UC Berkeley Youth Recreation Summer Camps
Recreational Sports Facility (RSF) Field House, 2301 Bancroft Way room 145, Berkeley, CA 94720
About
UC Berkeley Youth Recreation Summer Camps include a wide range of options such as Discovery Camp, Explorer Camp, Blue Camp, Marina Explorers, Paddle Adventures, Skateboarding Camp, Martial Arts Camp, Teen Leadership Programs, Swim Classes, and Rock Climbing. Campers can take part in activities like sailing, sea kayaking, windsurfing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, shoreline exploration, hands-on outdoor activities, developmental sports, outdoor learning, exploratory science, arts and crafts, skateboarding, and martial arts. Teen Leadership Programs include leadership training, volunteer opportunities, and hands-on experience with children and camp activities through roles such as Counselors-in-Training and Junior Counselors.
• Ages: 5–17 years old
• Schedule: Registration for 2026 Summer Camps opens on Tuesday, February 10 at 10 a.m. for all camps except Adventures Camps, which open Wednesday, February 11 at 10 a.m. at 10 a.m.
UC Berkeley Youth Recreation Summer Camps have been operating for more than 60 years. Explorer Camp combines developmental sports, outdoor learning, exploratory science, and arts and crafts. Marina Explorers is a half-day, beginner-friendly outdoor camp, Paddle Adventures splits the day between water and land activities, and Discovery Camp focuses on paddling, observing, and analyzing Bay Area ecosystems on both water and land. Skateboarding Camp is described as a nationally recognized program that offers instruction in a skatepark environment with ramps and street obstacles. Teen Leadership Programs include a Counselors-in-Training option for age 15 that offers volunteer opportunities with hands-on experience, and Junior Counselors for ages 16–17 who are paid junior staff with mentorship and hands-on responsibilities.
Instruction in UC Berkeley’s Martial Arts Camp is connected to the UC Martial Arts Program (UCMAP), where instruction is carried out by high-ranking instructors in their particular martial arts, and the program includes Olympic hopefuls and well-trained instructors. The UC Martial Arts Program was started in 1969 by Dr. Ken Min, who founded the first major university-based martial arts program in the nation, and it is currently led by Dr. Russell Ahn as Director. The mission of the Martial Arts Program is to preserve the philosophy, techniques, and traditions of martial arts and to develop a scientific understanding of the physical and spiritual implications of human performance. UCMAP is described as an expanding, dynamic organization that is highly regarded as one of the top producers of martial artists in the country and provides instruction to both Cal students and residents of Berkeley and neighboring communities.
UCMAP and its six clubs organize and host instructional seminars, symposiums, and martial arts camps, and participate in collegiate, national, and world competitions. The program has partnerships with Yongin University and Korean National Sport University. In 1995, the future of UCMAP was supported by a one-million-dollar endowment from the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Korea and the World Taekwondo Federation, and the Ken Min Endowed Directorship for Taekwondo and the Martial Arts is described as a unique endowment in the United States academic community. The Korean Ministry of Culture and Sports also awarded money to UC Berkeley to support teaching Asian philosophy and culture. UC Berkeley Recreation & Wellbeing notes that its programs have “4 Stars on Yelp!” and describes the Universal Locker Room at the RSF as an award-winning facility.
Last updated March 20, 2026.
• Ages: 5–17 years old
• Schedule: Registration for 2026 Summer Camps opens on Tuesday, February 10 at 10 a.m. for all camps except Adventures Camps, which open Wednesday, February 11 at 10 a.m. at 10 a.m.
UC Berkeley Youth Recreation Summer Camps have been operating for more than 60 years. Explorer Camp combines developmental sports, outdoor learning, exploratory science, and arts and crafts. Marina Explorers is a half-day, beginner-friendly outdoor camp, Paddle Adventures splits the day between water and land activities, and Discovery Camp focuses on paddling, observing, and analyzing Bay Area ecosystems on both water and land. Skateboarding Camp is described as a nationally recognized program that offers instruction in a skatepark environment with ramps and street obstacles. Teen Leadership Programs include a Counselors-in-Training option for age 15 that offers volunteer opportunities with hands-on experience, and Junior Counselors for ages 16–17 who are paid junior staff with mentorship and hands-on responsibilities.
Instruction in UC Berkeley’s Martial Arts Camp is connected to the UC Martial Arts Program (UCMAP), where instruction is carried out by high-ranking instructors in their particular martial arts, and the program includes Olympic hopefuls and well-trained instructors. The UC Martial Arts Program was started in 1969 by Dr. Ken Min, who founded the first major university-based martial arts program in the nation, and it is currently led by Dr. Russell Ahn as Director. The mission of the Martial Arts Program is to preserve the philosophy, techniques, and traditions of martial arts and to develop a scientific understanding of the physical and spiritual implications of human performance. UCMAP is described as an expanding, dynamic organization that is highly regarded as one of the top producers of martial artists in the country and provides instruction to both Cal students and residents of Berkeley and neighboring communities.
UCMAP and its six clubs organize and host instructional seminars, symposiums, and martial arts camps, and participate in collegiate, national, and world competitions. The program has partnerships with Yongin University and Korean National Sport University. In 1995, the future of UCMAP was supported by a one-million-dollar endowment from the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Korea and the World Taekwondo Federation, and the Ken Min Endowed Directorship for Taekwondo and the Martial Arts is described as a unique endowment in the United States academic community. The Korean Ministry of Culture and Sports also awarded money to UC Berkeley to support teaching Asian philosophy and culture. UC Berkeley Recreation & Wellbeing notes that its programs have “4 Stars on Yelp!” and describes the Universal Locker Room at the RSF as an award-winning facility.
Last updated March 20, 2026.
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