In the academic world, people assume that we are in it to take summers off. While the pace may slow after graduation, we still provide learning opportunities to our communities throughout the summer. Whether we are providing enrichment opportunities to our younger audiences, avenues for area high school students to explore a passion, or classes for college students over the summer, we are excited to host so many students throughout June, July and August.

Kids in College — Our tradition of inviting younger students to campus continues this year with the Kids in College camp, sponsored by the Business and Community Solutions division. This summer, kids entering grades 4 through 8 will be able to attend equine-focused camps at the Wolfe Ranch. We are also offering a two-day camp at our Tama location, to be held June 20-21. If you have grade school or middle school students, register them for these fun and unique exploration opportunities.

Esports — Do you know a gamer, or have a student interested in Esports? Marshalltown Community College is quickly becoming an Esports destination in Iowa! The city of Marshalltown is looking to host upcoming high school and collegiate-level Esports competitions. In addition to that, we have a camp coming up for 7th to 12th grade competitors where players will benefit from in-game coaching, livestream productions, teamwork and gaming strategies. Interested people should check the MCC Facebook page for more details. Even if you aren’t familiar with Esports (yet) this will provide a great introduction.

Academic Programming — in addition to summer camps, we provide a wide range of courses for area students. From Biology and Nursing to foundational course like accounting and business law, we provide classes to help every student fulfill their academic coursework need. Classes are often smaller, and students often choose to take some of the more academically rigorous courses during the summer months when they can focus on the course at hand. Whether a full-time student with us, a high school student looking for early college credit, or visiting students from a regent university, we are delighted to serve these students throughout the summer.

Don’t let the perception fool you – at Iowa Valley (and community colleges across the state) we work hard to provide great programming throughout the summer months. If you are looking for fun classes for your kids, or enrichment classes for yourself, consider checking out what we have to offer at Business and Community Solutions.

We hope to see you this summer!

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Dr. Kristie Fisher is the president of the Iowa Valley Community College District.