Camp Guide 2012

An acclaimed North Shore institution celebrating 40 years of excellence in training children and adults in the theatre arts.

Offering camps, classes, workshops, and more.

click here to learn more!

847.8 66. 65 97 | evanston, i l | p i v ent h eat r e .org

Spend your summer exploring the Colorado Rockies at Cheley Camps

CLICK HERE

for a Virtual Tour through our Different Camps

Boy and Girls Ages 9-17 1-800-CAMP-FUN www.cheley.com

contents camp guide 2012

Making the case for Not into sports camp? Overnight success: Don’t sweat it! u summer camp u find the right camp

By Belinda Lichty Clarke for your child u

By Kristina Tober

By Belinda Lichty Clarke

Camps for the younger set u

By Laura Tiebert

Love from home: Great camps listing u what to send (and not send) to camp u

By Belinda Lichty Clarke

cover photo courtesy camp songadeewin

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Where Science, Nature & Fun Meet June 18 – August 17 www.chicagobotanic.org/camp

Camp Walt Whitman In The White Mountains of New Hampshire

"Camp is my life! Lots of my friends from home go to camp, but they have no idea what I experience. They don't know how wonderful it is at Walt Whitman..." — Susie C., Atlanta, Senior Camper

CLICK HERE for virtual tour

Enroll Today Summer 2012

1000 Cape Moonshine Rd. Piermont, NH 03779

www.campwalt.com | 800.657.8282

camp

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making the case for summer camp Photos courtesy camp songadeewin

By Kristina Tober

I

t’s the same question every year: What are my kids going to do this summer? Should he go to lacrosse camp to get a leg up on fall tryouts? What about math camp to lighten her load this

fall? Better yet, maybe this is the summer to learn Mandarin? After all, there’s no time like summer to get ahead.

Then that little voice reminds you that your kids are burned out and need time makeitbetter.net

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outside, away from technology. Maybe this is the summer to stop over-thinking it all and send your kids to a traditional sleep-away camp.

More than just fun

While some might deem this a slacker route, there’s plenty of evidence that good things happen when you go to summer camp.

A study conducted by the American Camp Association 8

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between 2001 and 2004 found that summer camp builds skills for life. Kids become leaders—building independence, a sense of adventure and selfconfidence—while also learning how to be team players by working together to solve problems and survive failure. These skills define lifelong success better than any report card.

So what’s the magic of camp?

Photo courtesy camp songadeewin

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camp

Getting dirty in the woods

Kids aren’t just sleeping in the woods. They’re learning to identify poison ivy, spot animal tracks and navigate rushing water. They have time to study a bug, ask questions about what they see and learn a new skill. Even better, there’s no technology to distract them.

“If we don’t get our kids into the woods, learning about and loving nature, we’re not going to have people passionate enough to save our planet in the future,” says Ellen Flight, director of Songadeewin, an all-girls camp and one of three summer camps operated by the Keewaydin Foundation in Vermont.

Navigating the wild and unpleasant cabin mates

Camp isn’t always fun. The food is different, the showers

are cold and at least one kid in your cabin will drive you crazy. But with this discomfort comes a lot of good.

“Old-fashioned sleep-away camp is the best antidote to the extreme nature of our culture,” professes Dr. Wendy Mogel, acclaimed clinical psychologist and the author of the best-selling parenting books “The Blessing of a Skinned Knee,” and “The Blessing of a B Minus.” “We try to protect our children from every danger, from failure and discomfort. Our goal should be to keep them as safe as necessary, not as safe as possible.”

“Even better, you don’t have your nervous, over-intelligent, meddling parents there to step in and save you,” Mogel says. “You have to learn to be a team player, sleep on an makeitbetter.net

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uncomfortable bed, and get along with the annoying kid in your cabin.”

All this “good suffering” prepares kids for the realities of life better than any academic setting.

Learn to work together— or you may not eat

Camp offers authentic experiences and real conse-

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quences. If you forgot your raincoat, mom can’t bring it and you will get soaked walking in the woods. If you aren’t willing to paddle, the canoe will not move. Skipped the mosquito repellent? Prepare to scratch.

