OU Pre-Collegiate Programs give children a taste of higher education

The summer session at OU not only is a time for university students to take intersession courses, but it also is an exciting time for kids to experience several unique programs on OU’s campus.

“The main goal for the children is to make sure they are having fun,” said Natalie Beasley, program coordinator for Pre-Collegiate Programs. “It’s all very hands-on.”

The first program is Mini College, a day camp designed for kids entering first through sixth grade.

“The theme is Campus Life,” Beasley said.

Kids will attend four different classes a day in which they will be exposed to multiple science and arts subjects and the different colleges around campus. The program acquaints students with the opportunities college provides, she said.

“We want to get them excited for higher education,” Beasley said.

After a day of higher education, kids get to relax at the OU pool. There are two sessions for this camp in early August.

The second program is Horizons Unlimited, an overnight camp for rising sixth through eighth graders that’s a more loaded experience.

“It’s like Mini College but more intense,” Beasley says.

Horizons Unlimited provides opportunities for gifted students from across the community and across the nation. Beasley said the program attracts a lot of students from Texas, as well as students from Arkansas and within the state.

The program is clearly drawing in the best and the brightest to experience higher education at its finest, Beasley said. There is one session for this camp in early July.

The third program is CSI Camp, which provides a new opportunity for rising sixth to ninth graders interested in exploring the field of crime scene investigation to work with the Norman Police Department. This is the first year the program will be offered.

“They’re going to set up a mock crime scene, and the students will get to work with finger identification, footwear impressions, blood splatter identification — very hands-on,” Beasley said.

Like Mini College, students will get a chance to relax at the OU pool after a long day of investigation work. There is one session for this camp in late June.

The Pre-Collegiate Program reaches 5,000 youth every year with enrichment programs, and there is no better time to get involved with summer opportunities on campus, Beasley said. For more information and dates, call Beasley at 405-325-6897 or go to youth.ou.edu.

Nathan Robertson

Nathan is a former staff member of The Oklahoma Daily who worked as Campus Reporter.