Summer Camps

Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter, in partnership with Utah State University Extension 4-H, provides a wide range of summer camp opportunities for youth in grades 1-8. Camp topics include outdoor exploration, environmental education, science, robotics, and stewardship. We try to make our summer camp opportunities available to everyone by keeping our tuition prices low and offering scholarships for youth with financial need. See below for scholarship information. In addition to campers, we also provide opportunities to participate in our summer camp program to teens in grades 9-12. These teens can apply to be teen camp counselors and help camp staff lead camp activities and keep campers safe. Click here for more information on how to become a teen camp counselor. We hope to see you this summer!

Summer camps offered in 2013:

Outdoor Exploration:

Grades 1-4. Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter is the perfect place to explore the outdoors. We'll spend our days collecting tadpoles and frogs, collecting underwater insects, learning about mammal adaptations and wildlife tracking, hiking, exploring a wetland habitat, and so much more! This camp promises to get youth outside and learning about their environment.

FUNdamental Science:

Grades 1-4. Prepare to be a scientist for a week! Campers will spend the week conducting fun, exciting, and explosive experiments as they learn the scientific process and explore different fields of science!

Sustainability Camp:

Grades 4-6. Campers will spend the week learning about the importance of our environment and how we can be good stewards of our resources. Topics will include recycling, air quality, water quality, energy sources, and local food production. This camp will include several bike-riding trips, so campers need to be able to ride a bike.

Junk Drawer Robotics: 

Grades 5-6. Campers will learn the engineering design process as they design and build basic robots from every-day items. This camp is great for youth interested in learning about robotics and for youth experienced in robotics that want to learn more about the basics. 

Lego Robotics: 

Grades 5-7, both beginner and intermediate levels. Youth with all levels of robotics experience welcome!  Campers will let their imaginations run wild as they design, build, and program robots to complete challenges. This camp will use LEGO Mindstorms NXT/EV3 kits.

Watershed Explorers:

Grades 7-8. While this camp will be based out of Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter, we'll spend our days exploring the far reaches of our watershed. We'll spend a day in the mountains learning about the source of our fresh water, we'll recreate on a reservoir and tour water treatment plants, we'll explore a rare, high-altitude wetland and learn about its importance, we'll investigate stream ecology and underwater insects, and we'll spend a day at the Great Salt Lake learning about its ecology. This camp will be a fun opportunity for youth to learn about their local environment, get outside, and see new places.

Camp Schedule and Prices for Summer 2013:

Youth entering 1st and 2nd grade in Fall 2013:

July 1-3: Outdoor Exploration; 9:00 am-12:00 pm; $55.00/$13.75 with scholarship - FULL, to be placed on waitlist contact Sally Upton at 435-797-8938 or sally.upton@usu.edu

July 15-19: FUNdamental Science; 1:00-4:00 pm; $90.00/$22.50 with scholarship - FULL, to be placed on waitlist contact Sally Upton at 435-797-8938 or sally.upton@usu.edu

August 5-9: Outdoor Exploration; 9:00 am-12:00 pm; $90.00/$22.50 with scholarship - FULL, to be placed on waitlist contact Sally Upton at 435-797-8938 or sally.upton@usu.edu

Youth entering 3rd and 4th grade in Fall 2013:

July 1-3: FUNdamental Science; 1:00-4:00 pm; $55.00/$13.75 with scholarship

July 15-19: Outdoor Exploration; 9:00 am-12:00 pm; $90.00/$22.50 with scholarship

August 5-9: FUNdamental Science; 1:00-4:00 pm; $90.00/$22.50 with scholarship

Youth entering 4th, 5th, and 6th grade in Fall 2013:

July 8-12: Sustainability Camp; 9:00 am-3:00 pm; $170/$42.50 with scholarship

Youth entering 5th and 6th grade in Fall 2013:

July 29-August 2: Junk Drawer Robotics; 9:00 am-2:00 pm; $150.00/$37.50 with scholarship