“Kids learn what they are capable of, particularly in the wilderness,” says J.R. Verkamp, director of Koochi-Ching, an all-boys wilderness camp in Minnesota. “It’s amazing to see on a canoe trip how each boy figures out what he can do to help. More importantly, each begins to quickly understand that if I don’t do my part, everyone suffers. And through this process of working together as a community and helping others, these kids are building confidence and character.”

Photo courtesy camp songadeewin

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SUMMER 2012 PROGRAMS JUNE 11TH THROUGH LATE AUGUST A thoughtful, process-driven acting program for the professionally minded student. Summer classes offered in musical theatre, filmmaking and audition technique. All classes taught by industry professionals.

TO REGISTER, CALL (847) 251-8710 SEE PROGRAMS ONLINE AT WWW.WILMETTETHEATRE.COM/ATC

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not into sports camp? don’t sweat it! ids relish their summer vacation, so finding the right summer camp is hugely important, especially for working parents who require all-day options.

Fortunately, living within a few miles of one of the largest cities in the country has its advantages, especially if your kid has the creative bug or likes nontraditional outdoor activities.

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photo courtesy of camp chi

K

By Belinda Lichty Clarke

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AIC Camp

photo courtesy Evanston ecology camp

The Art Institute of Chicago offers part- and full-day summer camps for children ages 6 to 13. Students have the opportunity to work on daily visual and performing arts projects, but they also spend time exploring the museum as well as venturing out into the city to discover public art, parks and monuments. Topics include painting, drawing, sculpture, performance, printmaking, mixed media and other artistic endeavors. Each camp has a distinct focus so it’s different each session.

to kids from kindergarten through sixth grade, the children are divided into groups to further customize the activities. The older group, for example, has the opportunity to participate in an overnight excursion. All campers get weekly beach days and cookouts. Other activities include science experiments, field trips, games, live performances, and arts and crafts.

Ecology Camp u For kids who love the outdoors, the Evanston Ecology Center offers a camp that blends physical activity with a learning-focused, natural perspective. While it caters

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camp

Facets Film Camp, held in Chicago, is part of a yearround program run by the producers of the Chicago International Children’s Film Festival. Their summer camp, now a decade old, gives kids ages 7 to 14 a foundation in the various aspects of filmmaking including technique, language and process. Kids explore film vocabulary, storyboarding, camera work, lighting, sound recording, theory, screenwriting and more.

Sheridan Shore Sailing School u Sheridan Shore Sailing School (at Wilmette Harbor) has a fleet of 30 boats of varying sizes and an experienced instruction team to teach kids how to get the most out of the 14

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sport, while having a blast.

For kids ranging from 8 to 18, the school offers beginner to advanced classes that meet Monday through Friday, in the mornings or afternoons.

They have a racing team for more experienced sailors. Littler kids (ages 6 to 8) can join in the fun, too, through evening, 90-minute Sea Squirt classes, which run three days a week.

photo courtesy sheridan shore sailing school

Facets Film Camp

camp

Photo courtesy camp chi

Jay’s Camp Jay’s Camp, located in Long Grove, describes itself as “the most personalized camp on the North Shore,” because of its limited enrollment and expansive range of activities. Set on 12 acres with sessions for kids pre-K to ninth grade, Jay and Sherry Silverman have been running the camp since it opened in 1974. Jay’s Camp

offers non-traditional camp activities such as model airplanes, boats and cars; rocketry; wacky science; photography; plays and productions; professional dance instruction; gymnastics and much more.

“Each program is customized to meet the needs of the individual child,” says Sherry.

Each child receives a DVD of his or her experience. makeitbetter.net

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CLICK H for D ates & ERE Rates Towering Pines Camp for boys, since 1946

To the camper, camp is hanging out with friends and having fun!

Parents know it’s about growing up and the power of fun. Learning new skills through activities, and shared living experiences.

Camp is an important part of a child’s education; an investment measured in growth of confidence & lasting interests.

The choice of overnight camp is a vote of confidence in your child.

Surrounded by purposeful leaders and family values, our camp is a safe-haven in an uncertain world.

