School of the Arts camps let kids explore, have fun

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) - Courtney Dosch instructed children playing "Wax Museum" to be "super sneaky" as they made their way from the back of the Indiana State University recital hall to the stage Monday afternoon.

The Community School of the Arts theater instructor told the children they were to portray wax figures, and she was going to be a security guard. If she looked their way, they had to freeze or they were out of the game.

"You guys did a really great job," she told them after they were done. Then, they gathered on stage and did some yoga-like poses and stretches.

But that was just part of a busy day.

The children were participating in a Community School of the Arts summer camp program called "Art Sampler," with a theme this week of Discover Your Talents, in which they'll do different activities in art, music, dance and theater, and they'll also swim in the Student Recreation Center.

The Community School of the Arts is part of ISU.

School is out for the summer, and the Community School of the Arts is one of several places offering camps to keep children active.

Among the participants was 9-year-old Lucia Tanoos, who said she enjoyed her first day of camp. "It's very fun especially the swimming part," she said. She also described participating in music and art activities.

She's already been involved in Children's Theater as well as dance performances through Academy of Dance.

Next week, the "Art Sampler" program will incorporate gardening and cooking, said Cynthia Phillips-Sabla, CSA director. Each week has a new theme.

Those interested in the camp can go to the CSA website at https://statecsa.indstate.edu or call 812-237-2528. The cost is $198 per week, and scholarships are available for those who meet income requirements.

Meanwhile, at the ISU College of Technology, other children participated in a separate CSA camp, Brickapalooza. Students did Minecraft-themed activities in the morning and Super Hero-themed activities in the afternoon each day will be different.

In the afternoon, kids worked in different stations: 3D building, mosaics using picture patterns, freeplay building their own creations; a craft station in which they used Perler Beads; and a technic station, using Lego technic pieces including gears, axles and pulleys to teach them a little about engineering, said Christy Vesci, director of Bricks 4 Kidz.

Brickapalooza is conducted by Bricks 4 Kidz, a Lego enrichment franchise. "We've built really great partnerships with Community School of the Arts and with the Children's Museum," Vesci said.

At the mosaic station, 10-year-old Noah Williams made a mosaic of Ironman's face, and at the technic station, an enthusiastic 9-year-old Conard Combs used Legos to build Thor's hammer.

____

Source: (Terre Haute) Tribune-Star, https://bit.ly/2JuRtnI

___

Information from: Tribune-Star, http://www.tribstar.com