The first local Kids University, a summer recreational day camp for children ages eight to 12, is set to begin Monday.

A collaborative effort of UGA-Griffin and the Griffin-Spalding County School System, the Kids University will feature five themed weeks — each week until July 20 except the week of Independence Day — that include science, art, animation and photography, healthy living as well as heroes, history and movie making.

“We are excited about the program. It’s a great way to engage the community and give children a great learning experience for the summer,” said Art Cain, director of continuing education at UGA-Griffin.

While children will be exposed to a lot of hands-on experiences, Cain said, they will also get to see some of the things in with UGA-Griffin is involved, such as the weather station or the research garden.

“Hopefully, it will lay the ground work for them to love education,” he said.

Spots are still available for each of the five weeks, which parents can pick and choose as it fits their schedule. The cost per week is $124 or $104 for a full day and $104 or $84 for a half day, depending on the specific week. Financial help is not available this year.

Those who are interested in registering their child for the Kids University should visit www.ugagriffincontinuinged.com/kids-university.php, call 770-229-3477 or come by in person to the UGA-Griffin Campus at 1109 Experiment St., Stuckey Conference Center, Room 125.