This summer, middle and high school students from across the southeast are traveling to Tuscaloosa to participate in the University of Alabama’s K-12 Summer Programs.

The University is offering over 12 academic summer camps and 16 varsity sports camps.

According to the Athletic Department’s website, sports camps are being offered for football, men and women’s basketball, baseball, soccer, volleyball, softball, men and women’s track, men and women’s swimming, gymnastics, men and women’s tennis, men and women’s golf and cheerleading. The sports camps began in the first week of June and will continue until the end of July.

Lauren Crain, a sophomore majoring in civil engineering, recalls high school summers she spent participating in the University sponsored Universal Cheerleading Association camps.

“Those were some of the most exciting memories I made in high school,” Crain said, “it was great to spend time on such a beautiful campus and become more familiar with my future University.”

Academic programs also host a variety of summer camps at the University.

Gregory Singleton, Director of Engineering Student Recruitment, aids with the Engineering program Student Introduction To Engineering that is held from July 11-17 and July 18-24.

“SITE is a summer program for rising high school juniors and seniors. Students take three courses; English, computer science, and pre-calculus,” Singleton said. “Students also participate in an engineering design course where they build planes out of light-weight wood.”

According to their website, SITE also advises students on what classes they should take in high school to prepare for a major in engineering.

While the program curriculum varies for each camp offered, there seems to be a similar goal in all of the programs: to increase student interest in attending the University.

According to Singleton, “SITE is designed to give students an overview of what it takes to become an engineer. We hope that by the end of the program, they will be interested in enrolling in engineering at UA.”

One of the University’s most popular summer camps is the Capstone Summer Honors Program.

The Capstone Summer Honors Program takes place during the first term of summer school. According to the University Honors College website, students are given the opportunity to live in a UA residence hall, dine at any of the UA dining halls and use the UA’s Student Recreation Center.

Kathryn Merrit, Director of External Affairs for the University Honors College, said, “The program gives rising high school juniors and seniors the chance to earn seven or eight hours of Honors College credit. Students are able to participate in a variety of Honors College student-developed experiences and attend an Honors College speakers series.”

Other academic programs that are offered at the University this summer include: Creative Writing Camp, Community Music School, Rural Minority Health Scholars Program, Summer Enrichment Workshop, Multicultural Journalism Program, Alabama Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive and Capstone Business Leadership Academy. For information on these camps and more, please visit www.k12summer.ua.edu.