This summer, Western Michigan University offers a wide variety of camps geared toward students of all ages. Our camps range from academic to sports, with a little bit of everything in between. Camps vary in cost based on requirements. Some camps will offer scholarships; see their website for details. For more information on any of our exciting camps, please click on the links below for each specific camp. General questions about this web page can be directed to PreCollege Programming at em-precollegeprogramming@wmich.edu or (269) 387-2773. The PreCollege Office does not have any information about the specific camps.
As camp information becomes available, it will be posted here. To add your WMU camp to this webpage, fill in your information on the webform. All camps listed are for Summer 2025.
Check out all the different Athletic Camps that we offer at WMU!
- Men's Soccer Summer ID Camp, July 24, 9th - First Year in College. Register now.
- Men's Soccer HS Boys Team Camp, July 28-30, 9th - 12th grade. Register now.
- Men's Soccer Elite Goalkeeper Camp, June 23-24, Grades 3-12. Register now.
- Men's Football One Day Prospect Camp, June 18, Grades 9-12. Register now.
- Men's Football 7 on 7 Shootout, June 8, Grades 9-12. Register now.
- Men's Football Special Teams Camp, June 7, Grades 9-12. Register now.
- Men's Football Big Man Camp, June 8, Grades 9-12. Register now.
- Men's Football Under the Lights Prospect Camp, May 30, Grades 9-12. Register now.
- Strength and Conditioning Summer Clinic, June 9- July 31, Grades 6-12. Register now.
Participants will explore the concepts of buoyancy, density, aerodynamics, energy and motion through a series of hands-on, design-build-test activities. Events will include harnessing wind power on both square-rigged and Bermuda-rigged boats, maximizing drag to slow a descent, building and launching water bottle rockets, and building a small hot air balloon. Most activities will be modeled after elementary-school-level Science Olympiad competitions. Participants will experience Floyd Hall and the surrounding parkland of the WMU Parkview Campus and explore WMU’s main campus in Kalamazoo. Float, Fly and Lift! camp is for grades 3-5 and Design It, Build It camp is for grades 6-8. Float, Fly and Lift! will be offered twice, July 28-31 and July 21-24; Design It, Build It will be offered July 21-24 and July 28-31. More information can be found on the Science and Engineering Camp website.
WMU Esports summer camps are an introductory series to competitive Esports for students entering grades 6 through 12 in the fall. All camps are led by experienced WMU Esports coaches and staff and consist of five days going over a variety of topics that are critical to being a successful Esports competitor.
- WMU Esports Beginner Camp, June 23-27
- WMU Esports Beginner Camp, June 7-11
- WMU Esports Advanced Camp, July 14-18
WMU GEAR UP is excited to take students to Atlanta or Philadelphia to be exposed to different college and career opportunities, as well as see the sights and take in the local history and culture.
- Atlanta: June 23-26, 2025
- Philadelphia: July 28 - 31, 2025
Students currently in the 11th grade at Benton Harbor, Fennville, Hartford and Kalamazoo Central High Schools are eligible to apply.
Applicants and their legal parents/guardians must complete a summer tour application and an interview to be considered.
All costs, meals, housing, and group development activities are provided by the program.
Applications are available now, please contact Ariel Ringo at ariel.ringo@wmich.edu or (269) 387-3366.
The Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project is seeking enthusiastic participants to join Western Michigan University (WMU) in excavating and uncovering the history of Fort St. Joseph. Campers will learn about archaeology and the history of Fort St. Joseph at the Niles District Library. In addition, they will perform lab activities and excavate at the site alongside WMU archaeologists and students.
- July 14-18: Entering Grades 6-8 ($175)
- July 21-25: Entering Grades 9-12 ($175)
- July 28-August 1: Lifelong Learners ($175)
- July 29-August 1: Experienced Learners ($125)
The week-long Dollars and Sense camp is designed to help students prepare for the future and learn how to manage money. Camp attendees will have the opportunity to:
- Discover career pathways.
- Plan for college or a skilled trade.
- Build a financial plan to fund post-secondary education.
- Practice budgeting, saving and investing.
- Learn about cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies.
- Explore insurance and risk management.
- Gain knowledge about real estate.
- Compete in virtual investing, budget and other personal finance games.
- Meet business professionals and interact with real-world work environments, learning from experts.
- Create a life cycle plan that takes campers from high school through retirement.
The ultimate goal is for your student to understand and apply basic concepts in personal finance, such as budgeting, paying for education, saving for retirement and more. Content is taught by experts from the private sector and the Haworth College of Business Department of Finance and Commercial Law. Each module is discussion-based and designed to be fun and engaging. Participants will have the opportunity to make presentations to financial professionals demonstrating the knowledge they have learned. There will be giveaways for campers who attend all sessions.
Camp will be held August 4-8 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. for students in 7th - 12th grade. Register now!
The primary goals of WIRE math and science camp were for students to:
(1) gain a deeper understanding of math and science
(2) focus on number theory, number sense and algebraic expression
(3) increase confidence by reducing the fear and anxiety of math and science
(4) reduce the summer slide – the typical loss of between 25 percent and 33 percent of what was learned the previous year during the summer by not engaging in academic activities.
