SOU Youth Programs

SOU Youth Programs includes academic competitions in math, trivia, and art, as well as cultural and identity programs for Native American, Latino/a/x, and Black communities. It also offers summer camps, including ACADEMY, Academia Latina, Academia Leadership, Black Youth Summer Institute, Konaway Nika Tillicum, Summer Better Than Others, and Young Writers’ Camps.

Programs

• Academics & Competitions — Friendly competitions in math, trivia, and art; college credit opportunities for high school students.
• Cultural & Identity Programs — Programs for Native American, Latino/a/x, and Black communities, including family events, after school meetings, overnight summer camps, and leadership conferences.
• Summer Camps — College-campus summer camps in Ashland, with day classes or overnight experiences.
• ACADEMY — Completed grades 5 through 10; 11th and 12th graders can apply to become Junior Counselors · Week-long overnight camp; all sessions run simultaneously · $900 per week · Designed for academically gifted and highly motivated students; students must maintain a GPA of 3.4 or higher.
• Academia Latina & Academia Leadership — Academia Latina: grades 7 through 9; Academia Leadership: students completing grades 10 and 11 · Academia Latina is a week-long camp; Academia Leadership is a 9-day overnight camp · Students participate in classes, explore the Ashland community, and learn and grow in their culture.
• Black Youth Summer Institute — Overnight week-long summer camp · For youth within the African diaspora.
• Konaway Nika Tillicum — Grade 7-12 · Overnight summer camp · For students in the Native American and/or Indigenous communities.
• Summer Better Than Others — Students aged 8-17 · Week-long day camps; sessions generally run from late June to early August · Day classes that can be stacked for multiple weeks.
• Young Writers’ Camps — In collaboration with the Oregon Writing Project at Southern Oregon University.

At a glance

• Ages: 7–17 years old
• Price range: $900 per week
• General schedule: Summer Better Than Others day camp sessions generally run from late June to early August.

About the provider

Southern Oregon University’s Office of Youth Programs has offered youth programs for more than 40 years. Its mission focuses on cultural identities, academics, and community connection through summer camps, enrichment classes and workshops, regional academic competitions, and early college credit pathways. Community involvement includes All My Relations and family events.

Last updated September 9, 2026.