URBANA -- Keeping the kids busy during the summer is an annual challenge, but a resource fair organized by a University of Illinois initiative has plenty of ideas for busy parents.

The annual Summer Enrichment Extravaganza is scheduled from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Urbana Middle School, 1201 S. Vine St.

Emphasizing the varied resources available locally, the theme for the communitywide event is summer fun, activities, enrichment and learning for children from prekindergarten through 12th grade, said Lila Moore, program coordinator in the Center for Education in Small Urban Communities.

Representatives from more than 30 campus and community organizations will have information available on their summer programs, from art to yoga and everything in between.

Participants include the Champaign and Urbana park districts, public libraries, Parkland's College for Kids, the Girl Scouts/Boy Scouts, Champaign County YMCA, Savoy Recreation Center, Orpheum Children's Museum, 4-H, Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club and multiple programs from the University of Illinois.

The event, organized by the center and the UI's I-Parents Initiative, is part of the campuswide effort to bring resources and information to parents in the community.

Almost 300 people attended last year's resource fair, Moore said.

Camps help children stay active, keep teens engaged and safe, and enrich their academic and social skills, I-Parent organizers say. Programs are available for a variety of budgets, and scholarships are available.

Even if parents hunt for programs online, the resource fair gives them a chance to talk to the people running the camps and find out what best suits their child, Moore said.

A sampling of what's available:

Fighting Illini Sports Camps include baseball, basketball, cross-country, football, golf, gymnastics, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball and wrestling. On the web: http://www.fightingillini.com/camps.

Indian Acres Swim Club offers a day camp with daily swimming lessons as well as arts, crafts, stories, games and sports. On the web: http://www.indianacresswimclub.org.

The Illinois Summer Youth Music Program includes programs in bands, orchestras, jazz and choral groups, as well as specialized instrumental programs, all at the UI. On the web: http://www.music.illinois.edu/isym.

The University Language Academy for Children offers a Spanish summer language camp for ages 4 through 8. On the web: http://www.languageacademy.illinois.edu.

The UI's Department of Kinesiology and Community Health runs one of the oldest summer sports fitness programs in the country. Participants use the Campus Recreation's facilities, including a rock-climbing wall, instructional kitchen, gyms, swimming pools and outdoor fields. On the web: sportsfitness.illinois.edu.

The Community Center for the Arts offers summer programs in band, drama, music, as well as "living history" campus on medieval, Renaissance and Irish/Scottish history. On the web: http://www.c-4a.org/camp.