High school students can sample college life with summer camps at NIU.

Many of the campers are in their junior and senior years of high school, and camps are a beginning way to explore what different colleges and universities can offer, said Anne Petty, Liberal Arts & Sciences external program coordinator.

NIU provides an opportunity for students to gain hands-on experience in a particular subject of interest, Petty said.

It is also a great place for them to meet other students their age with the same academic interests, Petty said. Therefore, she said, the students benefit from both the academic training and the social experience.

This summer, a journalism and media camp had 11 campers; speech camp, which started Sunday, has 41 campers registered for this week; and the science camp has 19 students signed up.

About 3,000 campers will be involved in athletic camps, said Alexander McConachie, camp administrative assistant.

An advantage for students coming to NIU is the intensive activity during the camp, McConachie said. Sports camp training is usually from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Coaches run the sports camps, McConachie said, and campers interact with them and have the chance to meet NIU players.

NIU receives some extra money from sports camps, McConachie said. The money is deposited to a special account and then is directed to different departments. Dining services and the buildings used by the camp are credited for expenses, she said.

NIU offers camps in history, journalism and media, speech, math, creative writing and science, Petty said.

Basketball, football, golf, soccer, softball, volleyball, wrestling, athletic training and baseball camps are the sports camps NIU is offering, McConachie said.

Next year NIU plans to offer some foreign language camps, possibly including Japanese, Spanish and French, Petty said.