National Youth Sports Program -- Four hundred children from lower-income families in Yolo and Solano counties are participating in five sports, getting hands-on experience with science, and exploring career opportunities. The program, for 10- to 16-year-olds, also features math instruction and a component on drug and alcohol awareness. Each participant receives, at no cost, a free medical physical, transportation each day, breakfast and lunch, eight campus field trips and two off-campus field trips. The program is sponsored by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and UC Davis. Visuals: Sports, dance, science experiments and interaction with animals. When and where: Through July 30. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday to Friday. Hickey Gym and its immediate area. Media contact: Julia Ann Easley, News Service, (530) 752-8248, jaeasley@ucdavis.edu. Junior Academic Science Research Achievement Program (JASRAP) -- Academically strong 9th- and 10th-grade students from underrepresented ethnic groups and low-income families spend five weeks in residence engaged in hands-on scientific research. The 30 participants work in campus laboratories with faculty and staff mentors and their research teams. They also attend workshops on study skills and cultural awareness, tour campus facilities, and take field trips to scientific labs, field stations, museums and biotech firms. The program is intended to encourage interest in higher education and careers as scientists, scholars, teachers and society leaders. Visuals: Students in laboratories, greenhouses and fields. When and where: July 6 through Aug. 5. JASRAP students are on campus Monday through Thursday; lab hours are usually 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The program concludes Thursday, Aug. 5, at 6:30 p.m. at Freeborn Hall with a graduation ceremony at which each youth gives a short presentation of her or his summer project to an audience of researchers, parents and peers. Media contact: Sylvia Wright, News Service, (530) 752-7704, swright@ucdavis.edu. College Academic Preparatory Summer Research Achievement Program (CAPSRAP) -- About 20 JASRAP graduates who are still in high school return to the campus to study and work in paid positions for at least 160 hours under the supervision of UC Davis faculty or staff members. Often, participants resume work with their JASRAP mentors. The program is intended to encourage interest in higher education in the agricultural, environmental and consumer sciences. Visuals: Students in laboratories, greenhouses, fields and horse barn. When and where: Through Aug. 31. Hours vary; call for schedules. Media contact: Sylvia Wright, News Service, (530) 752-7704, swright@ucdavis.edu. Upward Bound -- Students from nine high schools in Sacramento, Stockton, Dixon and Vallejo sample college life for the summer. Sixty-five 8th-12th graders who are from low-income families or who could be the first generation in their family to attend college are participating in the program. While staying in campus dormitories, students attend classes ranging from chemistry and biology to English and journalism. They also prepare to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test for college entrance, receive financial aid information, travel to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and coordinate their own performances for a cultural night. At the end of the program, participants who have excelled in Upward Bound will have the opportunity to fly to San Diego to visit colleges and attend cultural events. Visuals: Science labs; classroom settings; and performances on cultural nights including singing, dancing and costumes. When and where: Through Aug. 6. Classes are held 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. The program will culminate in a closing ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 6, in the Main Theatre. Media contacts: Ping Chan, Upward Bound, (530) 752-2288, jjchan@ucdavis.edu; Patricia Bailey, News Service, (530) 752-9843, pjbailey@ucdavis.edu. River Rafting and Kayaking -- Outdoor Adventures at UC Davis introduces 13- to 17-year-olds to river rafting. The five-day programs include river safety and skills instruction, as well as presentations by UC Davis professors and graduate students on river ecology, geology and the history of the rafting area. A grant from the California Department of Boating and Waterways provides scholarships to help offset the fees of $130 to $143 for kayaking and $350 to $385 for river rafting. Visuals: River rafting and campfire activities. When and where: Four sessions offered between July 5 and Aug. 20. Groups will raft on the South Fork of the American River. Media contact: Julia Ann Easley, News Service, (530) 752-8248, jaeasley@ucdavis.edu.