Northern Illinois University Summer Camps

Northern Illinois University Summer Camps include NIU STEAM Summer Camps, where students entering grades 2–12 take part in science, technology, engineering, art and math activities. The program also includes Summer in the Arts Camps, which are fine arts camps for students in grades 6–12. Camp Let’s Read offers a parent-and-me experience that focuses on shared enjoyment and language through literacy for 3–4-year-olds, and additional summer camps are offered in sports, arts, science and more.

• Ages: 3–17 years old

Northern Illinois University was chartered in 1895 and opened in 1899 as Northern Illinois State Normal School. The university states that its goal is to advance social mobility, help people grow and succeed, and bring about positive change in the world. The leadership of Northern Illinois University includes Dr. Lisa C. Freeman. Northern Illinois University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is included in the Research Universities – High Research Activity category of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. NIU is a member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and the university and its colleges hold institutional membership or other affiliations with organizations such as the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Council on Education, Association of American Colleges and Universities, Council of Graduate Schools and Universities Research Association. The university is fully accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education to offer teacher education programs, and NIU offers several teacher certification programs approved by the Illinois State Board of Education.

Camp registration is open for summer camps from NIU STEAM, Summer in the Arts at Northern, NIU Athletic camps and more. The university describes these summer programs as a way to get a taste of college life through camps in sports, arts, science and more. In the surrounding communities of DeKalb and Sycamore, families can attend events such as the Pumpkin Festival and Corn Fest in a community that is described as safe and welcoming to NIU students. One NIU student, Johanna Freemon, a sport management major from Sandwich, Illinois, describes NIU as welcoming and friendly and notes that the teaching staff is open to help with anything needed.

Last updated January 12, 2026.