SALISBURY, N.C. — Back by popular demand, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College youth summer camps are set to return this year. The College is excited to announce that popular topics like babysitter certification and graphic design will return as well as the addition of courses including mobile app design, animation and engineering.

This summer will mark the seventh year of ever-expanding summer camps at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College. The camps help students learn the basics of creating a video game, producing animated films, building engineering skills and more. The camps are designed to excite and inspire young minds as they explore their interests and consider career options for the future.

“These camps are not only fun, but a great way for youth to investigate future career opportunities,” said Dr. Carol S. Spalding, president of the College.

Rowan-Cabarrus developed the summer camps as an introduction for students to the world of technology and the course offerings have grown based on feedback and needs.

“These budding animators, engineers, film makers and graphic designers often don’t even realize they are learning important transferrable skills and concepts they will eventually need in order to succeed in the competitive workforce” said Spalding. “Students complete the camps with an affordable exposure to the college experience and a blend of learning and doing.”

The camps cover a variety of topics:

Make Your First Video Game!

June 19-22, Cabarrus Business and Technology Center (CBTC), Concord

June 26-29, North Campus, Salisbury

Create your first 2D platformer video game using characters that you choose! If you like playing video games, you’ll probably love designing them. Conceptualization, challenge levels, graphics, sounds, and simple coding are just some of the concepts that we’ll explore. No prior experience necessary. Ages 11-14. $149

Babysitter Certification

June 19-20, RCCC@NCRC, Kannapolis

Designed for youth who plan to babysit, this camp includes Basic Babysitter Certification from the American Red Cross. Participants will learn leadership skills in developing a babysitting business, learn to keep themselves and others safe and help children behave. Participants will also learn about basic child care from the College’s Early Childhood Faculty. Ages 11-18. $149

Minecraft™ Animators

June 19-22, Cabarrus Business and Technology Center (CBTC), Concord

June 26-29, North Campus, Salisbury

Use your favorite Minecraft™ characters to create your own animated short film! Learn how studios like Pixar and Disney make movies like Inside Out and Frozen by using techniques like keyframing, tweening, texturing, and animating rigged 3D models! Ages 11-14. $149

LEGO™ Video Games

June 26-29, North Campus, Salisbury

July 10-13, Cabarrus Business and Technology Center (CBTC), Concord

Create an awesome video game adventure with your own LEGO™ characters! At the end of the program, every student will have a LEGO™ Video Game that can be shared through a password-protected website. Ages 8-11. $149

LEGO™ Comics: Design Your Own Adventure

June 26-29, North Campus, Salisbury

July 10-13, Cabarrus Business and Technology Center (CBTC), Concord

In this LEGO™ adventure YOU are the star when you create a digital illustrated story or graphic novel! Fight alongside Superheroes, hang with the Nexo Knights, or go into space with Rey and Finn! End the class with a digital comic book that can be shared on a password-protected website. Ages 8-11. $149

Minecraft™ Modders

July 10-13, Cabarrus Business and Technology Center (CBTC), Concord

July 17-20, North Campus, Salisbury

Create and modify your own Minecraft™ characters, tools, mobs, and more! Use your favorite game to learn the basics of modding, foundations of programming, scripting and logic statements. Introductory coding will be taught through a simulated environment inspired by Minecraft™. Ages 11-14. $149

App Attack!

July 10-13, Cabarrus Business and Technology Center (CBTC), Concord

July 17-20, North Campus, Salisbury

Dive into making your own mobile apps like the ones you’d see on the App Store! Using a specialized app and game development tool, students will explore the world of web-based (HTML5) apps, and see firsthand how apps are published. Students do not need a smartphone or tablet to take the class. Ages 11-14. $149

STEM Challenge with LEGO™

July 17-20, North Campus, Salisbury

July 24-27, Cabarrus Business and Technology Center (CBTC), Concord

Power on your engineering skills with Play-Well TEKnologies and thousands of LEGO™ bricks. North Campus projects focus on architecture and construction and include Catapults, Pneumatic Cranes, and Arch Bridges, while Cabarrus Business and Technology Center projects stress physics in motion and include Belt-Drive Cars and Rail Racers. Ages 8-11. $149

Jedi Master Engineering Using LEGO™

July 17-20, North Campus, Salisbury

The “Force Awakens” in this engineering course for young Jedi! Discover key engineering concepts such as gear trains, worm drives, pneumatics and eccentric motion. Build LEGO™ X-Wings, Pod Racers, Star Destroyers, Cloud Cities, Fortresses, or other complex machines and structures “from a galaxy far, far away.” Ages 8-11. $149

Code Breakers

July 24-27, Cabarrus Business and Technology Center (CBTC), Concord

July 31- August 3, North Campus, Salisbury

Learn how to use code in making your ideas become reality! Explore the basics of coding languages like HTML, JavaScript, and CSS through a series of web projects and design challenges. Ages 11-14. $149

Engineering FUNdamentals: Mine, Craft and Build Using LEGO™

July 24-27, Cabarrus Business and Technology Center (CBTC), Concord

Bring Minecraft™ to life using LEGO™! Build a motorized walking Creeper, a terrifying Ghast or a motorized Minecraft™! In this project-based camp, students will explore real-world concepts in physics, engineering, and architecture while building their favorite Minecraft™ objects. Ages 8-11. $149

Groovin’ on Graphics

July 24-27, South Campus, Concord

Develop the kinds of visually compelling images used for games, film and graphic arts. Over four full days students will become familiar with Adobe Creative Suite and will learn how to make layer-based images, merge photos, use filters to create unreal effects, and much more! Ages 14-18. $299

Groovin’ on Graphics: The Next Level

July 31- August 3, South Campus, Concord

Explore the Adobe Creative Cloud and its application to web development. Students will learn intermediate imaging techniques and create an online portfolio to market their design and web skills. Prerequisite: Groovin’ on Graphics I or prior experience using Adobe Creative Suite. Ages 14-18. $299

Minecraft™ Designers

July 24-27, Cabarrus Business and Technology Center (CBTC), Concord

July 31- August 3, North Campus, Salisbury

Fill a Minecraft™ world with your own custom designs and creations! Learn the basics of creating 3D models using a new software to design your very own objects, create skins for characters, and import them into your favorite Minecraft™ games. To access their project at home, students must own a PC/MAC version of Minecraft™. Tablet, phone, and game console version of Minecraft™ are not compatible with camp software. Ages 11-14. $149

“Rowan-Cabarrus is pleased to offer summer camps to students,” said Spalding. “The camps are a great example of our innovative courses and programs.”

For more information on the camps, please visit www.rccc.edu/camps. For more information about Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, please visit www.rccc.edu.