Quick Glance Schedule (vers. 1-27-2023)
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About Our Camps
Our specialty camps are designed to appeal to the creative and artistic side of campers! We offer camps in the performing arts, arts/crafts, Legos, science, magic, literacy, and more! Our programs emphasize both product and process. We support the personal and artistic growth of all children and encourage campers to explore the world around them as they develop their own style and means of self-expression. We foster a sense of community among our campers as we share our work and learn from each other.
Daily schedules are organized differently depending on the program and instructors, but campers will have some opportunity to spend time outside in between specialty activities. Age eligibility ranges from 3-15 years, depending on the program, so be sure to check each session closely. All programs are based on NYA’s beautiful campus and are instructed by staff with expertise in the specialty or by one of our partner organizations.
Full Day sessions run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with the option of After Care from 3:00-5:00 p.m. for an additional $50. After Care is a well-supervised and loosely structured time outside of the normal camp program time. Please sign your camper up for After Care during the registration process for each session needed.
Campers should come each day with a lunch*, two snacks, comfortable shoes, sunscreen, and a water bottle. Because we are so active each day, please be sure campers dress comfortably and appropriately for the weather, as well as for the specialty activity in which they are participating (see Family Handbook for detailed packing list).
Choose to sign your camper up for more than one week of camp and take advantage of our 10% multi-session discount!
Don’t miss our EARLY BIRD discount! Register by April 15, 2023 to save $25-$50 per registration.
Please note that a $50 non-refundable deposit per camper, per session is due at the time of registration. This deposit is not refunded in the event of cancellation.
Questions: Please direct any questions to Mary Goodrich, Director of Summer Programs, (207) 847-5432.
Wizard Magic Camp with Abracadabra Productions
Ages: 6-12
Session 2: June 19-23
Session 5 July 10-14
Session 6 July 24-28
Session 8: August 7-11
Cost: $350 Early Bird Price / $375 Regular Price
Phil Smith has been teaching the art of magic to children for over 30 years! Welcome to a magical week in a not-so-typical summer camp! Campers will learn the art of magic through lessons in misdirection, timing, developing a routine, and showmanship. They will learn how to construct their own props, use teamwork, and build self-confidence through public speaking. We will also explore creativity and storytelling. Card and coin tricks and even feats of mindreading will be explained in detail. A part of each day will be dedicated to viewing video footage of present and past masters, helping your camper discover the many facets and performance styles of this great hobby. Campers will have time to participate in outdoor games and activities when not engaged in magic lessons. No need to worry if your child has taken the Wizard’s workshop before! Phil has lots of new tricks up his sleeve for returning magic fans! You will be invited to see a live performance showcasing all the hard work during the Grand Gala Magic Show mid-day on Friday. (Campers must be picked up or go home with family after the big show. Campers who are signed up for afternoon care on Friday will join Super Summer Day Camp after the Grand Gala Magic Show.) For more information about Abracadabra Productions, visit www.abracadabraprod.com or www.facebook.com/abracadaproductions.
Instructor: Phil Smith, Abracadabra Productions
Lego Ski Resort with Brick by Brick Maine
Ages: 5-10
Session 2: June 19-23
Cost: $385 Early Bird Price / $410 Regular Price
Come join us on the mountain – adventure awaits all ski and snow lovers! Help design the awesome snow park complete with half-pipe and grind rail. Hit the ski shop for any gear you may have forgotten. Make a wrong turn? Break more than your pole? Never fear! The ski patrol will make a daring rescue via, jeep, snowmobile, or helicopter! Don’t get left out in the cold; join us for this fun week! Campers will stay focused with educational stories, Lego builds, games, and challenges which promote collaboration, critical thinking, and fun! Daily sessions always include time for creative free building too.
Instructor: Brick By Brick Maine staff
Lego King’s Castle with Brick by Brick Maine
Ages: 5-10
Session 3: June 26-30
Cost: $385 Early Bird Price / $410 Regular Price
The battle is about to begin! Join our round table of white knights to defend the King and his royal subjects! Help build the castle, then fire the catapult, and raise the drawbridge before the Dragon Soldiers utilize their deadly battering ram and catapult! Can you save the King’s treasure and cast the pillagers into the dungeon before leaving via the secret escape door? Let’s find out! Campers will stay focused with educational stories, Lego builds, games, and challenges which promote collaboration, critical thinking, and fun! Daily sessions always include time for creative free-building too. Each day, campers should bring a.m. and p.m. snack, lunch, and sunscreen.
