CSU Spur camps are designed to meet the interests of young learners, ages 5-18. Whether your student is interested in science, animals, or the arts, CSU Spur offers rotating camp opportunities that combine grade-level learning with hands-on fun!
Scholarships are available for all camps. Priority will be given to students from the 80216 zip code.
Camps below are hosted at CSU Spur. Learn more about K-12 summer camp offerings at CSU Fort Collins. Questions? For more information, please email [email protected].
Interested in 2027 summer camps?
Registration for Summer 2027 will open in January. Click the link to be notified of next year’s opportunities and registration dates.
2026 camps at CSU Spur
Spring break camps
HANDS-ON HISTORY: PAWS AND CLAWS
Grades 1-5 | March 30-April 3 | 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Campers dive into Colorado’s history through the lens of its native wildlife! From exploring and creating, campers will have the opportunity to learn about the history and importance of animals in the state. This immersive experience connects wildlife, people, and place for a wild week of learning and fun! This Spring Break camp is offered March 30-April 3 at CSU Spur in Denver. The cost is $300 per student, and discounts are available.
CSU YOUTH SPORT CAMPS
Ages 5-13 | Weekly (Monday-Friday) | 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
CSU Youth Sport Camps are back for another fun-filled summer at CSU Spur in Denver! YSC aims to promote health in children while encouraging them to have fun. Programs run Monday-Friday, and kids ages 5-13 can participate in a range of activities, including various sports, learning about animals, where our food comes from, and water in our environment. Campers will also have the opportunity to take a field trip up to Fort Collins for a day! This summer program is offered weekly, June 1-Aug. 14 (no camps the week of June 29), at the Johnson Recreation Center and CSU Spur in Denver. Cost is FREE*; priority is given to students who live or go to school in the 80216 zip code.
*If selected to register for a camp, there is a required $50 deposit that will be refunded after your child completes the camp.
All sessions are full.
HANDS-ON HISTORY CAMPS
Ages 6-10 | July 13-17, July 20-24, July 27-31, or Aug. 3-7 | 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Join us for Hands-On History camp in partnership with History Colorado! Hands-On History provides safe, engaging learning opportunities for elementary school children entering grades 1-5. Each week offers a different theme. Each camp is hosted at CSU Spur in Denver. Cost is $350 per student per week; discounts and scholarships are available for students who live in or attend school in the 80216 zip code.
- Week 1 (July 13-17): Plants! Let’s Grow Together
- Week 2 (July 20-24): Create! Arts & Innovation
- Week 3 (July 27-31): Explore! The Elements in Colorado
- Week 4 (August 3-7): Thrive! Life in Colorado
LEADER LAUNCH WORKSHOP
Ages 8-12 | June 4 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Leader Launch is a one-day workshop hosted by the CSU College of Business Institute for Entrepreneurship and is designed for ages 8-12 (rising 3rd-6th grade students) to explore their strengths and build real-world leadership skills. Students will complete the Clifton StrengthsExplorer assessment for youth, discover their top strengths, and learn how to use them to work in teams, think like entrepreneurs, and make an impact in their communities. This summer program is offered June 4 at CSU Spur in Denver. Cost is $39 per participant; scholarships for students who live in or attend school in the 80216 zip code are available.
This summer program is full.
CENTER STAGE YOUTH ART CAMP
Ages 8-13 | June 1-5 or 8-12 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
CSU’s School of Music, Theatre and Dance offers two sessions of a one-week summer day camp (Monday-Friday) for elementary school students ages 8-13. Over the course of the week, students will be introduced to the foundations of theatre by CSU faculty members, CSU Theatre and Dance students, and invited guest artists. Students will act, sing, and dance all week, and at the end of the week, parents, friends, and the community will be invited to watch them showcase their talents and celebrate their achievements. This summer program is offered June 1-5 or June 8-12 at CSU Spur in Denver. The cost is $300 per student; scholarships are available.
This summer program is full.
