LYNX Camp Frequently Asked Questions

In total, 287 high school students attended the 2023 LYNX Camps. We were able to return to our pre-pandemic format and offer the Residential experience to campers. 

Session One (2D Animation/Illustration, Ableton Live/Audio Production, Comic Book Character Design, Mural Creation, and Photography) was attended by 100 students.

Session Two (Music Industry) was attended by 74 students. This was a two-week program.

Session Three (Animation & Character Creation, Filmmaking, and Visual Immersive Art) was attended by 113 students. This was a two-week program. We also offered elective courses for our Animation campers. Animation students had the option of taking 2D Animation, 3D Animation, Character Creation, or Stop Motion Animation electives. 

This year, we hosted students from 20 different states and 1 different country!

We plan to limit most Session One programs (2D Animation/Illustration, Ableton Live/Audio Production, Comic Book Character Design, & Photography) to 25 students per program (100 total). 

We plan to limit Session Two (Music Industry) to 80 students. 

We plan to limit Session Three (Animation, Filmmaking, and Visual Immersive Art) to 30-55 students per program (125 total).

We anticipate that most programs will fill to capacity. ​

Commuter students will be onsite during the academic portions of LYNX Camp (9am-4:30pm, Monday thru Friday) and will not participate in after-hours guest artist events or the weekend activities. Commuter students will have their lunch provided by the City Heights Dining Hall. 

Commuter Plus students will be onsite during the academic portions of LYNX Camp and have the option to attend the after-hours guest artist activities (9am-8pm, Monday thru Friday); Commuter Plus students also have the option to attend the weekend activities with the Residential students. Commuter Plus students will have their lunch and dinner provided by the City Heights Dining Hall. 

Residential students will be onsite for the entirety of LYNX Camp and live in the City Heights Residence Hall. These students will have their meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) provided by the City Heights Dining Hall. Residential students will attend all after-hours guest artists events and weekend activities, in addition to their classes during the week.

The priority deadline is March 15th. Students who apply by the March 15th priority deadline receive priority for admission and scholarships. 

The final application deadline is May 15th. It is likely that some of our programs will fill up before this date. Students are encouraged to apply by the priority deadline. ​​

Yes, all high school students are eligible to attend, including students who have completed 8th grade by the start of the camp.

Yes, students who have just graduated from high school are eligible to attend.​

Yes, we encourage students to apply even if they can't afford the listed camp cost. Students should apply by our March 15th Priority Deadline in order to receive need-based scholarships. Many students receive scholarships that allow them to attend.

Once you submit your application, a confirmation email will be sent to the emails on the application, including the teacher listed for a recommendation. We try to notify applicants of their admission status within three weeks of their application.

We won't ask for any payments until April. Admitted students will receive more information from us about camp payments at that time.

Beginning in April, students and families will start getting email reminders to make camp deposit payments and registration forms. The camp registration form is different than the application and includes important camp policies, procedures and risk waivers. Be sure to complete this additional form so as to be able to participate in camp.

If you applied for a scholarship by our priority deadline, you will be notified if you received a scholarship by April 1st.

You will receive a personalized schedule at camp. Each camp typically runs from 9:00am-4:30pm each day. This is the format for both our on-campus and online camps. Students have about a hour in the middle of the day for lunch.

For our residential programs (during Sessions Two and Three), the evenings are spent attending guest artist presentations or other arts events both on and off of campus. On the middle weekend, students will take exciting off-campus field trips and get to produce a student talent show. The last day of camp will feature a student showcase where students exhibit what they've done at the camp for parents, guests, peers, and instructors!

We ask that you attend all classes during the camp. The arts are collaborative and your absence affects your colleagues. We of course make exceptions for illness, emergencies, and religious holidays. If you have an arts event (exhibit, concert, screening, etc.) that you feel is important to your artistic growth, please talk to the Camp Director or Coordinator and we will work it out. We want to encourage artistic growth in our students! Commuter students are only required to attend the academic events at the camp from 9:00-4:30. Commuter students are not allowed at the residence facilities but may attend some evening activities including guest artist workshops and performances. The LYNX Camp staff will not be responsible for supervising the commuter students at the evening activities. Per Auraria Campus policy, commuter students who are minors (under the age of 18), must be accompanied by an adult when attending evening and weekend activities on-campus. Students who register for the Commuter Plus option can attend all of the evening and weekend activities without the need for a parent/guardian to accompany them. 

If you leave camp without notifying us, it is in our safety policy to call your parents. If they do not know your whereabouts or do not answer, we then call the Auraria Campus Police. ​​

You will receive a Welcome Packet by email a few weeks prior to your program with a detailed packing list. Residential students should plan on bringing items such as sunscreen, medications, personal hygiene products,  snacks, note-taking materials, etc. 

