UCSD Youth Camps and Enrichment Programs

Find out about summer and year-round UCSD camps and enrichment programs for children and teens.

These camps and programs held at UCSD are open to children of staff, faculty, students, returning families, and the community.

In the right place? You can also see a list of Summer Camp Programs at UCSD which are not necessarily sponsored by the university.

• Summer Session, grades 9–12
• Students may choose from lower division courses (1-99) offered during two 5-week sessions to:
  • Get an early start on a college career
  • Fulfill 1 year of language in only 6 weeks
  • Take courses to prepare for Fall Quarter
  • Accelerate time to graduate

• Academic Connections, grades 9–12
  • Residential and non-residential program
  • Pre-college summer program
  • Hands-on college subject matter courses
  • Low student-to-teacher ratio
  • Online application

• COSMOS, grades 8–12
  • Residential academic experience for top high school students in mathematics and science
  • See individual campus program information:
    • UC San Diego
    • UC Davis
    • UC Irvine
    • UC Santa Cruz

• Knock Around Camps, ages 5 and up
  • Sponsored by UCSD Recreation
  • June through August
  • Includes general camps plus leadership, sports, and beach camps
  • Download a brochure/ registration form (PDF).

• La Jolla Playhouse
  • Programs:
    • Conservatory, grades 10–12
    • Young performers workshop, grades 2–9
    • Teen acting lab, ages 13–17

• Mission Bay Youth Watersports Camp at the Mission Bay Aquatic Center offers classes for ages 6–17:
  • Kayaking
  • Marine science
  • Sailing
  • Surfing
  • Wakeboarding
  • Waterskiing
  • Windsurfing

• San Diego Area Writing Project, grades 3–12
  • Young Writer's Camp
  • YWC — College Writing
  • YWC — The College Admission Essay

• Sea Kayak Leadership Skills, completed grades 7-9
  • July 23-27
  • In Los Arbolitos, Mexico
  • Sponsored by UCSD Recreation

• Science and Technology Summer Workshops
  • Sponsored by the UCSD Supercomputer Center
  • For middle and high school students
  • Contact Ange Mason for more details.

• Surf & Turf, completed grades 7-9
  • Surfing and horseback riding in Mexico
  • August 6-12
  • Sponsored by UCSD Recreation

• Summer Discovery @ UCSD, grades 9-12
  • Attracts high school students from across the United States and around the world
  • 5 weeks of study, learning, friendship and college living
  • Choose from more than 40 college credit and non-credit enrichment courses
  • Live on campus in a UCSD residence hall

• Summer Learning at Birch Aquarium, ages 4–15
  • Week-long camps
  • Day camps
  • Animal encounters
  • Arts and science

• UCSD Jazz Camp, ages 14 – Adult
  • Jazz history and theory
  • Improvisation workshops
  • Master classes
  • Performance ensembles
  • Jazz composition and arranging
  • Online application

• UCSD Recreation classes
  See descriptions of quarterly classes and activities for children, including:
  • Dance
  • Gymnastics
  • Martial arts
  • Sports
  • Swimming

• UCSD Sports Camps, ages 5–18
  Specialized sports camps and clinics available through UCSD:
  • Athletic performance camps
  • Baseball
  • Boys' basketball
  • Girls' basketball
  • Fencing
  • Softball
  • Swimming & diving
  • Tennis
  • Girls' volleyball
  • Girls' water polo

• Wilderness Orientation
  • Backpacking, river canoeing, sea kayaking
  • Sponsored by UCSD Recreation

Human Resources

Resources for Parents

• Babysitting
• Lactation Accommodation
• Preparing Your Child for College Admission
• Summer Camps
• Youth Camps and Enrichment
• Camps Outside of UCSD
• K-12 Schools in San Diego