Instructor: Brick By Brick Maine staff
Lego Deep Space Exploration! with Brick by Brick Maine
Ages: 5-10
Session 5: July 10-14
Cost: $385 Early Bird Price / $410 Regular Price
Do you have the right stuff to join NASA? Can you survive the spinning G-Force astronaut training machine? Can our botanist grow plants in outer space? Will we meet aliens? Join us as we build and launch a deep space rocket to answer these questions and explore other mysteries beyond the stratosphere. Campers will stay focused with educational stories, Lego builds, games, and challenges which promote collaboration, critical thinking, and fun! Daily sessions always include time for creative free building, too.
Instructor: Brick By Brick Maine staff
Lego Arctic Exploration! with Brick by Brick Maine
Ages: 5-10
Session 6: July 24-28
Cost: $385 Early Bird Price / $410 Regular Price
Can you fend off polar bears and brave blizzards to save the Arctic Ice Cap? Will you lead a research mission in the mobile laboratory to learn the secrets of the mysterious ice crystals? Are you up to the challenge? If so, we want you! Join us as we set up our base camp and laboratory in the Arctic to learn about the people, plants, and animals which can survive in this frigid territory. Camp participants will stay focused with educational stories, Lego builds, games, and challenges which promote collaboration, critical thinking, and fun! Daily sessions always include time for creative free building, too.
Instructor: Brick By Brick Maine staff
Lego Fire Brigade! with Brick by Brick Maine
Ages: 5-10
Session 7: July 31-August
Cost: $385 Early Bird Price / $410 Regular Price
The alarm has sounded: a menacing fire has broken out in Lego City! A team of top firefighters must be sent in to tame the blaze! Are you up for the challenge? Join our team as we design and build the new fire station as well as a scouting drone, an off-road fire vehicle, and a huge fire truck with swiveling ladder. Campers will stay focused with educational stories, Lego builds, games, and challenges which promote collaboration, critical thinking, and fun!
Instructor: Brick By Brick Maine staff
Lego Pirate Island! with Brick by Brick Maine
Ages: 5-10
Session 8: August 7-11
Cost: $385 Early Bird Price / $410 Regular Price
Hoist the Jolly Roger and set sail! The menacing pirates are heading for the high seas aboard their mighty vessel with a chest full of booty stashed in the hold. Join our own motley crew as we attempt to foil the pirates, commandeer the ship, and recover the stolen treasure. Swashbuckling adventures await as we build the Lego pirate ship complete with moving sails, cannons, and a cabin with an open roof and sides. Where will our imagination take us? Join in the fun to find out! Camp participants will stay focused with educational stories, Lego builds, games, and challenges which promote collaboration, critical thinking, and fun! Daily sessions always include time for creative free building too.
Instructor: Brick By Brick Maine staff
So You Think You Can Dance Camp with Brio Dance Studio
Ages: 6-12 – Note: Campers MUST turn 5 years old by June 1, 2023 to participate.
Session 2: June 19-23
Session 5: July 10-14
Session 7: July 31-August 4
Cost: $325 Early Bird Price / $350 Regular Price
Do you children tap their toes constantly? Do you find them dancing around the room when they think no one is watching? This is the camp for them! Each day will be spent learning a new dance style (ballet, contemporary, jazz, and hip hop), discussing good nutrition, exploring the relationship between music and dance, learning how to dance with a partner and in a group, and how to copy those awesome dance moves they see on TV! At the end of the week, there will be a performance for friends and family. Daily activities will include: stretching, dance class, crafting, performance preparation, and a media viewing of great dance performers. The performing arts aid in the growth of a child’s self-confidence, coordination, and creative expression. Join us for a week of fun, learning, and dance appreciation! This is a cumulative camp, so for the best experience for campers (and the group), we encourage a full week’s attendance. Dancers should wear comfortable, non-restrictive clothing and be prepared to dance barefoot or in ballet slippers. For more information about Brio Dance Studio, visit www.briodancestudio.com or www.facebook.com/BrioDanceStudio.