Commuter Plus and Residential students should plan to bring spending money for the weekend activities. In previous years, we have gone to a concert at Red Rocks, hiked Chautauqua Park in Boulder, and visited Meow Wolf.

Auraria Campus is a tri-institutional campus in downtown Denver that hosts three universities: The University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver), Community College of Denver, and Metropolitan State University of Denver. Our camp will take place at CU Denver on the Auraria Campus. ​

The CU Denver mascot is a lynx, and the camp is hosted by the CU Denver College of Arts & Media.

We will note in the Welcome Packet what events are open to the families and the public. Parents are welcome at guest artist presentations and families are encouraged to attend the Student Showcase on the last day of camp. ​

No, it is campus policy that minors participating in university programs are not to walk around campus on their own. We have plenty of planned events and outings that will allow you to see the campus and all that Denver has to offer.

The Camp Director, Camp Coordinator, and Graduate Student Coordinator are all first-aid and CPR certified. All staff will be trained on how to handle emergencies.

While we aren't able to offer funding to help out-of-state students with travel expenses, we can help you to plan the logistics of your travel. For Sessions Two and Three check-in will begin at 11:00 am on the first Sunday of the camps. We recommend that students arrive by 3:00 pm at the latest to ensure enough time for check-in before the Opening Meeting. The Opening Meeting of the camp will take place at the City Heights Residence Hall from 4:00-5:00 pm. The two-week camp programs end on the Friday of the second week around 5:00 pm. Flights for students hoping to fly out that evening should be scheduled for after 8:00 pm. Out of state students have the option of staying overnight on the last Friday and departing on Saturday morning. 

We will help arrange transportation to and from the Denver airport. The Denver light rail is a great option for getting to campus from the airport. The A-Line runs from DIA to downtown Denver  near the Auraria Campus. Light rail tickets can be purchased in advance or at the airport. We will have LYNX Camp staff members at the airport (DIA) on the first day of the camp to greet students and take the Denver light rail to campus with the students. Other options to get to campus are SuperShuttle, ride sharing services (Lyft and Uber), and cabs.​

Students will receive a detailed Welcome Packet a couple weeks before camp starts with detailed instructions on camp check-in procedures and locations.

For Sessions 2 & 3, residential students will get updated information on residence hall check-in time with their Welcome Packet. Our LYNX Camp residential staff will greet students and families at the housing facility and help students get moved into their rooms. All students (and parents if accompanying students) will go to the City Heights Residence Hall (1191 Larimer Street, Denver, CO 80204) to check-in for the camp. ​

Yes, local students do have the option of commuting to campus each day. The cost of the camp is cheaper for students who commute. Please see the cost information on the Pricing page. Commuter students must arrive at campus by 8:50 each morning and stay until classes end at 4:30. Commuter students are not allowed in our housing facilities where the residential students stay unless the student registers as a commuter-plus student

On the middle weekend of the Session Two and Three camps, LYNX Camp Residential and Commuter Plus students will participate in field trips, workshops, and other co-curricular activities to supplement what they are learning in their program classes. Some of our possible field trips and events include: visiting the Denver Art Museum, touring Meow Wolf,, visiting 16th Street Mall  in downtown Denver, visiting Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and taking a hike at Chautauqua Park near Boulder. ​Details about this summer's weekend activities will be listed in the Welcome Packet that families will receive in May.

We most likely will be able to accommodate students with special diets and/or food allergies. All student will eat meals at the City Heights Dining Hall as included in camp tuition. The dining hall provides food options for vegetarians, vegans, and gluten-free students. Please contact us if you have special dietary issues that we need to be aware of for the camp. ​

All students will receive a LYNX Camp t-shirt, water bottle, name-tag and lanyard on the first day of the camp. ​

If masks are still required on campus at the time of the camp, we will provide a CU Denver mask to each camp student.

No, while it's great when family members are able to attend the closing day events, we understand that this may be difficult for our out-of-state families. We will live stream the closing events so that family and friends who aren't able to attend can view the event. The videos from the events will also be posted on our Facebook page.

No, private/applied lessons are no longer included for the Session Two/Music Industry camp.

For Music Industry camp 2024, campers will have the option to receive private/applied lessons. Campers who elect to receive private/applied lessons will be required to pay an additional fee of $50 per private lesson. Campers may take up to two private lessons during camp and private lessons will be 50 minutes long. If there are any questions about this, please email lynxcamp@ucdenver.edu.

We will be offering three LYNX Camp information sessions for the 2024 programs. These will be through Zoom and you can register for these here.

The dates for the LYNX Camp Information sessions will take place 2024 the dates are February 15th, March 5th, and March 20th. The sessions will happen at 4pm Mountain/Denver Time. 

LYNX Camp does not offer full or 100% scholarships for any of the camp programs. For students attending camp from out-of-state, LYNX Camp offers a maximum of a $1,000 scholarship amount and does not offer funding for transportation.