Youth Programs
Gulf Coast State College offers a wide array of academic enrichment camps and activities for youth in Bay, Gulf and Franklin counties throughout the year. The majority of these activities are offered during the summer, with other activities being offered on selected days throughout the school year.
Camps and activities are designed for youth who are excited about the opportunity to learn, have fun and participate in challenging hands-on activities using the latest technology.
Registration for the 2026 Summer Youth Programs will Open on march 9, 2026
Literary STEAM
Literary STEAM will take students on a STEAM voyage through children's literature. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Art activities will come alive through the pages of titles such as Henry's Scissors, Bridge to Terabithia, Sandy's Circus, and more! Join us as we explore the STEAM possibilities found throughout the pages of beloved literature.
IMPORTANT: This camp will have a 7-9 year old class and a 10-12 year old class.
Dates: June 8 - June 11 (Monday-Thursday)
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Camp Tuition: $149 (registration closes June 3)
Lunch: All students must bring a lunch, with the understanding that the ability to keep the lunch cold is extremely limited and, depending on the location of the camp, may not be available at all.
Little Bits (4-6 year olds): Literacy STEAM
Literary STEAM will take students on a STEAM voyage through children's literature. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Art activities will come alive through the pages of favorite nursery rhymes, folktales, and storybooks.
Students must be potty trained and able to follow directions.
IMPORTANT: This camp is designed for 4 to 6 year old students. Only 1 session time per week permitted
Dates: June 8 - June 11 (Monday-Thursday)
Time (Select ONLY ONE session): Session A- 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM; Session B- 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Camp Tuition: $75 (registration closes June 3)
20 Years of STEAM
Help us celebrate our 20th anniversary with STEAM education at Gulf Coast State College as we bring back favorite activities from over the years. We'll explore activities in environmental science, game design, robotics, Rube Goldberg machines, mood painting and so much more. Come celebrate the last 20 years with us!
IMPORTANT: This camp will have a 7-9 year old class and a 10-12 year old class.
Dates: June 15 - June 18 (Monday-Thursday)
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Camp Tuition: $149 (registration closes June 10)
Lunch: All students must bring a lunch, with the understanding that the ability to keep the lunch cold is extremely limited and, depending on the location of the camp, may not be available at all.
Little Bits (4-6 year olds): 20 Years of STEAM
Help us celebrate our 20th anniversary with STEAM education at Gulf Coast State College as we bring back favorite activities from over the years. We'll explore activities in environmental science, mood painting, building and so much more. Come celebrate the last 20 years with us!
Students must be potty trained and able to follow directions.
IMPORTANT: This camp is designed for 4 to 6 year old students.
Dates: June 15 - June 18 (Monday-Thursday)
Time (Select ONLY ONE session): Session A- 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM; Session B- 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Camp Tuition: $75 (registration closes June 10)
STEAM Circus
STEAM Circus is sure to Wow! with science activities in physics and motion, anatomy and more; technology light shows and robotic circus performers; engineering practices for tightropes, tent building, and more; art explodes with color and texture. Come join the circus and see why everyone is smiling for STEAM!
IMPORTANT: This camp will have a 7-9 year old class and a 10-12 year old class.
Dates: June 22 - June 25 (Monday-Thursday)
Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Camp Tuition: $149 (registration closes June 17)
Lunch: All students must bring a lunch, with the understanding that the ability to keep the lunch cold is extremely limited and, depending on the location of the camp, may not be available at all.
Little Bits (4-6 year olds): STEAM Circus
STEAM Circus is sure to Wow with STEAM activities in motion, light, sound, color, and more! Come join the circus and see what STEAM is all about!
Students must be potty trained and able to follow directions.
IMPORTANT: This camp is designed for 4 to 6 year old students.
Dates: June 22 - June 25 (Monday-Thursday)
Time (Select ONLY ONE session): Session A- 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM; Session B- 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Camp Tuition: $75 (registration closes June 17)
CULINARY CAMP (9-11 year olds)
This four-day summer camp experience will be a hands-on exploration and practice of basic kitchen safety, product identification, and the science of baking and cooking including techniques and a variety of applications. Instructors provide coaching through hands-on exercises in a manner gauged for the curious young cook.
Students must wear closed-toed shoes and t-shirts with sleeves (no tank tops, etc.)
Students must have reached age 9 by May 31, 2026.
Camp Tuition: $200
| 6/8 - 6/11/2026 l 8:30AM - 12:00PM l Charles Hilton Center | Camp Session 1 |
| 6/15 - 6/18/2026 l 8:30AM - 12:00PM l Charles Hilton Center | Camp Session 2 |
STEM CAMP (Incoming 4th-6th graders)
4 STEM stations within a session:
Station 1: Astronaut Academy- Mission Explore! Blast off into the amazing world of space and train like an astronaut with real NASA-inspired science and engineering challenges. In this high-energy, hands-on program, cadets work in crews to design rockets, explore gravity, build space habitats, and explore space. Along the way, students think like engineers, experiment like scientists, and solve problems just like real astronauts preparing for spaceflight.
Station 2: Fantastic Phylum’s- Unleash your inner zoologist! Have you ever wondered what you have in common with a jellyfish? Or if you could jump higher than a grasshopper? This summer we will explore the phyla of the animal kingdom from the simple sponges to the complex capybaras. Come dissect, design and discover how all life on Earth is connected by joining us on this epic journey!
