In-Person Program
Kids U Summer Camps
Program Overview
Kids U features weeklong day camps during June and July for area youth in grades 3-12 (rising). The camps provide opportunities for students to explore their interests in fields ranging from art to chemistry, science to anthropology, photography to technology, STEM to LEGOs, and more.
The Kids U 2025 camps are now open for registration.
Call 865-974-0150 or email professionaled@utk.edu for assistance.
PROGRAM Details
Kids U summer camps at the University of Tennessee offer a wide range of activities and opportunities that can help your child grow and develop in various ways. Weekday camps are held for three hours in the morning or afternoon.
Our supportive camp experience can help your child develop important life skills such as teamwork, leadership, and communication. These skills will not only help your child excel in their academic and personal lives but will also boost their confidence and self-esteem.
Kids U offers a safe and welcoming environment for children to have fun and make friends. Your child will have the opportunity to learn from seasoned instructors, socialize with children from diverse backgrounds, and make lasting friendships.
.
2025 Summer Camps (By Grade)
To register for a camp, click the ‘Register Now’ button or directly on the camp title.
Camps for Students Grades 3 – 5 (Rising)
NEW! Make Your First 3D Video Game! (June 2-6)
Go well beyond the limitations of the traditional 2D game design and create an immersive 3D world. Learn the physics behind 3D games, explore beginner event scripting, level design, controlling the flow of gameplay, and storytelling.
NEW! Minecraft Redstone Engineers (June 9-13) COURSE IS FULL
Expand your Redstone knowledge by constructing your own carnival with a variety of mini-games, roller coasters, and attractions powered by Redstone. Activate your skills and take your Minecraft structures to the next level.
NEW! Junior Robotics Camp: First Lego League Explorer (June 9-13)
Learn how to build and program the engaging LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime Kit. Campers will tackle the FIRST® LEGO League Explore Challenge, sparking their curiosity and teamwork skills.
App Attack: Cloud Game Creators (June 23-27)
Build game apps you can play everywhere and anywhere using a web-based development tool. Learn in-demand skills like programming events and coding controls. Finish by personalizing levels and characters with your own design.
A.I. Adventures: Intro to Machine Learning (July 7-11)
Explore the world of artificial intelligence to design fully interactive games and experiences using cutting-edge technology. This program combines artificial intelligence with coding to create an unforgettable learning adventure.
ROBLOX Makers (July 14-18) COURSE IS FULL
Unlock the power of ROBLOX® Studio, the world creation tool used by real-world ROBLOX® developers! Learn how to build 3D models and create an adventure in your ROBLOX® world. Bring characters to life with unique animations you design.
Camps for Students Grades 4 – 6 (Rising)
The Wild World of Bugs (June 23-27)
Join us as we trap, identify, and explore the wide array of insects and other invertebrates in different habitats in Knoxville. Learn all about the secret world of insects, from their morphology to the role they play in ecosystems.
Camps for Students Grades 4 – 8 (Rising)
NEW! Lego STEM 101 (June 9-13)
Unleash your creativity and explore STEM fundamentals using LEGOS. Learn about simple machines (gears, levers, and pulleys), architecture, robotics, and design. Ideal for budding engineers, this camp inspires problem-solving, teamwork, and innovation.
Sumo Robotics Wrestling (June 23-27)
Design, build, and program your own LEGO® SPIKE™ Prime robot to compete in exciting sumo-style battles. You’ll explore essential programming techniques, learn how to integrate sensors for smarter robot behavior, and unleash your creativity to design a robot that dominates the competition.
Camps for Students Grades 4 – 9 (Rising)
Lego Architecture: Exploring the Great Designs (July 7-11)
Unleash your inner architect in our LEGO® Architecture Camp, where creativity meets engineering! Recreate famous landmarks, design your own structures, and learn architectural principles such as scale, balance, and structural integrity.
NEW! Lego Spike Prime Battle Bots Competition (July 14-18) COURSE IS FULL
Design, build, and program your own competitive robot. From strategic planning to tackling challenging obstacles, you will develop engineering and coding skills. The action-packed journey includes navigating the treacherous “Pit of No Return” as part of the challenge board, testing each bot’s strength, agility, and strategy.
Camps for Students Grades 5 – 8 (Rising)
Participate in activities that support your interest in and learning of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Each day, you’ll be presented with different tasks that pose real-world problem-solving situations. As you work through these tasks, you’ll gain a better understanding of STEM content and processes.
Fun with Forensics: Adventures in Chemistry (July 14-18)
Become an investigator by exploring scientific and chemical principles and techniques used to detect criminal acts. Examine synthetic blood, trace evidence, organize and record data, think critically, conduct simple tests, and combine your data to solve a crime.
Camps for Students Grades 6 – 8 (Rising)
Krav Maga Self Defense (June 2-6)
Learn a practical and realistic self-defense system that teaches you how to prevent, deal with, and overcome all kinds of situations. You’ll prepare in the subjects of self-defense, self-protection, and environmental awareness.
Veterinary Medicine: Behind the Scenes (June 2-6) COURSE IS FULL
Learn about a wide range of topics related to veterinary medicine, including routine animal healthcare and how to properly perform non-invasive procedures. You’ll also explore pathways to a career in veterinary medicine.
NEW! Flora Quest: Exploring Plant Diversity (July 14-18)
Embark on an exciting journey of discovery as we explore the amazing diversity of plants all around us. Create your own mini plant collection with the opportunity to contribute your best specimens to the UT Herbarium. Deepen your understanding of the diverse world of plants and grow your appreciation for the natural world.
