WSC to Host 5,000 Visitors this Summer
June 1, 2011 -- From conferences to summer camps to new student orientations, Western State College of Colorado (WSC) will welcome 35 groups – totaling about 5,000 visitors -- to campus and the Gunnison Valley this summer.
Local retail spending by campus visitors totals about $2.9 million annually, according to an economic impact study of Western conducted by Development Research Partners and released in March 2010.
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This year’s slate of organizations includes some groups that have been visiting Gunnison for more than 25 years, such as the Columbine Girls State Colorado and Great Escape Youth Camp, and newcomers like the Sky Ranch at Ute Trail youth camp.
More than 2,300 youth are expected to participate in Western’s athletic camps, which includes swimming, football, basketball, wrestling , high-altitude distance running and volleyball. Other athletic camps to be held at Western are the Rocky Mountain Cross Country Camp and the Castle View High School Football Camp.
The WSC Math and Computer Science camp will be held the week of June 19, which introduces youth to both computer programming and recreational activities in the Gunnison Valley.
A number of professional development conferences and courses also will be held on campus this summer. The Summer Teacher Institute, organized through the WSC Extended Studies office, will be held June 6 to 18. The Institute offers teachers a variety of courses for enhancing their curriculums and skills. Extended Studies also is hosting two training workshops for the Colorado Association of Professional Interpreters.
In addition, Extended Studies is offering its 3rd annual Wednesdays at Western program series, which occur each week from June 22 through Aug. 17. The series includes a variety of day trips and workshops that are led by local experts. Among this year’s activities are fly-fishing, geology tours, bird watching and art projects.
Other professional development conferences organized by Western include the WSC Colorado Brass Band, which will perform on June 24, the 36th Annual Colorado Water Workshop from July 20 to 22 and Writing the Rockies from July 28 to 30. Conferences returning to Western this summer include the Rocky Mountain Summer Institute, the Law Enforcement Explorer Conference and the Search & Rescue Management Academy.
In addition, Western will host orientation sessions for new students on June 10 and 27 and July 8, as well as conferences and sessions for its graduate students.
