This summer, SMU will offer up its main campus and Plano campus to almost 30 different camps and programs in six different categories, providing kids and teenagers in the Dallas and surrounding areas the opportunity to explore their academic, athletic and artistic interests.

Marilyn Swanson, the director of programming for Gifted Students Institute and Pre-college Programs, explained how the programs offer an environment where students can learn more about their interests, and about SMU.

“These summer programs provide an opportunity for students to explore life on the SMU campus while studying with SMU professors,” Swanson said. “Some students find their future field of study or career during their SMU experience.”

The six categories of summer programs and camps include: sports camps/athletic programs, Meadows School of the Arts summer programs, ID tech camps, summer camps at Lyle School of Engineering, summer camps at Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development and the summer youth program at SMU-in-Plano.

Between each category, the camps differ in age range, cost to participate and duration. For example, the SMU-in-Plano program is comprised of more than 60 one-week workshops covering engaging topics including LEGO camps, science, creative arts and music programs. Students in grades K-12 participates in any number of sessions, the cost ranging from $189 to $825.

Lisa Kays, associate director at Continuing and Professional Education (CAPE), explained that although programs are just a week long for the SMU-in-Plano camp, that length of time focused on one subject allows students to, “dive deep into projects, technologies or subject areas that are small components of their classroom experience during the school year.”

“I am so impressed and amazed by what the program participants create in just a week – fantastic video games and digital films, beautiful works of art and more,” Kays said.

In the past 30 years, over 3,000 students have participated in SMU summer camps and have gone on to 200 plus colleges and universities including SMU to pursue degrees in many
different fields.

“Living on campus gives the students opportunities to test their independence in a supervised setting while making lifelong friends,” Swanson said.

“The programs’ greatest accomplishment is to provide young students a safe place to be themselves and help them expand their learning.”

Participants come from a large and diverse geographical area and include students from public and private schools.

“We provide a connection for these students to the university, which we hope may eventually lead to their interest in attending SMU as college undergraduates,” Kays said. “[The students] can meet a lot of new friends at SMU.”

Swanson shared an anonymous quote from a past student participant in the TAG summer program to sum up the ultimate goal of the summer programs offered
at SMU:

“TAG is a sanctuary where any boy or girl can be himself or herself, where self-esteem is not an issue, and where you are acknowledged not only as a gifted and talented youngster, but also as a human being.”