Camps for Students Grades 6 – 9 (Rising)
Innocent or Guilty: How Do You Plead? (July 14-18) COURSE IS FULL
This is a weeklong mock trial class for middle school-age students. Basic courtroom procedures will be reviewed and practiced through fictional cases. You will demonstrate our new skills in a mock trial setting on Friday.
Camps for Students Grades 6 – 10 (Rising)
NEW! Make Your First 3D Video Game! (June 2-6) COURSE IS FULL
Go well beyond the limitations of the traditional 2D game design and create an immersive 3D world. Learn the physics behind 3D games, explore beginner event scripting, level design, controlling the flow of gameplay, and storytelling.
NEW! 3D Game Design with Unity (June 9-13)
Are you ready to take your game design skills to another level? With Unity, an industry-grade design software, aspiring game designers will learn level editing, 3D modeling, impactful gameplay creation, as well as how to utilize scripts and variables.
App Attack: Cloud Game Creators (June 23-27)
Build game apps you can play everywhere and anywhere using a web-based development tool. Learn in-demand skills like programming events and coding controls for a touch screen or keyboard and mouse. Finish by personalizing levels and characters with your own design.
A.I. Adventures: Intro to Machine Learning (July 7-11) COURSE IS FULL
Explore the world of artificial intelligence to design fully interactive games and experiences using cutting-edge technology. This program combines artificial intelligence with coding to create an unforgettable learning adventure.
Unlock the power of ROBLOX® Studio, the world creation tool used by real-world ROBLOX® developers! Learn how to build 3D models and create an adventure in your ROBLOX® world. Bring characters to life with unique animations you design.
Camps for Students Grades 8 – 12 (Rising)
If you love to draw and want to develop your skills, join us and discover fun new ways to create the art you desire! We’ll explore a wide variety of drawing materials, concepts, and techniques, and you’ll learn to draw both realistically and creatively from observation.
Painting with Water Media (June 23-27)
Learn how to use a variety of traditional and experimental water-based painting techniques in this exciting camp! You’ll develop your skill set and create amazing works of art based around unique concepts or ideas.
Vertebrate Zoology (July 14-18)
Join us for a fascinating look at the world of zoology: the scientific study of animals. Explore the biology and diversity of vertebrates as well as the incredible variation in feeding, locomotion, appearance, and habitats of fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Includes a field trip to Zoo Knoxville!
Relief Printmaking & Monotypes (July 14-18)
Learn how to carve and print editions of a one and two-color relief block print while using a tabletop press. You’ll learn a variety of monotype and monoprinting techniques including image transfers to create a unique and wide variety of prints.
Camps for Students Grades 9 – 12 (Rising)
ACT Prep Course & Testing (June 2-6)
This highly interactive course involves both a pre-test and post-test using actual retired ACT exams. The course review is customized for the class and uses classroom lessons, practice test questions, skill reviews, and exercises in areas of English, reading, math, and science.
Krav Maga Self Defense (June 2-6)
Learn a practical and realistic self-defense system that teaches you how to prevent, deal with, and overcome all kinds of situations. You’ll prepare in the subjects of self-defense, self-protection, and environmental awareness.
Bones, Crimes, Careers: Forensic Anthropology (June 23-27)
This is a hands-on camp designed to introduce you to Forensic Anthropology. The week consists of mini-lectures with an emphasis on applying the demonstrated techniques in a mock case. This gives the students a chance to step into the shoes of a forensic anthropologist and gain an interest and love for the career.
So You Want to be a Chef! (July 7-11)
Delve into the world of the culinary arts and learn how to become a real chef! In this camp, you’ll have the rare opportunity to work in a commercial kitchen and be trained by an American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chef. Each day you’ll prepare and consume a delicious gourmet meal and learn a new set of skills to take home with you.
NEW! Cityscape Snapshots: Intro to Photography & Editing (July 7-11)
Unlock the world of photography with our dynamic camp designed for both smartphone and DSLR enthusiasts. Dive into the art of capturing stunning images and master the essentials of editing to bring your vision to life. Discover exciting career paths and internship opportunities that await in the vibrant field of photography.
This course will discuss various organizations that practice conservation, how they do it, and how everyone can get involved in saving the planet! It will include hands-on exercises, putting you in the shoes of conservationists putting together conservation plans.
NEW! Express Yourself: Creative Writing for Teens (July 7-11)
Stretch your imagination and discover new creative writing techniques in this camp, part of the Summer Writing Academies offered by UT’s Judith Anderson Herbert Writing Center. Learn about storytelling and the craft of writing while creating your own short fiction, poetry, and personal memoir.
This highly interactive course involves both a pre-test and post-test using actual retired ACT exams. The course review is customized for the class and uses classroom lessons, practice test questions, skill reviews, and exercises in areas of English, reading, math, and science.
Applications That Slay: Writing Your Story for College Admissions Committees (July 14-18)
In this engaging and interactive camp offered as part of the Summer Writing Academies by UT’s Judith Anderson Herbert Writing Center, experienced tutors will guide participants through brainstorming ideas, crafting a compelling story, and revising it to perfection. By the end of the camp, you will have a complete essay that showcases your unique voice and sets you apart from other college and scholarship applicants.
Register your child Today
Let your child explore their interests in fields ranging from art to chemistry, science to anthropology, photography to technology, STEM to LEGOs, and more.
