UC Davis is offering summer programs for grade-school teachers, students and children.

For K-12 teachers, the university offers the Summer Institute on Computing and STEM Education. And for fourth- through eighth-grade children, the university offers a new series of Adventures in Enrichment camps.

Summer Institute on Computing and STEM Education — Hosted by the K-14 Outreach Center for Computing and STEM Education, or C-STEM, June 20 through July 1.

The institute will offer two one-week courses for kindergarten through 12th-grade teachers of the STEM subjects — science, technology, engineering and math. The courses:

• "Teaching Math Labs for Algebra Using Interactive Computing and Programming" — 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, June 20-24
• "Teaching Introductory Computer Programming and Computer Science" — 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, June 27-July 1

These courses are designed to train teachers on the principles of computing and its teaching pedagogy, how to teach math labs for algebra using interactive computing and programming, how to teach computer programming and computer science, and how to integrate computing and engineering activities into the K-12 STEM curriculum.

Fee: $499 for each week, $799 for both. The fees cover instruction, supplementary textbooks, teaching materials, software licenses for teaching, morning beverages, lunch and UC Davis C-STEM support for implementation of the program during the academic year. Continuing education credits are available for an additional fee, through UC Davis Extension.

Registration and more information.

Adventures in Enrichment — Look out this summer for gumshoe scientists, robot builders and our own version of myth busters. All will be participating in  Adventures in Enrichment, presented by the School of Education and Campus Recreation.

The organizers said scientists, researchers, educators and industry experts will facilitate the weeklong camps for children who are entering fourth through eighth grades. The campers will be grouped with children in roughly the same grades.

The camps will cover “unique and engaging subject matter,” the organizers said, and will include innovative activities and supporting technology.

The programs will emphasize a variety of problem-solving and collaboration skills, while at the same time offering plenty of fun camp traditions, the organizers said.

Each camp will run for a week, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. The programs and dates:

• Robots — Campers will learn the science, design and construction — and then build their own robots. June 27-July 1.
• Myth Busting — Is it fact or fiction? Campers will use scientific and artistic techniques to test urban myths and legends, and create a myth-busting toolbox. July 11-15.
• Gumshoe Science — Using authentic physical and chemical experimentation, the campers will assist top detectives in solving mysterious happenings around the campus that are believed to be of scientific origin. The campers will develop a toolkit to hopefully solve the mysteries and put the campus back in order. July 18-22.

Fee: $250 per week. Registration and more information. Aggie Afternoon care (2 to 5:30 p.m.) is available.

Questions? Contact Traci Schmidt, taschmidt@ucdavis.edu.

Summer youth camps at Campus Rec — With summer fast approaching, consider signing up your child for one of the many Campus Recreation’s Summer Youth Programs, which run from June 20 through Aug. 19. Summer camps are held on the UC Davis campus and include a wide array of activities, from arts, crafts, and dance, to sports, outdoor adventures, swimming and more.

If your child enjoys music and melodies, the Band Camp provides high-quality musical instruction from the UC Davis California Marching Band-uh! and its director, Thomas Slabaugh II.

Your child can also be engaged in an artistic camp that inspires imagination with the wide range of options from jewelry making and sculpting, to woodworking and glass.

Craft Camps allow campers to make a variety of unique items such as personal adornments, useful items for their room, or wacky works of art.

Looking for something with more physical activity? Flag Football Frenzy teaches youngsters the basics of flag football and good sportsmanship. If your child wishes to practice more athletic games, other clinics offer sport-specific strategies as well. Designed for young athletes, the Boys’ Lacrosse Clinic aids players in developing offense and defense skills, and a love for the game.

To see a complete listing of this summer’s camps, visit Campus Recreation.
Register online here.