The School of Education is partnering with Campus Recreation on a new summer program in which the participating children will enroll in science, technology or creativity “majors.”

The program is called SEEK: The UC Davis Experience, for children entering grades 3 to 6.

Organizers said the students will address real-world challenges in the context of authentic “laboratories” unique to UC Davis. The faculty comprises scientists, researchers, designers and educators from around the campus, along with credentialed teachers from the community.

The program intends to foster critical thinking, provide experience in research and presentation, and, through teamwork, the opportunity to develop skills in collaboration, communication and leadership — all while having fun.

Three weeklong sessions are planned, with each of the “majors” offered during each session. The dates are July 12-16, 19-23 and 26-30 — giving students the opportunity to enroll in major one week and one or two more in successive weeks.

Each major is scheduled to meet at various places around campus. Here are the details:

• Let’s Move It People! — In which the participants are due to explore the science and technology of sustainable transportation, including alternative modes and fuels, and the effect of such alternatives on design and the environment — and ponder the question of how people may get from place to place in the future.

• The Good, the Bad and the Buggly — Insects, to many people, are frightening fiends that make their toes curl. But, by learning about entomology, children can encourage others to “stop before you stomp” —because our biodiversity and survival depends on the contributions of these creepy crawly co-habitants.

• ACRES of Learning — As an acronym, ACRES stands for Arts, Culture, Research, Environment and Society. As a word, ACRES refers to the 266 acres that make up UC Davis’ new front door, at the campus’s southern edge, home of the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, and the arboretum.

In ACRES of Learning, the participants are due to explore the dynamic relationship between design and environmental science, while at the same time helping architects and scientists develop plans for a new discovery center to be built with children in mind.

The fee for each of the majors is $275; the hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, with extended care (3-5:30 p.m.) available for a weekly charge of $35.

For more information, or to register, contact Campus Recreation’s Youth Programs, (530) 754-4304 or youthprograms@campusrec.ucdavis.edu.

More from Campus Rec's Youth Programs: flag football and boys lacrosse clinics