Forget about roasting marshmallows and telling scary stories around the campfire. This summer, campers at the University of Missouri-Rolla are blowing up that stereotype as they create fireworks shows, launch rockets, build their own robot and design the roller coaster of the future.

Summer opportunities at UMR include:

Robotics Camp. This hands-on camp, sponsored by UMR’s mechanical and aerospace engineering department and the department of distance and continuing education at UMR, teaches students between the ages of 11 and 14 the basic principles of robotics, including electronics, sensors and motor controls. Enrollment is full for this camp, which will be held June 14-16.

Aerospace Camp. Students between the ages of 10 and 12 can choose to attend this camp July 17-19 or July 24-26. Sponsored by UMR, the University of Missouri Extension and Missouri 4-H, the camp will allow students to experience aeronatics and space flight through adventurous team-building activities and computer-based flight simulation.

Computer Highly Interactive Programming (C.H.I.P.) Camp. Perfect for high school juniors and seniors who love working with computers and digital technology, this interactive camp offers hands-on computing projects in fields like computer science, computer engineering, and information science and technology. C.H.I.P. camp will be held July 22-26.

Camp Invention. Students in first- through sixth-grade can attend this day camp June 25-29. Each day includes several activities that foster creativity, teamwork, and inventive skills.

Explosives Camp. High school juniors and seniors from around the country will learn about explosives and how they are used in industry and entertainment at this five-day summer camp, sponsored by the UMR mining and nuclear engineering department, and students can attend June 3-9 or June 17-23. Participants must be at least 16 years of age or older. Enrollment is full for this camp.

Nuclear Engineering Camp. This one-week summer camp for high school juniors and seniors will offer an introduction to the field of nuclear engineering. Campers can choose to attend one of two sessions, offered July 15-20 and July 22-27.

Summer Transportation Institute. An introduction to the transportation industry, this camp is funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation for tenth-, eleventh- and twelfth-grade students. Campers can choose to attend June 17-29 or July 8-20.

Jackling Introduction to Engineering. High school juniors and seniors can pick one of three sessions of this camp, where they will learn about several different fields of engineering. Sessions will be held June 17-21, June 24-28 and July 8-12.

Minority Introduction to Engineering. Minority juniors and seniors in high school will learn about engineering, mathematics, science and technology at this one-week camp. The camp will be held June 3-8 or June 17-22.

Hit the Ground Running. Recent high school graduates planning to attend UMR will participate in college writing, chemistry and mathematics lectures led by UMR educators. This program, held July 5-27, allows students to get a head start on their college experience.

Summer ‘Solutions’ Camp for Girls. This camp is an opportunity for female freshmen and sophomores in high school to experience college life, meet college students and professors, and learn more about science, technology and engineering fields. The camp will be held June 18-22.

Students attending overnight camps will reside in UMR Residence Halls. Sessions are filling quickly, so check for space availability, camp fees, enrollment deadlines and registration forms at summer.mst.edu . For further information, contact the department of distance and continuing education at UMR at 573-341-6576 or visit summer.mst.edu.

Several athletics camps for kids are also available this summer. Visit sports.mst.edu for more details.