RE CLICK HE tes Ra & s e t a D for

Camp Woodland for girls, since 1970

847-446-7311 s eaglerivercamps.com s info@eaglerivercamps.com

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overnight success: find the right camp for your child Photo courtesy mcgaw ymca

By Belinda Lichty Clarke

S

ending your child to an overnight camp isn’t just a financial investment, it’s an investment in your kid’s happiness, so the right fit is essential.

So how do you know if your child will be okay away from home for a week or longer? According to Ron Levin, director of the Chicago JCC’s Camp Chi in Lake Delton, makeitbetter.net

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Wisc., every child is different, so Levin likes to address specific concerns individually.

However, he says there are a few general things that parents should consider when deciding if a child will thrive at overnight camp.

“First, we talk to parents about their concerns so we can address them,” Levin says. “If a child likes to participate in activities, likes being around other kids and is social, feels comfortable sleeping over at friends’ houses and has had positive experiences in day camp or at school, then overnight camp is likely a good choice.”

Levin also recommends a few things for parents to consider when selecting a camp, including a good safety record, accreditation by the American Camping Associa18

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tion (ACA, acacamps.org), a good camper-to-counselor ratio, a range of facilities that appeals to your kid, and open and effective communication with parents.

“If parents are worried about their child, they can call us for checks-ins or we can call them with updates,” adds Levin.

At McGaw YMCA’s Camp Echo in Fremont, Mich., also ACA-accredited, campers’ photos are uploaded nightly onto a website where parents can see what their kids were up to that day.

One of the key issues parents need to address is “readiness” for camp, says Rob Grierson, who has been affiliated with Camp Echo since 1977 and has served as its director since 2001. To gauge how a young camper will adapt

Photo courtesy camp chi

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to overnight camp, he uses a checklist from Bob Ditter, a prominent child psychologist who works with camps through the ACA. “The checklist is not a scorecard, where a certain number of yes answers means ‘ready for camp,’ however, lots of no answers may be an indication that the child is not ready,” Grierson says.

“It’s to get parents and children thinking about what it’s

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like to be at camp, away from home and school, with a different support structure than they are used to.”

As for the selection process, Grierson recommends harnessing the power of the web to make a collaborative choice: “Every camp these days has a website with pictures. I think parents should pre-screen several camps, then sit with their children and look at the various camp

websites that meet with the parents’ approval.”

While both camps Chi and Echo offer a broad range of traditional camping activities, such as swimming, horseback riding, etc., there are also overnight camps designed for specific interests, such as Camp Jam, a musiccentric overnight camp that has locations nationwide, including Lake Forest Acade-

my. Camp Jam president Dan Lipson also recommends using the web to help choose the right camp, and says that Camp Jam posts a thorough curriculum on its site to help guide parents. He also encourages parents to call with specific questions.

“It’s very important for overnight music camps to be specific about the experience and the camper’s skills necessary for the best fit,” says Lipson. “Kids need to look for the music program that offers a well-rounded curriculum for their age group. It’s about having fun, learning your craft and meeting other kids with the same passion.”

Readiness for Camp CheckList For Bob Ditter’s checklist go to makeitbetter.net/readycamp

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Photo courtesy mcgaw ymca

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• Overnight, resident camp • Boys and girls, ages 7–16 • Wide variety of traditional camp activities • Horses, Specialties and Adventure Trips • Sessions from 4 days to 1 or more weeks • Located 2 hours from Chicago • Transportation and scholarships available • Kids love us; parents trust us click for video of camP anokijig

www.anokijig.com 800-741-6931 Plymouth, wi

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PREM HORE’S IER CAMP

Sports Adventure Arts Aquatics Ages 3 – 12

847.295.4900 bannerdaycamp.com

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for the younger set

By Laura Tiebert

Before you know it, preschool will be out for summer.

As you envision 10 weeks of 14-hour days stretching in front of you, don’t panic—just check our list, then sign up your littlest camper for some summer fun.

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Camp CBG

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 Grasshoppers

Known for its arts enrichment programs, this Skokiebased group offers summer camps in Creative Music and Arts from ages 2 ½ to 6. The youngest group, Lil Sprouts, includes 2 ½-3 1/2-year-olds and meets 9:30 to noon. Kids meet at Marie Murphy School and participate in sand and water play, chalk and ball play, plus music, art, drama, languages and more.

Mid-June through July.