Camp available for students in grades 3-8 and is held from June 23 - July 25. Registration will be open soon.
We will be offering a Writing the College Admissions Essay Workshop for students entering their senior year (2025-26). There will be several separate sessions of this class - some online and some in-person. To see the dates, click on Register Now.
Surviving mobs of zombies and creepers in a game is one thing, but do you have real-life skills? Test yourself with daily challenges and learn the science of survival. Design and build shelters, create fires, produce drinking water and more. Team up with other survivors and see if you have what it takes. Led by Jenny Metz Brenneman. Grades 6-9, July 7-11, 9 a.m.-noon. There is a $10 materials fee for this camp. Registration is open.
Students are introduced to the basics of building virtual reality worlds and environments that are compatible with VR devices, including smart-phone VR headsets! Understand how to create, place, and manipulate objects using computer programs and groups of coding provided by the instructor. Note: this is a coding camp, not a gaming camp. Led by Marty Trautman. Grades 6-9, June 23-27, 1-4 p.m. Registration is open.
Students experience chess instruction and play in a fun-filled environment designed to improve their skills whether they are interested in casual or competitive chess. This program includes a mix of instruction (students are expected to understand the basic rules of chess and play somewhat regularly) and play time. Historic and competitive end games and openings will be taught. Led by Tim McGrew. Grades 6-9, June 16-20 or June 23-27, 1 to 4 p.m. Registration is open.
Hand-lettering is an art form in which letters are constructed individually and illustrated by hand. Create a variety of projects such as signs, greeting cards, prints, and more. Like calligraphy – but different! Students will learn how to write letters in a variety of styles and how to embellish and illustrate their work. Neat handwriting not required. Led by Ashley Koch. Grades 6-9, June 16-20, 9 a.m.-noon. A $10 materials fee is included. Registration is open.
Scratch is a computer program that uses block-like puzzle pieces to enhance learning the core concepts of computer programming. Utilize a programming language designed to produce rich, interactive media while developing important 21st century skills. Work at your own pace to create an original animation or game. Led by Marty Trautman. Grades 6-9. July 7-11, 1-4 p.m. Registration is open.
Like solving math problems and puzzles? Want to participate in math competitions? This camp is ideal for students who enjoy math and solving challenging problems. The course will introduce students to a few of the concepts and approaches of solving competition math puzzles. Examples of these are seen in MATHCOUNTS, AMC, the Art of Problem Solving and other national math contests. Led by Ashley Koch. Grades 6-9, June 23-27, 9 a.m. to noon. Registration is open.
How do spies do it? How do cryptographers break codes and discover the secrets of the enemy? Discover the origins of encoding, create new codes, and decode the projects of your fellow students! Using basic mathematics and modular arithmetic, raise the level of your math skills and math reasoning, all while channeling your inner Alan Turing. Led by Marty Trautman. Grades 6-9, July 14-18, 1-4 p.m. Registration is open.
Students will work together to make 3D video games in the new Virtual Imaging Technology Lab at WMU's College of Fine Arts. Students will use Unity software to build their game environment, use the lab's Optitrack motion capture system to record movements, and put it all together into their own game. Finished games will played on a 28' LED wall. Led by Kevin Abbott and Lab Staff. Grades 8-9 only, July 14-18, 1-4 p.m. Registration is open.
Dip your paws into this fascinating world! A hands-on exploration of veterinary medicine includes animal behavior and handling, species differences in anatomy and physiology, laboratory procedures, and careers, with plenty of time for real-life case discussions and questions. If you’ve ever considered being a veterinarian, or just love animals and science, this camp is for you! Led by Eva Rand. Grades 6-9, July 7-11, 1 to 4 p.m. Registration is open.
We will turn our computers into live, interactive, musical instruments, creating sounds from scratch and then hacking into the computer to remap the keyboard and trackpad to trigger the sounds. Sometimes we repurpose game controllers or even tilt the laptop side-to-side! Neither previous experience with computer programming or musical performance is required. Computers and other materials will be provided. Led by David Loberg Code. Grades 6-9, July 7-11, 9 a.m. to noon. Registration is open.
Each day we’ll read an excerpt from a play, then design the makeup for one of the characters. Students will learn how to design and apply makeup for old age, opposite gender, vampire gore, animal and insect, and fantasy characters. At the end of each day, students will come home looking like someone new! This class is great for students interested in theater or just for fun. Led by Nikki Dobos. Grades 6-9, June 16-20, 9 a.m. to noon. Additional $15 materials fee. Registration is open.
What legacy did William Shakespeare leave? Four centuries later we still think about acting, stagecraft, and poetry through his original works! Come explore language, history, and performance to understand the importance of Shakespeare in modern theatre and learn more about the Bard through the very words he left behind. Whether you want to be actor or playwright or just like to play with words, this camp is for you! Led by Patrick Poole. Grades 6-9, June 16-20, 1-4 p.m.