Student reaching for cardboard tower creating materials.

Department of Civil Engineering Summer Engineering Exploration Kamp (SEEK) June 15-21, July 13-19, and July 27– August 2, 2025

Learning by Doing

One week of exploring Civil Engineering
Hands-on learning opportunities, guest speakers from engineering companies, and field trips!

College student for a week
Stay in the dorms, eat in the dining hall, and be mentored by civil engineering college students!

The University of Kentucky Department of Civil Engineering is hosting two one-week residential Kentucky camps (i.e., kamps!) for rising high school seniors. The Summer Engineering Exploration Kamp (SEEK) will feature hands-on learning opportunities, guest speakers from engineering companies, and field trips to active project sites. Students will stay in dorms on UK’s campus along with civil engineering college students who will serve as mentors for the kampers. Throughout the week, kampers will engage in activities to learn the fundamentals of civil engineering by participating in hands-on experiential learning activities. The kamp’s emphasis is learning by doing!

However, a true highlight of the kamp will be a visit to Kentucky Kingdom, an amusement park, where Kampers will learn how civil engineering made the park possible and now makes the park go! The students will hear about the engineering necessary to construct the park, to develop and test the rides, to handle all the trash and waste, and to move people in and around the park. After hearing about the civil engineering concepts that support and sustain the park, the students will get to explore the park and experience the rides themselves!

Hands On

Projects

Build a bridge
Test new material
Clean-up water

Field Trips

Lock and dam
Water and wastewater treatment
Active construction sites

Tours

Kentucky Kingdom
Materials Test Lab
UK Campus

View the full schedule

Eligibility

Be a rising senior in high school (i.e., students apply the spring semester of their junior year).
Have earned a B or better in science and math classes.
Demonstrate excitement for science! No previous research experience is required.
Be available for the entire week duration of the program. Students cannot leave campus for commitments outside the program once the program begins.
Traveling to and from the program is the responsibility of the students.
A $50 application fee is required for each student before the start date of the program (scholarships are available in the case of financial need).

Register Deadline: April 25, 2025

June 15-21, 2025 and July 13-19, 2025
Cost: $50 (payable prior to start of the program)

A limited number of scholarships are available to those that qualify. Email sebastian.bryson@uky.edu

Lodging and meals provided on UK’s campus.

Registration for SEEK 2025 will open in early February.

If the student is chosen to participate in the camp, an email will be sent to the Parent or Guardian’s email address that gives additional information about payment instructions, check-in/check-out instructions, dietary requirements, tee-shirt sizes, other.