LYNX Camp 2023 Highlights and Recap

LYNX Camp 2023 truly embodied the spirit of the College of Media & Media, the Lynx Leaders, instructors, and of course, the campers, who have always made the annual arts and media summer camps a special experience for young creatives. 

All camps were held in-person and we were able to return to the Residential option for our two-week camps. We offered eight different programs were offered this summer–– 2D Animation/Illustration, Audio Production/Ableton Live, Comic Book Character Design, Mural Creation, Photography, Music Industry, Animation & Character Creation, and Filmmaking. We also launched our inaugural Visual Immersive Art camp! 

The 2023 LYNX Camps hosted a total of 287 students over 3 Sessions and 9 academic programs. That is an increase from 262 students last summer. We had students from 20 different states and one student from France! LYNX Camp continues to grow in popularity around the country and even the globe!

2023 By the Numbers

Programs & Student Work

The Comic Book Character Design campers had the opportunity to visit the Emmanuel Gallery (located on the Auraria Campus) and gathered inspiration for their comics. The campers also learned the in's and out's of splash photography and portrait photography. This camp was led by CAM faculty member Lynn Mandziuk alongside teaching assistants Robin Buchanan and Chrys Das.

Testimonials

WHAT CAMPERS ARE SAYING:

• "It was extremely inclusive and I had so much fun. I definitely learned a lot that I’m going to use in my future classes."

• "My LYNX camp experience was very refreshing as I was able to learn new things such as digital art and meet new people who are into art like me."

• "It was amazing! It was my first time away from my parents for longer than a few days and I had so much fun! I made a lot of new friends with campers and the leaders as well! And I made many new connections!"
  

• "I really liked it because it gave me the opportunity to learn a lot about how to write music, collaborate with people and a lot of other things"

• "I would describe it as inspiring, fun, inventive and way more than you might think you're going into. I think I was able to discover a lot about myself and I've made some truly amazing friends. There's so much about the camp that I find hard to explain but all feelings are positive and encouraging."

• "It was amazing! I have personally never been to a summer camp before and wanted that experience. I came here knowing one person and will be leaving with 10+ new friends and potential future collaborators. I am so happy this camp exists"

WHAT PARENTS ARE SAYING:

• "It was excellent! He learned a lot and formed some terrific friendships. He enjoyed the guest speakers and the Red Rocks event, the teachers were easy to work with and the dorm was very clean, food was great."

• "It was great. He was happy and learned a lot. Even if he got some challenges he got great support to make his experience meaningful."
  

• "She loved it! Already looking forward to next year."
  

• "My child loved it! It was a wonderful experience for her and opened the door for her to expand on her art and painting skills. She spent all summer painting as she drew inspiration from the art camp. Thank you all so much!"
  

• "Thank you for offering this camp! Deeply grateful. It allowed our child the opportunity to "kick the tires" on college and going to CU Denver specifically. He was already intrigued about CAM but being able to live in the dorm, meet the faculty, alumni, fellow campers, understand the curriculum, explore campus and downtown Denver was HUGE. He came away more sure in his decision that the CAM program is the right fit and is excited to apply very soon and hopefully have an acceptance and future plan in place within the next couple of months. What a joy and relief that will be for all of us!"

Scholarships

In order to allow access to all students no matter their economic background, LYNX Camp awards scholarships to families with need. This year the LYNX Camps awarded 153 scholarships (53% of the camp population) plus offered multiple forms of additional discounts. Much of the scholarship money awarded comes from our generous donations and partnerships in the community. This year’s LYNX Camp received around $34,500 from our partner programs and donations. LYNX Camps partner with the following organizations to be sure to reach students who might not normally have access to these types of camps: DPS CareerConnect, Minds Matter, & College Track. This year our largest donors in scholarship funding were the Colorado Film Commission, Denver Arts and Venues, Meow Wolf Convergence Station, and individual Ralph Nagel. Even small donations add up to help us provide scholarships to students!

Surveys & Data

LYNX Camp consistently receives extremely positive feedback from both students and parents and this year was no different. 

Camp Photos: ​This year’s camp photos can be seen on our ​Facebook​ or​ Instagram page​.