DJAMILA NOELLE GROSSMAN/Arizona Daily Wildcat Engineering senior Jim Richardson applies super glue to a prototype figure built of starch to harden its surface. Richardson will be the lab production supervisor for the engineering camps in the summer.

Each summer the UA opens its doors to the Tucson community and provides various summer camps for grade-schoolers that expose them to college life and various academic fields.

The Arizona Youth University offers summer camps for students in grades two through 12 through different academic departments at the UA, said Helen Macdonald, Arizona Youth University program coordinator.

"These camps allow kids to see what it's like to be in the different departments or fields and utilize the great resources U of A has to offer," Macdonald said.

Many camps, like the Engineering Robotics Camp, allow children to see what actually happens in a certain field, according to a press release.

"Many young kids say they want be a lawyer or an engineer, but they don't know what actually goes on in those fields," Macdonald said. "In the camp they get a hands-on experience."

When campers attend AYD's Law Camp, Macdonald said they get an exclusive look into the world of law and what it takes to become an attorney.

"The students learn about the law, deal with social issues and have a hands-on mock trial at the end of the session," Macdonald said.

Each camp is hosted by the department and taught by someone involved in the specific field, Macdonald said.

"Many of the teachers are professors, and grad and undergraduate students also teach the kids," Macdonald said.

Other camps include fencing, video production and editing, English and writing, and a Model United Nations club, which allows campers to learn about different countries and their interactions with the United Nations, according to a press release.

The camps vary in price depending on the category and level of instruction and cost of materials, the release stated.