Detroit and beyond have come to expect. Our long tradition of K-12 outreach is a mainstay of our University’s commitment to the community. We look forward to hosting new and returning students in our virtually formatted camps,” said Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Laurie M. Lauzon Clabo. “While we would love to see the students on our beautiful campus this summer, their health and well-being is our number one priority.”

To make the choices easier to navigate, WSU Enrollment Management offers a streamlined registration website, available at k-12.wayne.edu.

“Powered by InfoReady, the site has newly enhanced features, like the ability to save favorite camps from year to year making future registration easier, as well as the ability to register and pay for multiple camps at one time,” said Dawn Medley, associate vice president of enrollment management. “It also features year-round engagement opportunities for students and parents.”

In addition to converting summer programming to a virtual format, Wayne State’s C2 Pipeline has been successful this past year in their effort to offer online programs that fill a need experienced by families under quarantine with children. “With all of the changes students have experienced this past year, C2 Pipeline is committed to providing consistency and support,” said Don Neal, C2 Pipeline program director. “We will continue to offer high quality, engaging and cutting-edge summer programs, so that students won’t miss out on having a summer camp experience.”

New this year, C2 Pipeline is offering special three-week Amesite certificate programs for high school students. Students who complete the course will earn a certificate in one of 11 fields, including Data Science, Smart Manufacturing, Electric Vehicles, Artificial Intelligence and more. C2 Pipeline is also excited to bring back the STEM Challenge, which allows high school students from across Michigan to team up with their friends to solve a problem affecting our community and the world. Finished projects will be submitted online, and judges will award the top three teams with scholarships to Wayne State University.

While all camps will be held in a virtual space, students will still have the opportunity to interact with field experts, connect with like-minded peers and harness their talents with hands-on projects that will be accessible virtually or shipped to their home.

The Wayne State University College of Engineering will offer summer programs designed for students ages 6 to 13. “These summer opportunities help students think about careers in engineering and computer science by teaching them skills that are necessary for those fields,” said Jasmine Roberson, director of community outreach for the College of Engineering. “K-12 students work with our graduate and undergraduate students who serve as peer mentors to help them develop STEM concepts that are the foundation of engineering and computer science programs. We work closely with our deans, faculty, students, alumni, community partners and staff to support these initiatives.”

Students in the engineering programs will receive two-hour live instruction, peer collaboration, and self-paced project development led by engineering graduate and undergraduate students. Live virtual speakers, social events, tours, games and challenges will also be part of the program. Students have the option of registering for one camp per week, covering artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, coding and gaming, Minecraft, Roblox, and more.

New for 2021, the WSU K-12 Focus on the Future Scholarship covers the full cost of one STEM-focused K-12 summer camp per qualifying child. “WSU is dedicated to ensuring all K-12 students are given the opportunity to enroll in meaningful after school and summer continuous learning opportunities,” said Kate Dyki, program management specialist. “Thanks to this generous grant from the Community Telecommunications Network we are able to cover the cost of registration for 115 students – providing opportunities to those who may have otherwise been unable to participate.”

To receive this scholarship, the student must qualify for free or reduced lunch. Students are automatically considered for this scholarship upon completion of their camp registration form.

To learn more about Wayne State University’s K-12 summer camps, visit k-12.wayne.edu.