Instructor: Julie Wilkes, Brio Dance Studio
Dance Theater Camp with Brio Dance Studio
Ages: 6-12
Session 6: July 24-28
Session 8: August 7-11
Cost: $325 Early Bird Price / $350 Regular Price
Find your inner star! Dance Theater campers will learn jazz dance techniques and choreography inspired by musicals such as Shrek The Musical, Mary Poppins, and Annie to name a few. Each day campers, will warm up, learn basic jazz steps, and prepare dances from a musical to be performed on Friday for friends and family. This is a cumulative camp, so for campers and the group to have the best experience, we encourage campers to attend the full week. Campers will also view and discuss different musicals, learn about a stage and how it works, learn how to use props, and even design their own costumes! For more information about Brio Dance Studio, visit www.briodancestudio.com or www.facebook.com/BrioDanceStudio.
Instructor: Julie Wilkes, Brio Dance Studio
Spirit Camp with Dancing Jaguar Inspirations
Ages: 8-15
Session 8: August 7-11
Cost: $325 Early Bird Price / $350 Regular Price
With a holistic approach to integrating mind, body, and spirit, this camp teaches children how to nurture their inner world. We live in a modern society that places value on nurturing the mind and body. Dancing Jaguar’s Spirit Camp teaches children how to nurture their heart and spirit. When children are encouraged to trust their intuition, honor their truth, and speak from the heart, they can develop their inner compass and trust themselves to make choices in high school and beyond that will sustain them. Ancient healing practices and modern holistic techniques are combined to introduce the curriculum using an array of methods such as storytelling, crafts, activities, games, and spending time in nature. Children are introduced to guided visualizations to help them identify their inner critic and inner champion, breathing techniques, the law of attraction, an attitude of gratitude, working with chakras and auras, shamanic journeying, mindfulness, discovering power animals, and much more! This unique program offers children a profound opportunity to experience a deeper awareness of who they are while they are having fun and playing games. Dancing Jaguar’s Spirit Camp teaches them about who they are in a non-competitive, supportive environment. To learn more about Dancing Jaguar Inspirations and Spirit Camp, visit their website.
Instructor: Dancing Jaguar Inspirations staff
Hiking and Outdoor Adventure Camp
Ages: 9-12
Session 5: July 10-14
Cost: $375 Early Bird Price / $400 Regular Price
This hiking and outdoor adventure camp is perfect for any camper who loves to move and learn outside! We will travel to several Maine State Parks over the course of the week. We will learn about backpacking gear, how to read a map, and journal making. We will learn about bird identification and make bird feeders and binoculars. We will learn about different types of trees and how to identify them and will also learn about different types of Maine insects and native animals. If we have time, we will also explore outdoor cooking, fire-making, and outdoor survival skills. This is sure to be a fun week in the great outdoors!
Instructor: KB Lavertu, NYA Lower School Teacher
Set for School Learning Camp
Grades: rising first and second graders and rising third and fourth graders
Session 6: July 31-August 4 – for rising first and second graders
Session 8: August 7-11 – for rising third and fourth graders
Cost: $375 Early Bird Price / $400 Regular Price
Summer break is full of fun experiences, but a long break from academic activities can mean students experience a “summer slide.” Students work hard all year to gain the skills needed to confidently progress into a new grade, and a summer regression is the last thing parents want to worry about. This one week camp is designed to review and solidify previously taught literacy and numeracy concepts. It will ensure that learners of all types are ready to start their new grade! Campers entering first and second grades (Session 6) and entering third and fourth grades (Session 8) will have an opportunity to combine academic learning, technology, and traditional summer camp fun to reinforce readiness skills needed to be successful at the start of the 2023-24 school year. Students will participate in a variety of engaging learning experiences that will increase confidence in required grade-level skills in reading, writing, spelling, and math.
Instructor: Sheila Taylor, NYA Lower School Literacy Specialist and Academic Support Teacher
Instructor: Anthony DeSantis, NYA Middle School Teacher
Big Books Outdoor Literacy Camp
Grades: 1-2
Session 6: July 31-August 4
Cost: $375 Early Bird Price / $400 Regular Price
This outdoor themed literacy camp will turn the summer slide into a summer leap! There will be lots of engaging end-of-summer literacy activities that will refresh and boost literacy and academic skills for a successful re-entry to school. This camp is for rising first and second graders and will help improve phonics, concepts of print, sight word reading, fluency, comprehension, and writing. We will practice concepts through daily group read-aloud(s) of Big Books, corresponding interactive activities, games, crafts, and fun! Camper will also engage in art, music, fitness, and learning adventures to reinforce curriculum and self-expression.
