Continuing Education

UW-Whitewater Posts Record-Breaking 2026 Summer Camps Season

September 14, 2026

For the fourth consecutive year, participation in the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s summer camps broke records set in previous years.

During the summer of 2026, more than 9,200 people honed their skills in athletics, arts, and academics through camps and clinics on the Whitewater and Rock County campuses. This is an increase from the 9041 people who participated in the 2025 camps season.

“We could not host nearly 10,000 people on campus in the summer without months of planning and lots of dedicated staff,” said Lucas Peterson, Director of Continuing Education Services (CES). “We hire more than 600 people to assist camp directors and support campers. And our Camps and Conferences staff is committed to ensuring all campers and directors offer fun, safe, high-quality experiences all summer long.”

Eighty internal events and 21 third party events were held from June through August. The series of Coach Stacy Boudreau’s volleyball camps attracted the most participants, with just under 1,200. The largest individual camp was Coach Jace Rindahl’s youth football camp with 360 athletes.

Ceramics teacher showing a student how to structure and cut a brick of clay

Band camp, led by professor of music Glenn Hayes, is the longest standing camp — it has trained young musicians for more than 40 years. New camp offerings included the first ever ceramics camp for young artists, led by professor Jared Janovec, and the inaugural girls wrestling camp with head wrestling coach Matt Zwaschka.

In addition to youth camps, UWW hosted the Special Olympics Wisconsin Summer Games, the intergenerational Grandparent’s University®, and a popular Adult Tennis Camp.

Children gathered around and looking into a courtyard fountain full of lillypads.

UW-Whitewater prides itself on creating a uniquely satisfying experience for all visitors. Air conditioning was offered to more campers who stayed in residence halls this year to offset hot summer temperatures, and safety remains a top priority for the CES staff.

“We worked hard this year to secure the residence halls down and ensure that staff are with campers at all times throughout the day,” Peterson said. “We continue to work on improving training as we want staff equipped with the ability to handle situations in real time. It’s important that we can effectively respond to issues that come up in the various spaces on campus.”

Registration opens for most 2027 summer camps on Monday, Nov. 16. Visit UW-Whitewater’s camps and conferences website to learn more.