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The following listings are local summer camps and programs for 2026, as of March 30, 2026. 

We will continue to update this page as more opportunities become available. Contact information can be found on the camp website. Please contact the camp directly for full program details or questions.

UI Summer Camps

Iowa Young Writers' Studio

Applications for the Summer 2026 six-week online courses will be accepted via Submittable, an online submissions manager, March 1–April 14.

Iowa Summer Journalism Workshop

The Iowa Summer Journalism Workshop gives students five days of learning from a talented team of instructors, including professional journalists and college professors. Students meet peers who share their interests, explore Iowa City, and experience campus life.

Registration is open until June 23.

Iowa Wildlife Camps

UI WILD combines conservation education with outdoor activities to offer hands-on experiences for kids in grades one through 12. The week-long programs are designed to ignite curiosity about the natural world and foster environmental stewardship.

Registration for 2026 camps is now open.

Iowa Lakeside Laboratory

Do you know a child who loves to explore the outdoors? Sign them up for a summer camp at Iowa Lakeside Lab! Camps are offered for students entering PreK (four years old) through ninth grade.

Summer Camps

Belin-Blank Center: Gifted Education & Talent Development

Communications Sciences and Disorders

Summer Programs and Social Groups

The University of Iowa Speech, Language, and Hearing Clinic offers summer speech, language, and reading programs and year-long social groups.

Iowa Summer Music Camp

The Iowa Summer Music Camps (ISMC) offers students musical training and experience beyond what may be available in their home schools, including group instruction, master classes, and classroom instruction in many phases of instrumental music. The entire program, together with a preview of life on a major university campus, is a valuable experience for young people, not only in music but also in human relations.

UI Sports Camps

Recreational Services Youth Camps

Hustling Hawkeyes Youth Camps are designed for children aged 7–12, wanting to discover new talents, be active, and have fun while playing a variety of sports and recreational activities! All experience levels are welcome. Camp groups will be co-ed, a combination of all skill levels, and will only be split based on age.

Rowing Camps
Rowing is a dynamic sport that everyone can enjoy. These camps will teach the basics of rowing, starting on land and then moving into the boats on the river. Participants must be at least 12 years old, 5'0 tall and be able to lift 25lbs over their head.

Tennis Camps
Game, set, match! There are a variety of tennis camps for your child. From learning the basics to skill development. Pickleball is also an option! Campers as young as five years old can participate.

Tippie College of Business: Gateway Summer Program

Gateway Summer Program

Heading into your senior year in high school? Come live on a college campus for a week next summer and get a sense of what you can do with a business degree. Meet Tippie students, professors, alumni, and business professionals. Most importantly, get a head start on the transition to college.

UI REACH

Exploration of Postsecondary Learning Options, Resources and Employment: Come and EXPLORE post-high school options like employment, trades training, community college, and university enrollment. We welcome students of all ability levels (ages 14-21) to join us on the UI campus for a journey toward self-advocacy and self-determination. While enrolled students develop an action plan based on their post-graduation interests. There is a 10-month option (monthly sessions) with a summer camp-only option (June 15-20).

Contact: kathryn-abrams@uiowa.edu 

Iowa National Summer Transportation Institute: A free, residential, STEM summer camp for students in grades 9-11 during the fall 2025 school year. Iowa NSTI focuses on STEM education, transportation careers, leadership, college readiness, and more through hands-on activities, university lab tours, local and statewide field trips, and other community activities. Campers will stay at the University of Iowa dormitories. 

Contact: kathryn-abrams@uiowa.edu 

Summer Programs by County

Summer Camp Hub provides recommendations on camps in Iowa and across the country.

Special Needs Summer Programs

Summer Sponsorship Programs