Instructor: KB Lavertu, NYA Lower School Teacher
Journaling, Reflection, and Poetry
Grades: rising fourth – eighth graders
Session 6: July 24-28
Cost: $350 Early Bird / $375 Regular Price
Come on a journey where we will explore ideas and thoughts through nature and poetry. We will reflect, talk, wonder, discuss, question, and express our thoughts through words. We will read poems and write and share responses with each other. We will reflect back at our lives and also look to the future. All of these thoughts will be journaled as we doodle and dream together. By the end of this session, campers will go home with a beautiful journal full of personal reflections and poems all written by them in an autobiographical form.
Instructor: Michelle Buehner, NYA Fifth Grade Teacher
Creative Writing Camp
Ages: 9-13
Session 8: August 7-11
Cost: $375 Early Bird Price / $400 Regular Price
We will bounce off published stories, poems, and pictures to create our own summery stories and poems…we will play games and do group projects and have fun with reading and writing. We will practice performing our work too, and speak with confident and entertaining voices. If there is time, we can illustrate our literary works with mixed media-wouldn’t a visual aid help you tell your story or help your poem make an impact?
Instructor: Dr. Sagaree Sengupta, NYA Upper School English
Building a Structure and Creating a Story
Grades: rising fourth – eighth graders
Session 2: June 19-23
Cost: $375 Early Bird Price / $400 Regular Price
Come and build a “house” out of recycled materials; cardboard, spools, Altoid tins, pipe cleaners, and other household items. You can bring little characters from home or make them out of clay…little people or animals! We will then create, plan, write, and learn to edit a story about your house and the creatures that live inside!
Instructor: Michelle Buehner, NYA Fifth Grade Teacher
Circus Arts Camp with Maine Circus Arts
Ages: 6-12
Session 2: June 19-23
Session 3: June 26-30
Session 4: July 3-7, (NO CAMP ON JULY 4)
Session 5: July 10-14
Session 6: July 24-28
Session 7: July 30-August 4
Session 8: August 7-11
Cost: $325 Early Bird Price / $350 Regular Price except Session 4- $255 Early Bird / $280 Regular Price
Come have fun at the circus! Campers will learn circus skills in: aerials, acrobatics, juggling, hula hoops, tight wire, clowning, and comedy. A balance of activities is provided so campers can focus on the areas that appeal to them most, yet let them try all areas and learn new things! Circus arts can be challenging mentally and physically. To maintain fun and safety, a balanced day will include warm-ups, circus skills practice, outdoor activities, standard camp games, and time for video inspiration. The highlight will be showing off their new skills at a Friday performance for family and friends. Sign up this summer to see what the circus is all about. There’s something for everyone to learn, discover and enjoy!
Instructors: Maine Circus Arts coaches
Beginning Ceramics 2- Week Intensive Camp
Ages: 9-13
Session 6 & 7: July 24-28 AND July 31 – August 4
Cost: $775 Early Bird Price / $800 Regular Price [includes both weeks] Students in the two-week ceramics intensive camp experience every aspect of what it’s like to be a working ceramic artist: clay making, different glaze processes, and structure planning. Students explore both wheel throwing and hand building and a wide range of surface techniques. Campers will go home with several original works of art. This is a two week camp.
Instructor: Andrew Cook, NYA Art Teacher
Learn to Sew! Make Your Own Clothes, Bags, and Accessories Camp
Ages: 9-13
Session 2: June 19-23
Cost: $375 Early Bird Price / $400 Regular Price
Make a colorful tote bag from repurposed fabric! Choose scraps and decorations that make it uniquely yours! The bag you make in this camp will be perfect for books, toys, or the beach–you can use it for whatever you need. Some materials will be provided, and you can also bring your own scraps, trims, and buttons to add. We will also learn some simple crochet and stitchery to decorate the bag, and a zipper pocket can also be added for the ambitious. You will learn basic sewing machine skills and lots of hand skills–we will sit and create together! You will learn lots about reusing used fabric to remake new and colorful things.
Instructor: Dr. Sagaree Sengupta, NYA Upper School English
Crafting, Felting, Crocheting, & Knitting Camp
Grades: rising fourth – eighth graders
Session 5: July 10-14
Cost: $375 Early Bird Price / $400 Regular Price
Learn to felt, croche,t and knit! Come with your own project or come and learn a new skill. We will create a project in each medium for you to take with you and that you can continue to practice through out the rest of the summer!
