The online application for this summer’s Meskwaki-University of Northern Iowa Summer Camp is now live! This FREE camp is for those who will be in 7th-10th grades next year, and the camp will be July 17-21.
Meskwaki UNI Summer Camp Registration
— – — – — – — – — – — – — – — – — – — – — –
Meskwaki UNI Summer Camp
Meskwaki UNI Summer Camp is an on-campus experience for Meskwaki youth entering 7th through 10th grades, taking place July 17 – 21, 2023. Through hands-on activities with UNI faculty and staff across the university, participants in this camp will build college and career readiness skills, take part in academic exploration sessions in topic areas of their choice, and enjoy social events in locations across campus. UNI students who are a part of Meskwaki Nation will serve as camp counselors throughout the week, guiding participants through college and career readiness sessions and social activities, and serving as mentors and guides.
Camp begins on the morning of Monday, July 17 and ends with an open house on the afternoon of Friday, July 21. Participants will stay in a residence hall with Residence Counselors who will guide them through the campus experience. All meals and snacks from Monday lunch through Friday dinner will be provided. Programming and activity supplies will also be provided. Participants will be divided into smaller groups by age or interest area. Participants will meet a variety of campus community members throughout the week. These faculty, staff, and students are all passionate about helping youth. Each day will include small and large group activities. Each participant will join a small group that will focus on a specific topic in the afternoons. In the evenings there will be recreational activities and some free time. Recreational activities may include rock climbing at the wellness center, watching a movie, crafts, music and more. Come spend a week at UNI exploring your possible futures with us!
Participants must be Meskwaki Tribal members or descendants and entering 7th through 10th grade in fall of 2023. Special circumstances may be considered.
During the registration process, participants will rank the possible small group options to help us create the small groups.
Questions about the program should be sent to Jesus Lizarrage-Estrada at [email protected], 319-273-4260. Questions about registration should be sent to [email protected] or call 319-273-7399.
— – — – — – — – — – — – — – — – — – — – — –
This year’s academic sessions:
Session A: Land, Soil and Food
Interested in learning about how the land leads to the amount and quality of your food? This group will explore the Meskwaki Settlement’s land, soil and water to discover pathways toward food sovereignty. We will use environmental field and laboratory tools to learn from the land, computers to document our findings and start growing our own food (corn, beans, squash and prairie flowers).
Session B: Emerging Entrepreneurship
Have you ever set up a lemonade stand, babysat, or walked dogs in the neighborhood? You may be an entrepreneur! In this workshop, you will explore the characteristics of an entrepreneur, brainstorm a business idea, create a prototype,learn how to effectively photograph your product, and even make a podcast!
Session C: Discovering and Building Patterns
Scientists, artists, and engineers are intrigued by patterns. There are patterns in the way objects move, in the way light behaves, and in the way, organisms grow. This group will explore patterns produced by light and nature, then create some of those patterns using techniques similar to those employed by artists and engineers. Many patterns in nature have fractal qualities in different forms and sizes ranging from mountains and sea shores to snowflakes, blood veins, and inside cell structures. We’ll learn how light behaves and how fractals can be reproduced and generated.