Station 3: Wild Waters- Marine scientists step right up! This summer we will be exploring our oceans–from the diverse ecological communities of coral reefs to the mysterious depths of the abyssal plains and everything in between. Together we will build model oyster reefs, learn how scientists identify individual dolphins in the wild, and even explore what it takes to survive in the pressure of the deep oceans. Let’s wade into these wild and wonderful waters!
Station 4: Get ready for hands-on fun and creative challenges at Coding Cadets camp! As a Coding Cadet, students will jump into exciting coding projects as they design tricky mazes, create bold geometric art, and build story-based adventures—no screens required! They will plan, test, debug, and team up like real engineers. With their curious minds, Coding Cadets will build and explore STEM in action!
Date to Close Online Registration: 5 days prior to start date
Eligibility:
Students must be entering grades 4th-6th in the 2026-27 school year to attend. All students must bring a lunch. Transportation is not provided. All of the sessions are the same. Students may only attend 1 Camp Session.
Camp Dates and Times:
| 7/6/2026 - 7/9/2026 (Monday - Thursday) | 8:00 am - 3:00 pm | Camp Session 1 |
| 7/13/2026 - 7/16/2026 (Monday - Thursday) | 8:00 am - 3:00 pm | Camp Session 2 |
Camp Tuition: $100
Location: Panama City Campus | GCSC Language & Literature building, room 38 (Sarzin Lecture Hall)
Lunch: Students must bring a packed lunch, with the understanding that the ability to keep the lunch cold is extremely limited and, depending on the location of the camp, may not be available at all. No lunch is provided during camp.
UVS STEM CAMP (Incoming 7th-10th graders)
Students need the opportunity to apply their STEM education to real-world problems and explore STEM in ways that relate to their own lives and communities. Students will work in teams to design, build, and program an underwater unmanned vehicle system (UVS). This will provide students with the opportunity to develop skills in design, CAD, 3D printing, electronics, mathematics, problem-solving, programming, data collection, and UVS. The students will not only learn about the autonomous system but will be provided the opportunity to practice using it in real-world situations. The teams will compete in a challenge on the final day of camp to transform their theoretical knowledge into practical solutions using the underwater UVS they built over the course of the camp. Throughout the course of the camp, students will build self-reliance, intelligent risk-taking, technical communication skills, and jump-start their innovative thinking.
Date to Close Online Registration: 5 days prior to start date
Eligibility:
Students must be entering grades 7th-10th in the 2026-27 school year to attend. All students must bring a lunch. Transportation is not provided. Both sessions are the same. Students may only attend 1 session.
| 7/6/2026 - 7/9/2026 | 9:00 am - 3:00 pm (Monday - Thursday) | Camp Session 1 |
| 7/13/2026 - 7/16/2026 | 9:00 am - 3:00 pm (Monday - Thursday) | Camp Session 2 |
Camp Tuition: $100
Location: Panama City Campus | GCSC Charles Hilton Center
Lunch: Students must bring a packed lunch, with the understanding that the ability to keep the lunch cold is extremely limited and, depending on the location of the camp, may not be available at all. No lunch is provided during camp.
GCSC Athletic Summer Programs
Point of Contact: Jackson Richert, jrichert@gulfcoast.edu ; 850-872-3831
Girls Volleyball Camp: (ELEMENTARY- Grades 3-5) TBA; (MIDDLE SCHOOL- Grades 6-8) June 3-5 (9AM-12PM), June 3-5 (1PM-4PM); (HIGH SCHOOL- Grades 9-10) TBA; ALL sessions will be from 9am-12pm unless noted above; Wellness Building/Gym
Baseball Camp: June 8-10, 2026; 9am-12pm; Baseball Field (7-12 years old)
Softball Camp: June 1-3, 2026; 5pm-8pm; Softball Field (7-12 years old)
Boys Basketball Camp: June 22-24, 2026 OR July 20-22, 2026; 9am-12pm; Wellness Building/Gym (7-14 years old)
Girls Basketball Camp: June 22-24, 2026; 1pm-4pm; Wellness Building/Gym (7th-12th grade)
Camp Tuition: $75 (3-day camps); $50 (2-day camps)
REFUND POLICY: A full refund will be granted when requested by 4:00 p.m. five workdays prior to the first day of camp. After this date, refunds will not be granted.
Requests for refunds should be made in writing to jrichert@gulfcoast.edu.
Location
All summer camps/activities will be offered at the Panama City Campus of Gulf Coast State College. Please check the specific camp information for the exact location/room number.
Registration
Registration will be through the GCSC website and payment will be made on line by credit card or electronic check. Payment must be made in full at the time of registration.
Camps often fill up quickly and online registration/payment is the quickest and most efficient method to register for the camp you are interested in attending.
A confirmation email will be sent once registration and payment is completed.
Meals/Lunch
Meals will not be provided by the College. Students must bring a packed lunch, with the understanding that the ability to keep the lunch cold is extremely limited and, depending on the location of the camp, may not be available at all.
Refunds
A full refund will be granted when requested by 4:00 p.m. five workdays prior to the first day of camp. After this date, refunds will not be granted.
Requests for refunds should be made in writing to kmccurdy2@gulfcoast.edu.
Disability Assistance
Gulf Coast State College campuses are all accessible to students with disabilities. For assistance with registration, or to make an accommodation for participation, please call (850) 872-3814 or email kmccurdy2@gulfcoast.edu at least 10 days prior to the start of camp.
If you have any general questions regarding GCSC Youth Programs, please contact Katie McCurdy at (850) 872-3814 or kmccurdy2@gulfcoast.edu. Questions regarding specific camps should be directed to the contact listed on the registration form.