847-933-0672 24

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Camp CBG For ages 2 and up, CBG offers week-long camps covering gardening, art, science, bugs and more.

Morning, afternoon and allday options from June through August.

847-835-5440

Photo courtesy Grasshoppers

Creative Kids Corner

From the Summer Stuff Day Camps people, Grasshoppers is an outdoor-based, 2 ½-hour program for 3- and 4-yearolds, held at The First Congregational Church of Wilmette. Choose morning or afternoon, Monday through Thursday. Group time features music, and there’s the usual sand box, water play, bicycle riding and more.

773-463-4254

camp

Cornflakes

Kaleidoscope School of Art

For ages 33 months and up, the Winnetka Community House offers programs featuring adventure walks, swimming, and arts and crafts. Morning, afternoon and extended day programs.

Mid-June through July.

847-446-7615

Imaginative and therapeutic art classes for ages 4 and up at this picturesque school on Barrington’s Main Street. Drawing, painting and paper mache classes run for 1 ½ hours each morning, Monday through Friday, all summer long.

Mid-June through July.

847-381-4840

Photo courtesy of kid motion

Giggle Gang The Northfield Park District runs a program for kids ages 3 to 5 at the Northfield Community Center, featuring arts and crafts, show and tell, water days and group activities.

Options for three or five days a week, mid-June through July.

847-446-4428

Kid Motion  Movement and gym time for kids ages 2 ½ to 4 ½ at Kid Motion’s indoor playground.

Each week the kids take an makeitbetter.net

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imaginary adventure trip to the zoo, pond, dinosaur dig and more, all within the group’s Winnetka gym.

Mid-June to end of July.

847-251-8984

French or Spanish camps for kids ages 3 1/2 to 7 at the Wilmette-based language school. Indoor and outdoor water games, relay races, arts and crafts, cooking, treasure hunts and more.

Mid-June to mid-August (10 weeks).

847-256-8000

Leapfrog Program Run by Northwestern University’s Center for Talent Development, the program 26

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provides innovative academics for young, academically talented students in grades Pre-K through 3rd. Leapfrog classes are a one-week enrichment curriculum, including substantial hands-on activities in such areas as life science, earth science, geometry, problem-solving, math and detective stories.

Three one-week sessions in July.

847-491-3782

Photo courtesy of language stars

Language Stars Summer Camps u

, , & E E N I R G A O M C I L REA P EX TE June 18th-August 10th theartcenterhp.org

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847.432.1888

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love from home

What to Send (and NOT Send) to Camp

T

By Belinda Lichty Clarke

he days of carb-andsugar-loaded care packages are long over. And for those moms looking to buck the system by including a stealth Snickers bar or two, don’t bother.

“Camp Echo and most other camps will not allow campers to receive food in care packages (too many critters find the food and help themselves),” says Katie Trippi,

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alumni and development director for Evanston’s McGaw YMCA Camp Echo, which is located in Fremont, Michigan.

“At Echo, all care packages are opened by campers in front of staff who confiscate any food items. These items are then donated to a local food pantry.”

So how can you send your favorite camper a little love from home? Here are some

camp

Ideas for Girls

Ideas for Boys

Do-it-yourself spa items Dress-up accessories Books Postcards Magazines Jump Rope

Soap Silly Putty Magic Tricks Postcards Comic Books Hacky Sack

suggestions for non-edible care package goodies.

According to Trippi, Camp Echo encourages parents to send items that can be worked into camp activities, for example crazy costumes and dress-up accessories for a Wacky Wednesday they host at the camp.

She adds that it helps to send group activities for the whole cabin to enjoy, such as do-it-yourself spa treatments for girls, and card games and magic tricks for boys.

Eileen Zampa, an Evanston mom with three boys, two of whom are veteran overnight campers, says she made sure to include the “messiest stuff” possible in her care packages, in other words, things that boys love that she didn’t want them doing at home.

“Silly String was the biggest hit with my boys followed by Silly Putty and comic books,” Zampa says. “And, some sort of foam in a can that came in wild colors.”

