Breaking a record
Mini U attendance at all-time high
For the 38th year, Mini U Programs lit up the summer on campus with thousands of kids attending a plethora of courses and programs.
Mini U offers a wide range of program options in the categories of: aquatics, sports, leadership, community and special interest. Regardless of subject, each program offers leadership development activities as well as physical activity. Whether you are 4 or 14, participants are engaged in developing leadership skills in the areas of: teamwork, building relationships, problem solving, communication and reflection.
This year, Mini U reached an all-time attendance high of over seven thousand children.
“We are extremely fortunate and grateful for the support the community has shown for our programs over the past 38 years,” said Jay Gamey, director of Mini U. “The opportunity we have to provide young people with positive leadership and physical activity experiences on campus is a unique one.”
With thousands of children arriving each summer, it is critical that each member of the Mini U team is both experience and highly prepared. Gamey says his team meets annually to ensure the program runs smoothly.
“Each year, all Mini U staff attend ‘Leader Week’, a training program that is designed to engage employees in sessions like protecting children, diversity and inclusion, risk management, supporting children and leadership development,” said Gamey.
The Mini U Programs are a division within the Faculty of Kinesiology and Recreation Management. The department has a unique opportunity to bring our University community together via joint programs and partnerships. Many Faculties on campus choose to work in collaboration with our unit to offer special interest programs that feature their subject matter while children also participate in leadership development and physical activity.
“Our programs offer young children and their families the opportunity to explore our campus and the vast programs it has to offer,” said Gamey. “It also provides over 200 students the opportunity to pass on knowledge each year.”
Gamey, a past-student of the Mini U program, says the program is a place that provides students with confidence, support ideas and leaves a big impact for their futures.
“Hopefully the moments created at our programs have as big of an impact on others as they did on me,” said Gamey.
Mini U offers programming all year, for information, visit miniu.ca.