Liberty campus abuzz with variety of summer camps for youth

While most residential classes are not in session over the summer, Liberty University’s state-of-the art academics and athletics facilities do not stay quiet. Thousands of young people from around the country and even overseas have been attending summer camps run by Liberty faculty, coaches, and student volunteers. Campers have been getting a taste of college life as they learn about Liberty’s mission to Train Champions for Christ who can excel in the classroom, on the field, in laboratories, on stage or on screen, and anywhere else God leads them.

The university offered 12 academic camps this summer, starting in late May with the School of Nursing’s annual Nurse Camp. For three days, 45 high school students participated in hands-on simulations using the school’s outstanding technology and lab facilities to learn many aspects of nursing, including obstetrics, musculoskeletal care, and “code blue” responses in a hospital setting. They also took part in “Good Samaritan” situations while walking around campus, coming across staged patients experiencing heat exhaustion, a stroke, choking, or sprained ankles. In addition to LUSON faculty, 43 senior nursing students assisted in all activities and answered questions about the nursing student experience.

“The campers always want to do more and more nursing things each time we survey them, and so we’ve really tried to make it interactive, hands-on, and at a level that it piques their interest while not being too difficult,” Executive Director of Simulation for LUSON Lisa Foote said. “We really demonstrate what Liberty is about. We embed Christ into it and talk about how we are the hands and feet of Christ, and we talk about nursing as a ministry.”

The second annual Summer Science Camp, facilitated by the Department of Biology & Chemistry from June 20-28, provided participants a week of hands-on experience in the university’s laboratories for studies in cell biology, chemistry, genetics, Geographic Information Science, microbiology, forensic science, and more. The 26 campers, who ranged from rising high school freshmen to rising college freshmen, learned their blood type, participated in a mock crime scene, toured Liberty’s cadaver lab and zoology lab, and heard from current students about what it’s like to study science at LU.

“Summer Science Camp exposes our campers to a wide variety of areas of laboratory and field-based sciences, and they get to experience the scientific process of posing questions, running experiments, and — sometimes patiently — waiting for results,” Assistant Professor of Biology and camp director Dr. Lara Hedrick said. “Many campers know they love science but are unsure what their passion or career may look like, and our program gives them a chance to experience the biology and chemistry degrees Liberty has to offer as well as get a glimpse of what it is like to study under the mentorship of Christ-loving faculty, mentors, and staff.”

For students who are drawn to the stage or the screen, the School of Communication & the Arts held its Uncut Camp series throughout the month of June, with a record 415 campers participating in theatre, film, or dance camps at the high school, middle school, or elementary level. The camps were taught by current faculty and aided by current students, all with a dedication to excellence in the arts for the glory of God. About 110 high school students who have an interest in becoming a voice-over and audio professional are currently participating in Sonic-Con Uncut, which connects campers with industry guests for masterclasses, presentations, and collaborative activities that coincide with Sonic-Con, an audio theatre convention being held on campus this week.

The School of Aeronautics offered two, four-day Aviation Maintenance Technician camps in June, with 24 high school students selected out of more than 100 applicants from across the United States and around the world.

David Blanton, director of maintenance training for the Aviation Maintenance Technician Program, oversaw the camps, introducing students to career possibilities through hands-on lessons in safety wiring, sheet metal work, riveting, and more. Campers had the opportunity to power up a PT6 turbine engine and utilize the simulator center in DeMoss Hall. They also went on field trips to Samaritan Aviation in Greensboro, N.C.; GE Aerospace in Durham, N.C.; and Dynamic Aviation in Bridgewater, Va.

Then, from June 22-25, 18 students learned to operate Unmanned Aerial Systems, specifically Mavic 3 Classic and Avata 2 models, during Liberty’s first-ever Drone Camp. The students paired up and took turns serving as operators and safety observers for drones they flew over open fields around campus.

UAS Operations Coordinator Gracie McCarty served as director of the camp. School of Aeronautics Director of Technology Innovations Kevin Martin was the camp’s primary ground instructor, Associate Director of UAS Operations Braydon Johson served as the primary flight instructor, and Michael Verbosky (’25) was the primary simulator instructor.

Students were required to have Trust Recreational UAS safety test completion certificates. They learned how to become commercially rated operators and heard from industry professionals about how operators are needed in myriad fields including cinematics, emergency response, real estate, mapping, and 3D modeling.

“Our main goal was to get students excited for drone activities, to learn about the future of UAS operation, and to give them hands-on experience so they can determine if this is a route they want to pursue in the future,” McCarty said.

The high-caliber facilities and personnel of Liberty’s Division I NCAA and Club Sports programs were also utilized for 18 athletics-related camps this summer. Camps were held for different age groups. Division I programs offered football, basketball, softball, track & field, golf, and more. The Club Sports program welcomed campers to Liberty’s unique recreational venues on Liberty Mountain, from horse-riding day camps at the Liberty Mountain Equestrian Center, to skiing and snowboarding at the Liberty Mountain Snowflex Centre, multiple levels of hockey in the LaHaye Ice Center, and more.

In addition to Liberty-sponsored camps, several outside organizations choose to hold their camps at Liberty each summer, making use of its state-of-the-art facilities and accommodations to support their initiatives. This summer, nearly 5,000 guests were expected for eight camps. Organizations and ministries included the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Lifeway Christian Resources’ student life camp and FUGE camp, Go Tell Ministries, and Church at the Mill’s United Camp.