North Central taking summer camp registration
Parents can register their children and teens for a variety of camps ranging from athletics to fine arts as part of North Central College’s 2013 Summer Camps and Workshops.
Registration for camps is under way and a 10 percent discount is available for those who sign up by May 6. Camps begin in early June, and many are available through July and early August. A complete list of North Central summer camps is available at northcentralcollege.edu/summercamps; call the college’s Office of Community Development at (630) 637-5560 to learn more.
“The programs offered keep local kids active over the summer — both physically and mentally,” said Mike Squire, director of community development at North Central. “We have several new offerings this year, including ‘Sports Mania,’ which offers both half-day and full-day classes.”
Fees vary depending on the length and type of camp or workshop. Some camps last several days and include meals and overnight accommodations, while some workshops may last for only a few hours in an afternoon.
For athletes, North Central College offers summer camps in baseball, pole vault, cross country and many other sports that teach a variety of skills. Baseball camps for high school students offer four different types of camps, each with a different focus, including hitting, pitching, advanced skills and a general all-skills camp.
“This allows kids to specialize in the various disciplines,” Squire says.
By offering several different options for each type of athletic camp, participants are able to choose the subject that is right for them. If students wish to improve their skills in a particular area, there may be a camp where instructors work with them on just that without having to learn techniques they already know.
Participants in any camp can look forward to quality instructors from the North Central community. The cross country and track and field camps are instructed by Mahesh Narayanan, a 13-year coach of the national-qualifying women’s cross country team and assistant coach of the women’s track and field team at North Central. Other experienced instructors include Mary McMahon, a professor of mathematics at North Central; Melissa Foster, the head of musical theater at Northwestern University, and many other experienced educators in various fields.
North Central College’s radio station WONC-FM 89.1 has received numerous nominations and awards in national competitions and offers its facilities and staff expertise. The Radio Workshop is a five-day camp that allows high school students to learn about the radio industry around Chicago and even broadcast on the air.
Three community musicals are offered on-campus during the summer and allow children and adults to participate in the fun. “Jesus Christ Superstar” will be performed June 28-30 and July 5-7 and is available to children and adults ages 14 and up. “Peter Pan,” for participants ages 8 and up, will be presented July 26-28 and Aug. 2-4. “Iolanthe” will be performed July 12-14 and July 18-20 and allows anyone post-high-school aged to audition.
“We don’t always have roles for everyone in the musicals, but there is typically room in the choir,” Squire said.
North Central is hosting a variety of community workshops available to anyone ages 11 and older this summer. Courses include “Mindfulness, Meditation and Stress Management,” “Frustration-Free Computer Use” and several other topics. Most of these classes last a few days for several hours in the afternoon, with costs ranging from $25 to $140.