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camp

camp listings

The Art Center of Highland Park Highland Park, IL | 847-432-1888 theartcenterhp.org Academy @ Citadel Theatre Lake Forest, IL | 847-735-8554 citadeltheatre.org Actors Training Center at the Wilmette Theatre Wilmette, IL | 847-251-8710 actorstrainingcenter.com Apachi Day Camps of JCC Chicago Northbrook, Lake Zurich, and Chicago, IL | 847-272-7050 gojcc.org/daycamp

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Baker Summer Discovery Wilmette, IL | 847-425-5814 bakerdemschool.org Banner Day Camp Lake Forest, IL | 847-295-4900 bannerdaycamp.com Big Blue Swim School Glenview, IL | 847-729-POOL bigblueswimschool.com Camp Anokijig Plymouth, WI | 800-741-6931 anokijig.com

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Camp CBG at the Chicago Botanic Garden Glencoe, IL | 847-835-8361 chicagobotanic.org/camp

Foss Swim School Highland Park, IL | 847-266-3677 fossswimschool.com

Camp Hope Lake Forest, IL | 312-401-HOPE camphopeillinois.org

Game On! Sports Camp 4 Girls Lake Forest and Chicago, IL Decatur, MI | 847-229-9959 gameonsportscamp.com

Camp Hug the Bear Northbrook, IL | 847-509-9400 nssra.org/programs

Greenwoods Camp for Boys Decatur, MI | 888-459-2492 lwcgwc.com

Camp Jam Lake Forest, IL | 800-513-0930 campjam.com/chicago

Harand Theatre Camp Kenosha, WI | 847-864-1500 harandcamp.com

Camp Walt Whitman Piermont, NH | 800-657-8282 campwalt.com

Illinois Baseball Academy Wilmette, IL | 847-899-3620 illinoisbaseballacademy.com

Camp Woodland for Girls Eagle River, WI | 800-882-7034 campwoodland.com

JCC Camp Chi Lake Delton, WI | 847-763-3551 campchi.com

Cheley Colorado Camps Estes Park, CO 800-CAMP-FUN | cheley.com

Lake of the Woods Camp for Girls Decatur, MI | 888-459-2492 lwcgwc.com CONTINUED ON PAGE 32 u

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Loras College All-Sports Camp Dubuque, IA | 563-588-7053 lorasallsportscamps.com Monmouth College All-Sports Camp Monmouth, IL | 309-457-2345 monmouthallsportscamp.com Music Institute of Chicago Evanston, IL | Highland Park, IL Lake Forest, IL | Winnetka, IL 847-905-1500 | musicinst.org McGaw YMCA Camp Echo Fremont, MI | 847-475-7400 ymcacampecho.org New Vision Athletics Summer Sports Experience Lake Forest, IL | 847-295-0682 newvisionathletics.com North Shore Country Day School Summer Programs Winnetka, IL | 847-441-3350 nscdscamps.org North Suburban YMCA Northbrook, IL | 847-272-7250 nsymca.org

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Northwestern Girls Soccer Academy Evanston, IL | 847-467-5297 nugirlssoccercamps.com Northwestern Soccer Camps Evanston, IL | 847-491-4392 nusoccercamps.com Panther Camp Lake Forest, IL | 847-975-4865 panthercamp.com Park District of Highland Park Highland Park, IL 847-831-3810 | pdhp.org Piven Theatre Workshop Evanston, IL | 847-866-6597 piventheatre.org Red Pine Camp for Girls Minocqua, WI | 715-356-6231 redpinecamp.com SuperCamp Various locations 800-285-3276 | supercamp.com Towering Pines for Boys Eagle River, WI | 800-882-7034 toweringpinescamp.com

Loras College and Monmouth College where sportsmanship and athletic skills grow

Register Online Feb 7th For Summer 2012 www.lorasallsportscamps.com

u

www.monmouthallsportscamp.com

Harand Camp of the

Theatre Arts est. 1955

SINGING, DANCING, ACTING SPORTS & ACTIVITIES CO-ED, AGES 7 TO 18 NON-COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT MODERN FACILITIES ON LAKE MICHIGAN 1, 3, AND 6 WEEK OVERNIGHT SESSIONS

Contact Us!

847-864-1500 harandcamp@aol.com www.harandcamp.com Where “No Man Is an Island” and EVERYONE is a STAR!