Youth entering 5th, 6th, 7th grade in Fall 2013:

August 12-16: LEGO Robotics for Beginners; 9:00 am-2:00 pm; $150.00/$37.50 with scholarship

August 12-16: LEGO Robotics for Intermediates; 9:00 am-2:00 pm; $150.00/$37.50 with scholarship

Youth entering 7th and 8th grade in Fall 2013:

June 24-28: Watershed Explorers; 9:00 am-4:00 pm; $190.00/$47.50 with scholarship

 

**Special Note: Youth may attend camps that are for grade levels lower than their own. However, they cannot attend a camp that is designed for a grade level higher than their own. For example, a camper entering 5th grade in Fall 2013 could attend a camp designed for youth entering 4th grade in Fall 2013, but could not attend a camp designed for youth entering 6th grade in Fall 2013. We specifically design our camps to be age appropriate in terms of curriculum and activities, and it is difficult for us to accomdate a variety of ages during our camps.

Registration Fee Discounts:

Members of Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter receive a 10% discount on camp registration fees. Click here for information on becoming a member of Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter. Member discount codes will be given during registration.

Discounts are given for registering for multiple camps. If you register for two camps you will receive a 5% discount. If you register for three or more camps you will receive a 10% discount. Children from the same family can combine for the multi-camp discount. For example: if you have two children and they each register for two camps, that would equal a total of four camps and you will receive a 10% discount. Multi-camp discount codes will be given during registration.

*Only siblings/family members can receive the multi-camp discount.

**Multi-camp discounts are IN ADDITION TO the Swaner member discount.

Scholarships for Youth with Financial Need:

Partial scholarships for our summer camps are available for campers with financial need. There are a limited number of scholarships available, and scholarships are awarded to qualified campers on a first-come-first-serve basis. Scholarships cover all but 25% of the camp registration fee. 25% of the camp registration fee is required at the time that you apply for a scholarship. If you are not selected to receive a scholarship the remaining 75% of the camp registration fee will be due two weeks after you are notified.

Cancellation Policy:

If you cancel more than 2 weeks before the first day of camp, you will be refunded minus a 25% fee. If you cancel less than 2 weeks before the first day of camp, we will refund you (minus the 25% fee mentioned above) only if we can fill your spot from the waitlist. If we cannot fill your spot, you will not be refunded. We cannot refund you for days missed during camp.

Registration/Scholarship Application:

Please pay very close attention when registering for our summer camps. We have multiple camps occuring each week for different aged youth. When registering, please make sure you select the camp with the correct date, age range, and time for your child/children.

On the first page of registration, you will select the camps you would like to register for and input your discount code for membership, scholarship, and/or multi-camps. There are discount code instructions on the first page of registration, but the discount codes to input are also listed below:

• Member of Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter – 10% discount – enter promo code “member”

• Member of Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter AND registering for 2 camps – 15% discount – enter promo code “membertwo”

• Member of Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter AND registering for 3 or more camps – 20% discount – enter promo code “memberthree”

• Member of Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter AND applying for a scholarship – 85% discount – enter promo code “memberschol”

• Non-member registering for 2 camps – 5% discount – enter promo code “twocamps”

• Non-member registering for 3 or more camps – 10% discount – enter promo code “threecamps”

• Non-member applying for a scholarship – 75% discount – enter promo code “scholarship”

Our online registration system only accepts payment by credit card. If you need to pay by cash or check, please contact Sally Upton at 435-797-8938 or sally.upton@usu.edu. We can accept registration by cash or check, just not through our online system.

Click here to Register for Summer Camps 2013.

For questions regarding summer camp, contact Sally Upton at sally.upton@usu.edu or 435-797-8938.

Youth education programs at Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter are conducted in partnership with Utah State University Extension 4-H. The Sustainability Summer Camp will be offered in partnership with the Utah State University Extension Sustainability program.