It's a rare chance when you can not only hone your computer and robotics skills but design and play the sports of the future - but that very opportunity will be there as one of the themes at a revamped series of summer camps at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC).
Whereas past camps were mostly about science, a dose of activity has been injected into the Active Minds summer camps as youngsters age seven to 12 years old make use of UNBC's labs and athletic facilities as well as lakes and forests around the area.
"You don't have to be good at athletics at all, you just have to be willing to try," said Lena Miller, a UNBC student helping to stage the camps. "You don't have to be good at science either.
"We're just looking to spark some curiosity to get kids involved, to look at different types of science and how science relates to every day life."
There are four different types of camps to choose from. Each runs for five days and is staged twice so it's possible to attend all of them over the course of the summer.
Here's a look:
It's Alive: Those with an eye towards medicine or biology would be interested in this one as participants explore the way ecosystems work and how individual cells cooperated to bring an organism to life. It's described as an "interactive, hands-on examination of how our environment, food, and active play contribute to shaping our health."
Runs during the weeks of July 4 and Aug. 8.
The Future is Friendly: For the technology oriented, it focuses on computers and robots not to mention artificial intelligence and biotechnology. It's also the one where you can design and play the sports of the future as well as "examine space travel, superhuman athletes and medical miracles."
Runs during the weeks of July 11 and Aug. 15.
Back In Time: Includes a cultural component as participants learn how settlers carved a living from the land, explore the physics of ancient weapons and play traditional sports like baggataway and rounders.
Runs during the weeks of July 18 and Aug. 22.
It's Easy Being Green: With a focus on the "natural playground surrounding UNBC," those enrolled learn about ways to take care of the environment, get up close to local flora and fauna and try out geocaching with global positioning systems.
Runs during the weeks of July 25 and Aug. 29.
All camps run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the fee is $199 for each camp. For more information, call Virginia Sprangers at 250-960-5883 or e-mail her at vsprangers@unbc.ca.
