CSU Spur programs 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 program opportunities that combine grade-level learning with hands-on fun!
Scholarships are available for all programs. Priority will be given to students from the 80216 zip code.
Check out programs offered in 2025, or learn more about K-12 summer program offerings at CSU Fort Collins.
Questions? For more information, please email [email protected].
Interested in summer 2025 programming?
Registration for Summer 2025 will open Jan. 3. Click the link to be notified of next year’s opportunities and registration dates.
2025 summer programs at CSU Spur
CSU YOUTH SPORT CAMPS
Ages 5-12 | 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 5-12 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 9-Aug. 15, 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.
*All weekly sessions are currently full; join the waitlist at the link below. If you have a question about your child’s registration or application status, please contact the Youth Sport Camps team at [email protected].
CENTER STAGE YOUTH ART CAMP
Ages 8-13 | Aug. 4-8 or 11-15 | 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 Aug. 4-8 or Aug. 11-15 at CSU Spur in Denver. The cost is $300 per student.
ENGINEERING YOUR WORLD
Ages 12-14 | June 16-20 | 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 16-20 at CSU Spur in Denver. Cost is $500 per participant, and scholarships are available.
*This camp is currently full; join the waitlist at the link below.
EL SISTEMA COLORADO’S SUMMER STRING FESTIVAL
Ages 12-18 | July 21-27 | 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.
In this FREE 7-day symphonic extravaganza, string musicians ages 12-18 will explore topics like leadership, social awareness, identity, and more – all through the joyful pursuit of musical excellence. Students will explore their music passion through orchestra rehearsals, instrument-based yoga and wellness sessions, electives like music history and improvisation, and conducting masterclasses. The festival will feature daily performances from El Sistema Colorado‘s faculty and guest artists. This is an intermediate/ advanced week-long day camp experience – musicians must be capable of performing grade 2 orchestra music and above. No audition is necessary, but a reference from a music teacher/mentor is required on the application. This summer program is offered July 21-27 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.
VENTURE VALIDATOR SUMMER PROGRAM
Ages 12-16 | June 9-13 | 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
The Venture Validator Summer Camp is a week-long, half-day (morning) program hosted by the CSU College of Business Institute for Entrepreneurship and is designed for ages 12-16, or rising 7th-10th grade students, to explore what it takes to become an entrepreneur. Throughout the program, students will delve into real-world challenges they’ve personally identified. They will learn entrepreneurship and design thinking tools to develop a business idea to tackle these challenges head-on. The program culminates with students presenting their ideas to a panel, honing their pitching abilities! This summer program is offered June 9-13 at CSU Spur in Denver. Cost is $75 per participant; scholarships for students who live in or attend school in the 80216 zip code are available. Students who register for Venture Validator qualify for a $50 discount to the Design Thinking afternoon camp offered the same week.
DESIGN THINKING SUMMER PROGRAM
Ages 12-18 | June 9-13 | 1-4:30 p.m.
CSU’s Nancy Richardson Design Center is offering a week-long, half-day (afternoon) program for ages 12-18, or rising 7th-12th grade students, centered on design thinking. Students will learn how to use the design thinking process and develop tools that help guide innovation. Each day will focus on learning tools associated with the 5 stages of design thinking – empathizing, defining, ideating, prototyping, and testing – allowing students the opportunity to gain creative thinking skills they can apply in their own life. This summer program is offered June 9-13 at CSU Spur in Denver. Cost is $75 per participant or $25 if the participant has already registered for the Venture Validator program in the mornings that same week; scholarships for students who live in or attend school in the 80216 zip code are available.