Instructor: Michelle Buehner, NYA Fifth Grade Teacher
Hand Sewing
Grades: rising fourth – eighth graders
Session 7: July 31-August 4
Cost: $375 Early Bird Price / $400 Regular Price
Come learn about the Japanese sewing technique of Sashiko and the history of this ancient form of mending. Perhaps you will also want to try your hand at some embroidery work. We will enhance an item or two of your own clothing that you can take pride in by making it uniquely yours. No sewing experience is necessary!
Instructor: Michelle Buehner, NYA Fifth Grade Teacher
Camp Aloha! Beginner Ukulele & Literacy Camp
Ages: 6-8
Session 5: July 10-14
Cost: $375 Early Bird Price / $400 Regular Price
Aloha! Mid-summer is the perfect time to learn to play the “happiest tiny instrument” and review literacy concepts for the coming school year. Campers will enjoy two short ukulele sessions per day; we will introduce three basic chords-C, F, and G7- which can be used to play hundreds of songs. Song charts will allow us to review basic reading and spelling skills. Through stories, crafts, games, hula dancing, and song, we will we celebrate summer learning with an island style flair and atmosphere. Ukuleles are provided.
Instructor: Shannon Gallagher, NYA Lower School Teacher
HIGH TOUCH HIGH TECH OF MAINE
About this partner: Our science summer camp programs are geared for the preschool through sixth grade camper and provide fun and safe science activities for children that will keep their minds active during the summer months. Your inquisitive campers will enjoy, “doing science, not viewing science,” as they participate in hands-on science experiences that are age and academically appropriate. High Touch High Tech scientists are trained to foster a creative and non-competitive environment in which all campers are encouraged to share their knowledge and ideas while interacting with their peers in our summer camp programs. All materials are included, and many programs provide take-home experiments. Each of your campers will be recognized for their contributions and accomplishments by receiving a science certificate of participation. Our enriching science summer camp activities provide inspiring experiences and opportunities for the curious camper to investigate a wide variety of science topics in ways that will be both meaningful and memorable.
Forensic Fun Camp with High Touch High Tech
Ages: rising first – sixth graders
Session 2: June 19-23
Cost: $465 Early Bird Price / $490 Regular Price
Calling all detectives for this fun exploration of forensic science! We will investigate a crime scene as we use different forensic tools; we will test mystery powders, get a closeup on teeth prints and fingerprints, find out what we can learn from the pattern in lips, and extract DNA. Explore the world of genes as we learn about dominant and recessive gene relationships and so much more!
LIFE ON EARTH SERIES: FROM LITTLE TO BIG with High Touch High Tech
Kids may enroll in any of the three weeks in the Life on Earth series. Each week runs independently from the other.
Chemistry, Biology, and Ecology go hand-in-hand in this earth-centered camp. Over three weeks, we’ll explore what makes life possible on our amazing planet, starting from the tiniest atoms all the way up to the entire story of life on earth so far! These three interconnected weeks will build upon each other and will use fun, fascinating, hands-on science to bring students a complete perspective of the biological hierarchy of life on planet earth — from little to big.
Week 1: Starting Small
Ages: rising first – sixth graders
Session 3: June 26-30
Cost: $465 Early Bird Price / $490 Regular Price
All life starts with atoms, their reactions, and their interactions. This week, we’ll explore the tiny side of life on earth by starting with the building blocks of… well, everything. Get up close with atoms, elements, chemical reactions, and biomolecules like DNA.
Week 2: Coming Alive
Ages: rising first – sixth graders
Session 5: July 10-14
Cost: $465 Early Bird Price / $490 Regular Price
Isn’t it amazing you are you, and you share this planet with so many incredible living things? This week, we’ll learn all about the living things that tiny things can make. Experiment your way from single cells and the organ systems in your body, all the way to the biggest gorilla in the forest and the biggest shark in the sea.
Week 3: World of Life
Ages: rising first – sixth graders
Session 6: July 24-28
Cost: $465 Early Bird Price / $490 Regular Price
Scientists know: everything on earth is interconnected. This week, we will explore how living and nonliving things come together and interact on our home planet. We’ll examine predator and prey relationships, different ecosystems and biomes, how living things adapt to the challenges they face, and finish our journey with the entire story of life on earth so far.