UPCYCLE FASHION CAMP
Ages 10-13 | June 8-12 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Fashion isn’t just something we wear; it’s a living system that connects the earth. Campers will explore how creativity, curiosity, and technology come together to give new life to old materials. They will learn eco-printing, natural dyeing, and patchwork, and begin to see fashion not as disposable, but as a cycle of ideas and possibilities. Campers will practice creative writing and communication while participating in industry tours that reveal how fashion connects to nature, the wearer, and innovation. By the end of the week, campers will develop a deeper understanding of how design can shape a thoughtful and sustainable fashion future. This summer program is offered June 8-12 at CSU Spur in Denver. Cost is $400 per camper (lunch and materials included). A limited number of scholarships for students who live in or attend school in the 80216 zip code are available.
This summer program is full.
ENGINEERING YOUR WORLD
Ages 12-14 | June 1-5 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
CSU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering will host a week-long (Monday-Friday) STEM summer program offering fun and engaging activities designed to simulate a collaborative laboratory environment. This program is for ages 12-14, or rising 7th-9th graders. Students will engage in hands-on projects exploring the fields of mechanical, civil, electrical, chemical, and biological engineering. In past programs, students have designed, constructed, and tested spaghetti bridges, prosthetic legs, and a Mars lander egg drop. This summer program is offered June 1-5 at CSU Spur in Denver. Cost is $500 per participant, and scholarships are available.
This summer program is full.
EL SISTEMA COLORADO’S SUMMER STRING FESTIVAL
Ages 12-18 | July 20-25 | 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
El Sistema Colorado’s Summer String Festival is a FREE intensive instrumental music experience open to late elementary, middle school, and high school string musicians. This symphonic extravaganza explores topics like leadership, wellness, equity, social awareness, identity, belonging, personal artistry, and much more – all through the joyful pursuit of musical excellence. Orchestra rehearsals, instrument-based yoga and wellness sessions, electives like music history and improvisation, and conducting masterclasses will allow young musicians to explore every aspect of their passion for music. Recitals from El Sistema Colorado’s extraordinary faculty, international guest faculty, and renowned BIPOC guest artists will round out an experience that, ultimately, will give musicians the agency, confidence, and voice to contribute to their communities in a positive and meaningful way. This summer program is offered July 20-25 at CSU Spur in Denver. Cost is FREE; priority is given to applicants from “low” and “very low” socioeconomic backgrounds as defined by the state and federal income guidelines, and to students who live or go to school in the 80216 zip code.
BRING YOUR IDEAS TO LIFE
Ages 12-18 | June 8-12 | 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
CSU’s Nancy Richardson Design Center and College of Business Institute for Entrepreneurship are offering a week-long, half-day program for ages 12-18, or rising 7th – 12th grade students. Students will explore the fundamentals of design thinking and entrepreneurship in a collaborative, hands-on environment. Throughout the week, students will discover what it takes to become an entrepreneur while thoughtfully exploring, designing, and prototyping solutions to real-world problems that could be turned into a future business product or service. Additionally, students will spend time in the Makerspace, where they will learn how to use a variety of crafty tools and technologies to bring their ideas to life. This summer program is offered June 8-12 at CSU Spur in Denver. Cost is $100 per participant; scholarships for students who live in or attend school in the 80216 zip code are available.
This summer program is full.
FASHION CAMP: DESIGN FOR THE OUTDOORS
Ages 13-18 | June 22-26 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Are you passionate about the outdoors, fashion, functional design, or protecting the planet? This camp is for you! Campers ages 13-18 will explore how fashion, function, and sustainability come together in designing apparel and accessories for the outdoors. Through hands-on projects, industry tours, field inspiration, and creative design challenges, campers will translate inspiration, performance needs, and sustainable design principles, such as circularity, material innovation, and waste reduction, into wearable innovation. This camp offers an exciting introduction to the world of outdoor apparel and accessories, and a great head start for students considering college majors or careers in fashion, outdoor products, design, or sustainability. Campers will present their final projects at a celebratory end-of-week open house. This summer program is offered June 22-26 at CSU Spur in Denver. Cost is $350 per camper (lunch and materials included). A limited number of scholarships for students who live in or attend school in the 80216 zip code are available.
