MSU CARRIES EDUCATION INTO SUMMER THROUGH CAMPS, CONFERENCES Contact: Maria Giggy, University Housing, (517) 353-9330; or Kristin
Anderson, University Relations, (517) 353-8819, ander284@msu.edu 5/22/2003 EAST LANSING, Mich. - Summertime at Michigan State University means new and
diverse educational opportunities for nearly 35,000 individuals. With the camps,
conferences and summer institutes in session, attendees participate in a wide
variety of creative, educational and business-oriented programs. Summer
camps and conferences attract people of all ages from the surrounding community,
as well as the state and nation, and provide numerous opportunities to showcase
MSU's programs and allow participants to gain exposure to the university and campus
activities. "Students who start coming to MSU at age 8 or 9 and have good
camp experiences become Spartan fans for life," said Maria Giggy, University Housing
conference coordinator. "The theme of each camp or conference may vary, but they
are all educationally based." Not only do the summer conferences and institutes
provide educational advancement, but they also have a positive effect on the community's
economy, she said. "Research done in the late 1990s showed that 72 cents
of every dollar spent in summer conferencing goes back to the community," said
Giggy. New conferences have been added to the schedule for this summer
as well, including one planned by MSU's Department of Linguistics and Germanic,
Slavic, Asian and African Languages in conjunction with the Linguistic Society
of America. They will be hosting a series of six-week and three-week linguistic
courses and other workshops. Among the programs this year are Academic
Orientation Program (AOP) and Parent Orientation Program (POP), both of which
help acclimate new students and their parents to MSU. Also, M.A.G.I.C., which
stands for Maximizing Academic Growth in College, will provide newly admitted
minority students with important information and experiences before they start
college courses. Other conferences include Boys State, sponsored by the
American Legion, and Girls State, sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary.
Also scheduled are the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Workshop, the
MSU Spartan Debate Institute, Michigan Indian Youth in Agriculture, as well as
numerous leadership and teambuilding camps. For a complete list of MSU
summer camps, conferences and institutes, visit the Web at www.hfs.msu.edu/conf/
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