UAF cancels summer camps, moves series online

April 10, 2020

The University of Alaska Fairbanks is canceling its in-person summer camps as a response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but it plans to provide a variety of alternate offerings for families and children in the months ahead.

UAF had scheduled nearly 100 youth camps, preschool programs and sports opportunities this summer through Summer Sessions and Lifelong Learning, as well as the Alaska Nanooks Athletics Department. Payments that have already been made for those programs will be refunded.

Summer Sessions Director Michelle Bartlett said many camp instructors are working to develop alternate activities for children. Those efforts may include virtual online classrooms, kits of materials and hands-on experiences.

“Our challenge is to make sure the Fairbanks community is aware that, although the doors of the campus are currently closed, our connection and commitment to the community is intact — maybe now more than ever,” Bartlett said.

Several summer lecture and music series will also be moved online, with webcasts planned throughout the summer. The weekly Healthy Living, Discover Alaska, Down Memory Lane and Music in the Garden series will be available at https://www.uaf.edu/summer/.

Contact summer@alaska.edu for more information about youth camps and lecture series. For information about sports camps, contact Lisa Laiti, Alaska Nanooks community engagement coordinator, at lelaiti@alaska.edu.