"Fostering Youth Resilience in the Southeast Texas Region"

Youth resilience, encompassing qualities such as persistence, positive values and identity, and well-developed social skills, is widely recognized as a crucial factor that significantly enhance an individual's capacity not only to withstand adversity, hazardous circumstances, or vulnerable environments but also to thrive in such conditions. Children, with their innate adaptability, are more receptive to the concept of resilience, making early adolescence a critical period for cultivating resilience. The development of resilience during this stage equips young individuals with the ability to navigate essential milestone in their journey toward a successful adulthood.

Studies have shown the significant impact of youth programs, particularly summer camps, in facilitating positive youth development and fostering resilience. These programs provide a safe and nurturing environment, offering a wide range of healthy activities, fostering positive relationships, and providing invaluable opportunities for skill-building. Collectively, these elements contribute to enhancing youth resilience. The objective of this project is to design and implement two one-week non-residential summer camps during the Summer of 2024 at Lamar University.

The project team consists of faculty members from Department of Computer Science, Department of Sociology, Social Work & Criminal Justice, and Department of Psychology. These camps will focus on multidisciplinary topics and activities centered on introducing the idea of resilience and building resiliency skills for middle school and high school students in the Southeast Texas region. Not only these camps offer valuable educational and awareness programs to the community, but they also serve as a platform for evaluating the impact of participation on camper’s perceptions of resilience and their actual resilience levels. By assessing the effectiveness of our program, we aim to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of this impact on youth resilience while identifying potential areas for improvement.

Overall, our project seeks to empower and nurture resilience in middle school and high school students in Southeast Texas region, ultimately helping them overcome challenges and thrive in their personal and professional lives.

Hosted by the college of Arts & Sciences

June 24 - 28

"Bring the Arts Out in Our Youth"

The College of Fine Arts & Communication at Lamar University offers fine arts camps designed to enrich the local community and provide unique opportunities for personal growth and self-expression. Our programs help participants develop their skills in their chosen art form, enhancing self-confidence and fostering a sense of accomplishment. The immersive nature of these camps allows participants to form lasting friendships with like minded peers.

Ultimately, engaging in various artistic disciplines encourages resilience and adaptability, essential life skills for growth and future challenges. Our fine arts camps play a vital role in the holistic development of individuals by providing intensive, immersive experiences in art, choir, dance, and band. Participants benefit from specialized instruction, often receiving personalized attention that may not be available in regular educational settings. In art, students explore various media and techniques, enhancing their visual literacy and creative expression. Band camps enhance instrumental proficiency, ensemble playing, and an understanding of complex musical concepts. Dance camps provide rigorous training that improves physical fitness, discipline, and artistic interpretation. Choir camps develop vocal skills, musicality, and collaborative singing, promoting teamwork and communication.

Beyond technical skills, arts camps cultivate confidence, resilience, and a sense of community among participants. They offer opportunities for cultural exchange and appreciation, broadening perspectives and fostering a lifelong love for the arts. By immersing students in an environment dedicated to artistic excellence, fine arts camps play an essential role in nurturing the next generation of artists, performers, and creative thinkers.

Hosted by the college of Fine Arts & Communication; Departments of Dance, Music, Art and Band

Band Camp,   June 9 - 13
STEAM Art Camp,   June 17 - 21
Aimed Dance Summer Fest,   July 8 - 28
Lamar University All-State Choir Camp,   July 21 - 24

"STEM Basketball Camp"

Incorporating math and nutritional strategies into sport specific examples to improve math and science comprehension in student athletes from a community high school where STAAR scores are low in math and science. The fields of Kinesiology and nutrition are closely tied to STEM areas students struggle in. Kinesiology and nutrition are designated STEM fields, have assigned CIP codes, and rely heavily on a strong background in math, physics, biology and chemistry. 

This project will build upon and improve the learning opportunities for student campers. At the end of the camp, students will take home their workbooks and calculators. This will alleviate the financial burden of purchasing a scientific calculator for the school year and provide the students with a study guide in case they experience lack of support at home regarding math and science homework. 

This project aims to improve math and science literacy and student resiliency. These aims will be accomplished by; building a foundation of basic math, introduction to advanced math, fostering comprehension by use of sport specific examples of math and many more.

Hosted by Health & Kinesiology and the dept. of Nutrition, Hospitality, & Human Services

For more information contact Dr. Jill Killough at Jekillough@lamar.edu and Dr. Shannon Jordan at Sjordan5@lamar.edu