This summer program is full.
DRONE AVIATION SUMMER PROGRAM
Ages 14-18 | June 22-26, July 6-10, or July 20-24 | 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
CSU and the CSU Drone Center, in collaboration with CSU Spur and the Colorado Air & Space Port, are hosting three different week-long sessions of a summer program for Denver high school students and instructors. Spend five days at the CSU Spur campus, and attend the immersive CSU Drone Flight School, where you’ll learn to fly many types of uncrewed aircraft and gain the knowledge and experience necessary to pass the FAA Part 107 exam and be certified as a remote pilot! Curriculum includes classroom instruction, actual hands-on flight time, engaging lectures and breakout sessions, and real-world mission-planning scenarios with our UAV aircraft. Cost is $199 per participant; scholarships are available, and priority is given to students who live or go to school in the 80216 zip code. Applications are accepted through May 1. Applicants will be notified of the status of their application by May 15, and those who are accepted will complete the registration process at that time.
This summer program is full.
KAREN SCHLATTER
Director, Colorado Water Center
Karen Schlatter was appointed director of the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University in 2025, after joining the Center as associate director in 2023. Schlatter brings academic, nonprofit, and public sector experience in managing complex water challenges with a deep commitment to building partnerships and the ability to engage in conversations across Colorado’s water community. She joined CSU from the University of Florida Water Institute where her work included facilitating multi-stakeholder/academic teams to achieve shared goals around water management through collaborative, interdisciplinary research. Prior to her role at UF, she served as associate director of the Colorado River Delta Program at the Sonoran Institute, where she focused on building cross-sector and international partnerships to support large-scale ecological restoration, effective binational water management, and community engagement in the Colorado River Delta region. Schlatter earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from McGill University and a Master of Science in environmental studies from the University of Colorado Boulder. She served as an agricultural extension volunteer in the Peace Corps in Paraguay.
TOM VILSACK
Chief Executive Officer, World Food Prize Foundation
Effective March 1, 2025, Thomas J. Vilsack, former United States Secretary of Agriculture and Governor of Iowa, will become the first Chief Executive Officer for the World Food Prize Foundation. In this new role, Governor Vilsack will focus on expanding the Foundation’s global network, and will further position the Foundation as a leader in addressing global food and nutrition insecurity, continuing his lifetime of public service.
In 1998, he became the first Democrat to be elected as the Governor of Iowa in more than 30 years. During his two terms as Governor, he created an $800 million, 10-year economic development incentive program—the Iowa Values Fund. His administration worked with schools, medical providers, businesses, faith-based organizations and other entities to expand healthcare coverage to more than 90,000 previously uninsured children.
He became the 30th and 32nd United States Secretary of Agriculture, from 2008-2017 and 2021-2025, respectively. Only five people in U.S. history have served in the Cabinet longer, and during his tenures, the United States Department of Agriculture set records for U.S. agricultural exports and provided food assistance to millions of Americans. He helped expand food and nutrition access through summer feeding programs for children and additional support for fruit and vegetable purchases through the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. As Secretary, he worked to develop new and superior markets for small and mid-sized farms, allowing those operations to remain viable and in turn, strengthening and growing rural communities.
Governor Vilsack has long been connected to the World Food Prize Foundation, having served on both the Council of Advisors and the Board of Directors. His insights and acumen were vital in shaping our mission and initiatives. His leadership and experience will be instrumental in expanding the Foundation’s international reach and continuing the mission of elevating innovations and inspiring action to sustainably increase the quality, quantity and availability of food for all.
Celebrate the Fourth of July at Spur!
CSU Spur is hosting its first Fourth of July party! Join us at 5:30 p.m. on July 4 for a live DJ, local barbecue, activities for kids, and a view of celebrations across the city from the Terra rooftop.
Tickets are $5.
We’ll see you Saturday!
2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. this Saturday (Aug. 8), and this month, the theme is Back to School Bash. Join us to make your own pencil pouch, pick up some school supplies, and participate in hands-on STEM activities and experiences designed to spark curiosity in learners of all ages.