Smart Campus to host free Youth Esports Summer Camp exclusively for UK families

LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 10, 2023) — The University of Kentucky Smart Campus team is launching day camps and a weeklong camp for children ages 8-14 that will focus on gaming and technology education, learning the ropes of competitive gaming and discovering the art of teamwork and strategic thinking, providing an engaging balance of education and entertainment for young students.

Single-day camps for each individual age group will be available, focused on teaching students how they can make their time gaming worthwhile. Students will also learn how to make gaming fun and inclusive. Along with these elements, there will be a guest speaker who will discuss how there are many different career paths and opportunities within esports and video games. 

A five-day camp will also be available, providing a deeper and in-depth understanding of the above elements, as well as introducing students to six of the major genres of video games. This immersive “GameFusion” camp will set them up with real-world knowledge that they can use in a wide array of circumstances.

All camps will be free of charge and exclusive to UK families. A valid linkblue in addition to filling out all necessary forms and waivers will be required.

Camp dates: 

• Ages 8-10, July 31 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 (6 p.m. late pick-up available).
• Ages 10-12, Aug. 2 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 (6 p.m. late pick-up available).
• Ages 12-14, Aug.4 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 (6 p.m. late pick-up available).
• All ages, Aug. 7 through Aug. 11 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 (6 p.m. late pick-up available).

To register for the Youth Esports Summer Camp, visit https://esports.uky.edu/esports-camps.

Registration is only open to families with association to UK.

Follow the registration links and sign in with your UK Google Email Address.

Fill out the required forms and waivers.

UK Esports will send out a confirmation email once registration has closed.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.