Parents still have a week to register children for the Academy of Excellence summer youth camp at Ohio University Southern.

The camp runs July 15-26 and is for children entering grades first through sixth who want to pursue some intellectually stimulating and fun activities.

Michelle Dotts, a coordinator for the camp, said registration is up this year, with about 160 children registered at the Southern and Proctorville campuses.

The two-week camp offers courses taught by teachers and community members from all over the county and range from culinary arts, literature, math and science, technology, dance, karate and more.

Dotts said a popular class for first through third graders is Holiday Hoopla. Each day, the children learn about and celebrate a holiday that they may not traditionally celebrate, like Cinco de Mayo or National Kindness Day.

Another popular class is The Wonderful World of Dr. Seuss, which will introduce the younger readers to Seuss through crafts, snacks and reading.

Older children in the Magical Making of Harry Potter class will get to play a game of Quidditch and learn about magical creatures and potions.

Each campus has a different set of classes, which can be viewed online at www.southern.ohioe.edu/ae.

There is also a weeklong Horse Lovers Camp at the Ohio Horse Park. Participants will have the opportunity to understand horse behavior, grooming, tacking, untacking and riding.

“I think to be able to experience the college setting at such a young age is very important,” Dotts said.

Dotts also said having the summer camp on campus gets the children familiar with their local university and reinforces the idea that college is an option for the future.

The cost for the camp is $110 per child and $75 for each additional child in the same family. The cost for the horse camp is $150 and requires separate registration.

Registration will be taken up until July 17 at the latest and can be done online.

Children will be on campus from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for both weeks of the camp. All students will have a 15-minute snack break with snacks provided.

For more information, contact Dotts at (740) 547-3874 or Lisa Cantrell at (740) 533-4543.