ECO FASHION FUNDAMENTALS: FOCUS ON FIBERS
Ages 12-14 | June 9-13 | 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Eco-Fashion FUNdamentals: Focus on Fibers (E-4F) is a week-long STEM enrichment program for students ages 12-14 or rising 6-8 graders that focuses on the environmental impact of textile and apparel production and consumption, by exploring the socially responsible raising of sheep/organic fibers, use of natural dyes, creation of low-impact yarns and textiles, and sustainable purchasing behaviors. The program will engage students in STEM learning through lessons on fiber and textile science, water science, yarn formation, finishing, and felting, digital textile design and printing, and product costing and pricing. Program highlights will include a visit to a Colorado sheep farm; social activities that build self-confidence, such as healthy cooking, creative movement, and body positivity; and a showcase reception for family and friends. This summer program is offered June 9-13 at CSU Spur in Denver. Cost is FREE; priority is given to students who live or go to school in the 80216 zip code.
*This camp is currently full; join the waitlist at the link below.
DRONE AVIATION SUMMER PROGRAM
Ages 14-18 | June 23-27, July 7-11, or July 21-25 | 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 FREE; 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 16, and those who are accepted will complete the registration process at that time.
*These sessions are full for 2025.
CSU SPUR CYBERCAMP
Ages 14-18 | July 14-18 | 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Are you a high school student interested in cybersecurity? CSU’s Cybersecurity Center is hosting a FREE one-week introductory cybersecurity camp for students ages 14-18! If you want to learn the basics of cybersecurity and don’t know where to start, this camp is for you. The program curriculum is designed by cybersecurity professors and graduate students to inspire students toward careers in cybersecurity. You will be introduced to the fundamentals of cybersecurity, including classroom learning supplemented with online and hands-on activities and resources you can take home to build your skills. Industry experts in cybersecurity will share their experiences in cyber and give you a unique understanding of career opportunities in the field. Cost is FREE; priority is given to students who live or go to school in the 80216 zip code. Applications are accepted through April 1, 2025. Applicants will be notified of the status of their application in early April.
*This camp is full for 2025.
Hours
Monday-Friday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
2nd Saturday of every month: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. (closed all other Saturdays)
Closed Sundays
Location
4777 National Western Dr.,
Denver, CO 80216
© 2025 Colorado State University System.
All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy | Equal Opportunity Statement
TONY FRANK
Chancellor, CSU System
Dr. Tony Frank is the Chancellor of the CSU System. He previously served for 11 years as the 14th president of CSU in Fort Collins. Dr. Frank earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Wartburg College, followed by a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. and residencies in pathology and toxicology at Purdue. Prior to his appointment as CSU’s president in 2008, he served as the University’s provost and executive vice president, vice president for research, chairman of the Pathology Department, and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He was appointed to a dual role as Chancellor in 2015 and became full-time System chancellor in July 2019.
Dr. Frank serves on a number of state and national boards, has authored and co-authored numerous scientific publications, and has been honored with state and national awards for his leadership in higher education.
Dr. Frank and his wife, Dr. Patti Helper, have three daughters.
It’s our anniversary!
It’s our anniversary! CSU Spur has been fully open to the public, sharing hands-on, family-friendly activities around food, water, and health for two years. Join us on Saturday, Jan. 11, for 2nd Saturday activities, including desserts, a mariachi performance, face painters, horses on treadmills, veterinarians in surgery, scientists in labs, and more. The celebration is from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and CSU Spur will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; no registration required, all public activities are free.
2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is presented by Canvas Credit Union.
JOCELYN HITTLE
Associate Vice President for CSU Spur, Colorado State University
Jocelyn Hittle is primarily focused on the CSU Spur campus at the National Western Center, and on supporting sustainability goals across CSU’s campuses. She sits on the Denver Mayor’s Sustainability Advisory Council, on the Advisory Committee for the Coors Western Art Show, and is a technical advisor for the AASHE STARS program.
Prior to joining CSU, Jocelyn was the Associate Director of PlaceMatters, a national urban planning think tank, and worked for the Orton Family Foundation. She has a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton, and a Masters in Environmental Management from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
Jocelyn grew up in Colorado and spends her free time in the mountains or exploring Denver.
We’ll see you Saturday!
2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. this Saturday (May 10), and we’re celebrating Mother’s Day with all kinds of spring activities, including mariachi performances, songwriting labs, a Temple Grandin Equine Center equine-assisted therapy demonstration, a visit from the Sci on the Fly truck, and more!