Office of External Communications

Houston, TX 77204-5017 Fax: 713.743.8199

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 7, 2006

Contact: Marisa Ramirez
713.743.8152 (office)
713.204.9798 (cell)
mrcannon@uh.edu

HOUSTON, June 7, 2006—No basket weaving. No canoeing. And no fireside ghost stories. Summer camps at the University of Houston, however, will offer students a chance get a first-hand view of the Houston hospitality industry, get in shape with fun exercise and nutrition programs, and work on real world architecture projects.

UH Conrad N. Hilton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management 2006 Summer Camp, June 20-25, for high school and college students. www.hrm.uh.edu/

Activities include:
   • A trip to Minute Maid Park to learn about the management of that athletic facility
   • A visit to the Hilton Americas-Houston and Westin Hotel-Galleria to shadow operators of the hotels
   • Lectures from experts, such as Joan Johnson of the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau
   • Cooking lessons from UH Executive Chef Abbas Jaffari

“Summer programs like this allow us to flex our muscle a bit and show students the kind of experience they can have at UH,” Danny Arocha, enrollment manager of the college, said. “Last year, several students were recruited based on our summer camp.” Students will stay in the university residence halls, tour the campus and the Hilton College’s library and computer lab. Applications to participate in the camp come from as far away as California, New Jersey and Miami.

UH Department of Health and Human Performance BOUNCE Summer Camp, July 17–28, for middle school girls. www.hhp.uh.edu/

Activities include:
   • Salsa, hip-hop dancing
   • Kick-boxing
   • Nutritious food choices
   • Self-esteem and healthy living counseling

“Our goal is to introduce new and healthy living habits to a population that, studies show, is increasingly becoming more obese or overweight—Hispanic and African American girls,” Norma Olvera, associate professor in the UH Department of Health and Human Performance and director of the BOUNCE program, said. This is the second year of the program, and as many as 30 girls are expected to participate. This summer’s camp will include a day-long field trip to the Museum of Health and Medical Science.

UH Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture Summer Discovery Camp, June 12– July 14, for high school and college students. www.arch.uh.edu/home/index.html

Activities include:
   • Basic building/design projects
   • Field trips to job sites and architectural offices
   • Visits to buildings of special interest in Houston
   • Out-of-town trips to Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth and the Charles Moore house and studio in Austin

“Students who have an interest or just a curiosity about architecture will learn from our own faculty about the business and about careers in architecture,” Sally Joyce, director of the Summer Discovery camp, said.

About the University of Houston

The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.

For more information about UH visit the university’s ‘Newsroom’ at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.