Have you ever wondered what it is like to be police officer or a firefighter? The Columbus Police and Fire Youth Academy gives students between the ages of eight to thirteen the opportunity to spend four days in an educational setting with our public safety personnel.
During this time, the students will participate in a number of “hands on” activities including obstacle courses, physical fitness exercises, defensive tactics, fire safety and fire prevention.
Fire trucks will be on hand for the students to inspect and learn more about. Students will have a chance to talk with members of the CPD SWAT Team, Hostage Negotiators, Swift Water Rescue, Bomb Team and much more. In addition, police dogs will also be on hand for a demonstration. The academy will conclude with a graduation ceremony that family and friends are encouraged to attend.
Lunch and academy t-shirts are provided to all students at no charge thanks to our generous sponsors and runs from 8:00am-3:00pm, daily. The academy is limited to twenty five students in each class, with a minimum of 12 students for the class to run. Preference will be given to Bartholomew County residents who have never attended the academy before.
Due to the overwhelming popularity and limited spaces for the 2025 Bitty Boot Camp (6-8 year olds) and Youth Camp (9-12 year olds) there will be a lottery system for enrollment of these camps. The purpose of having a lottery system is to ensure that families have an equal chance to get their child(ren) enrolled into these camps. We hate not being able to enroll every child, however limiting the number of campers ensures we can maintain a high level of learning and FUN! The camps and registration lottery remain free. We will open enrollment closer to the summer.
2025 camp dates will be posted soon.
Qualifications:
– The child must be a Bartholomew County resident
– The child must be the age at the time of camp within the age group they are registered for
– Submission is made by one parent or legal guardian
– Accurate information was provided during registration
– The child must have their own transportation to and from camp
– There must be a nearby emergency contact that can respond, if needed
– Notifications of food allergies or restrictions will be made to camp staff and/or medications will be provided to camp staff, if needed, at check-in
– Must accept CPD’s liability waiver
For questions, updates, or cancellations contact:
Officer Kapczynski
812-350-4552
Police
Dispatch
(812) 379-1689
Front Desk
(812) 376-2600
Records Division
123 Washington Street
Columbus, IN 47201
(812) 376-2653
Monday – Friday
8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
