High School Students Get a Glimpse of College Life at UIndy Summer Success Camp

Written by Troi Watts

In June, the University of Indianapolis hosted more than 80 high school students from Perry Township on campus for the Second Annual UIndy Summer Success Camp. The Summer Success Camp, offered at no-cost to students thanks to a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., offers attendees the opportunity to learn more about college life with the goal of encouraging more students to pursue higher education. 

The Summer Success Camp featured a week’s worth of exciting activities to expose students to a variety of topics, such as STEM, arts and humanities, business and healthcare, to help find their interests and explore future college majors. The camp was made possible by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., through its initiative Indiana Youth Programs on Campus.

This year’s Summer Success Camp included visits to several notable organizations, including the Madam Walker Legacy Center, Citizens Energy, and the Kohl’s Distribution Center. Representatives of the Indiana Respiratory Therapy Education Consortium also visited the students on campus to share insights on the healthcare industry through hands-on lessons and activities.

In addition to field trips to Indianapolis-area organizations, the students also participated in activities on campus, such as vision casting sessions, career interest exploration, and first resume creation. Led by staff from the Stephen F. Fry Professional Edge Center, these activities were designed to not only encourage the students to realize their future career and education goals, but also to allow them to experience UIndy’s campus as they spent the week living in UIndy’s residence halls, dining in the Ober Dining Hall, and enjoying other campus spaces.

“The most impactful part of the Summer Success Camp for my daughter was meeting college peers because she loved hearing about college experiences and what to expect,” said one parent.

About a dozen of this year’s 82 students were eligible and chose to return from last year’s Summer Success Camp. By returning for a second year, these students were able to build upon the experiences they had on UIndy’s campus last year and to reconnect with their peers.

After completing the Summer Success Camp, students received a $200 check to assist with potential lost working wages or family obligations that attending camp impacted. 

“The Indiana Youth Programs on Campus grant from Lilly Endowment that we received is all about breaking barriers and helping youth and young adults see that college can be a place for them, if they choose,” said Rebecca Franks, the UIndy Summer Success Camp Director. “While camp is full of fun activities and events, we continue to hear that the most impactful parts of camp are the relationships. For these efforts to be effective, it is crucial that campers interact with current college students that look like them or have similar lived experiences. To that point, the current UIndy students that fill the role of our camp counselors contribute largely to the continued success of this program and campers’ desires to return. From the counselors, to the staff and faculty that assist in preparing and executing this camp, Summer Success Camp truly gives these high school students an opportunity to see and feel what the UIndy community has to offer.”