UNC Charlotte’s Camps on Campus cultivates young minds through summer enrichment

As a child, Renee Welsh-Noel ’16 was interested in dance. So one of the camps she enrolled in through UNC Charlotte’s Camps on Campus summer program was “Global Beat.”

Welsh-Noel learned styles from around the world: an Irish dance, salsa and a traditional Japanese folk dance.

“I remember we learned a hula dance one year, and I still remember it to this day,” said Welsh-Noel, who earned a degree in dance performance.

Today, Welsh-Noel, now 25, is teaching other young people creative skills as a Camps on Campus instructor. She has taught in the program for seven years. The way she conducts her camps is influenced by her experience as a camper.

Growing up, one of the aspects she liked most about Camps on Campus was that students were highly involved in designing their activities. For example, the musical theater camp she attended let campers design their own shows.

“I have tried to keep the same structure to the camp that we had when I was little because I enjoyed it so much,” Welsh-Noel said. “So it’s really student-led.”

The seven-week Camps on Campus program is wrapping up another successful summer. For more than 20 years, Camps on Campus has provided hands-on summer enrichment programs for students in rising grades one to 12. Camps also are offered at UNC Charlotte Center City.

Enrollment has grown in recent years, from 815 campers in 2012 to 1,475 in 2019. And so has the variety of offerings.

Camps are fun, educational and college preparatory, particularly the Niner Academy camps, which introduce older campers to various academic disciplines and careers.

In “Harry Potter Adventure Camp,” children learn basic chemistry, how to make “potions” and whether it’s really possible to fly on a broom, said Welsh-Noel, who is teaching that camp this summer. Participants learn cooking skills in culinary camp, and even how to make moving robots using Legos in “Robotics 101.”

There are camps that let students create a “Fortnite-style” video game, learn the Chinese language and culture, and illustration and 3-D modeling.

“UNC Charlotte’s Camps on Campus is one of the many ways the University reinforces its commitment to lifelong learning,” said Karri Hahn, Camps on Campus program director.

“These academically enriching camps provide kids in rising grades 1-12 with the opportunity to join Niner Nation and build a relationship that they will carry with them through college and into their career via UNC Charlotte’s various continuing education programs.”

‘The best educational experience’

The week Emily Mason spent in “Musical Theater” at UNC Charlotte was her favorite week of the year.

Mason started attending Camps on Campus as a first-grader. She felt like she grew up at the University, given that her mother Tina McEntire, associate provost for Enrollment Management, is a longtime employee. At 13, Mason became an unpaid counselor-in-training with Camps on Campus and, at 16, a paid counselor.

For the last three summers, Mason has taught her own camp, “Little Musicians with Ms. Emily.” Her campers learn basic music theory and make their own instruments out of recycled materials.

“This is a general music camp, so it’s inspiring musicianship in young children,” Mason said. “It’s not teaching them how to sing or how to be a rock star. It’s just teaching them how to appreciate music and exposing them to a lot of music.”

Mason, who is a singer, said “Musical Theater” helped cultivate her passion for the performing arts and becoming a music educator. She recently earned a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of South Carolina and was hired as a music teacher in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

She said it’s important for children who attend summer camp to be in a safe learning environment, and that parents must feel confident about where they are leaving their children. Camps on Campus satisfies both.

“We’ve always provided the best educational experience here in Charlotte for summer education and growth,” Mason said.

Other camp opportunities

The College of Arts + Architecture offers a one-week Summer Design Academy that introduces high school students to architecture. The University also offers youth athletic camps in various sports, including basketball and baseball.