Summer means fun – and learning – for children and teenagers who take advantage of NIU’s wide offering of summer camps, lessons and musical ensembles.
Students interested in engineering camps have several options.
The popular Rural Health Careers Camp returns the weekend of June 11.
Athletics always provides plenty of NIU Huskie Sports Camps for youth athletes. Recreation Services offers the always popular Huskie Pup Summer Camp.
Summer camps through the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences External Programming include NIU Speech Camp, Creative Writing Camp, Film Camp, Sci-Camp Discovery, Sci-Camp Explorations, Sci-Camp Investigations and, for the first time, the KEMPA Journalism Workshop.
The camps allow students to explore topics of interest to them, experience life on a college campus and have fun learning.
The camp fees include room and board. An early bird discount applies until June 1, but parents and students are urged to apply as soon as possible to guarantee spots in their camps of choice.
A full application packet is available for download at www.niu.edu/clasep under Academic Summer Camps.
For more camp details, contact Mark Pietrowski at (815) 753-1456 or pietrowski@niu.edu or visit www.niu.edu/clasep.
NIU’s Community School of the Arts kicks off summer with new and familiar ensembles and classes for children and adults. The semester begins June 15 and runs through July. All classes are taught on campus.
PRIVATE LESSONS
Private lessons in music and art are offered on most musical instruments and in visual art. Teachers are NIU students and faculty, as well as community artists. Students and teachers meet every week for six weeks and are taught at the mutual convenience of students and teachers.
SUMMER CAMPS
Ronald Carter, director of jazz studies, directs the NIU Jazz Camp. School of Theatre and Dance professor Melanie Parks directs the two theatre camps. School of Art alumna Lynn Stockton is in charge of Visual Arts Camp.
Children and grandchildren of NIU employees, staff and students receive a $25 discount for any Summer in the Arts at Northern camp.
Theatre Arts Camp Junior (from July 12 to July 17) is for those who have completed sixth- through eighth-grade; Theater Arts Camp Senior (from July 19 to July 24) is for those who have finished ninth- through 12th-grade.
Both theater camps offer an array of classes in theater arts skills such as auditioning, dialects, lighting, costuming, movement and make-up. Students also have classes in acting and improvisation.
The NIU Jazz Camp (from July 19 to July 24) is a concentrated week of jazz studies for those who have finished eighth- through 12th-grade. Campers rehearse in combos or big bands, enjoy classes in music theory and improvisation and participate in group lessons.
The Visual Arts Camp (from July 19 to July 24) is an innovative camp designed for young artists who want a taste of university art classes. Campers choose studio classes from an array that includes drawing, watercolor and acrylic painting, sculpture, design and mixed media. This camp is for students who have completed eighth- through 12th-grade.
Campers stay in university residence halls and eat in the residence hall and the Holmes Student Center. The staff is NIU faculty, students and alumni. Need scholarships are available for these camps. The deadline to apply for scholarships is Friday, May 1.
Register for the camps by June 1 and save $50. Detailed information about the camps, along with registration forms and scholarship application forms, is available at www.niu.edu/extprograms or by calling (815) 753-1450.
SUMMER DAY CAMPS
The community school has offered popular day camps for children for many years. These camps offer in-depth hands-on arts experiences and are taught by NIU alumni, faculty, and students. Space is limited; early registration is recommended. All camps end with a final day recital or open house.
NIU Choral Camp (ages 8-13) is a mix of rehearsals of challenging choral music, with classes in drumming, playing the piano and reading music. Director Mary Lynn Doherty is a long-time children’s choral director who is on the music education faculty at NIU. She directs the CSA Children’s Choir during the school year. The camp is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, June 15, through Thursday, June 18.
Arts Jam (ages 6-12) is a long-standing community school tradition. This multi-arts camp includes daily activities in art, music and theater as well as arts-related field trips. The theme this year is Fairy Tales. DeKalb music teacher Jill McCormick joins the staff. The camp is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, June 22, through Thursday, June 25.
CSA Summer Band Camp (ages 11-14) is a beginning concert band experience with sectionals and a final day concert. Director Diana Zaleski is a clarinetist and music teacher in the DeKalb public schools. The camp is scheduled from 9 to 11:55 a.m. Monday, June 15, through Thursday, June 18.
String Chamber Music Camp (ages 12-19) is an ensemble experience for intermediate and advanced string players. Campers rehearse in two ensembles and learn about music history and theory. The final day includes a master class with members of the Avalon Quartet. The camp is scheduled from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday, July 6, through Thursday, July 6. The camp kicks off with a sight-reading party Tuesday, June 30. Teacher Laurie Rodriguez is a violin teacher and chamber music coach. Placement auditions are from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 30. Call (815) 753-1450 for a timeslot.
Karaoke Superstar Day Camp (ages 9-12) shows singers how to move and sing using popular music. Teacher Jodeen Coulter is a music teacher in the DeKalb public schools and teaches voice and piano lessons for the community school. The class meets from 2 to 4 p.m. Monday, July 27, through Thursday, July 30.
MUSIC ENSEMBLES
The community school offers ensembles for people of all ages who enjoy playing and want to learn more and have fun playing with others.
Rockin’ Strings (all ages) is a string ensemble for string players who want to learn the basics of jazz and improvisation. Director Amanda Nelson is a local public school string teacher in Dundee. The group meets from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays from July 7 to July 16.
CSA Band in the Park (ages 14-18) is a new band for high school students interested in playing with area musicians. Director Mike Kasper is a recent graduate of the University of Illinois and has recently been a substitute director for the Sycamore High School band. Rehearsals are in the NIU Music Building from 6 to 9 p.m. Mondays, from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and 5 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Performances are at the band shell in Hopkins Park at 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays. Students may choose from three sessions: June 15 to June 17, July 6 to July 8 and July 27 to July 29.
CSA Brass Ensemble (ages 13-18) is for brass players who enjoy playing all types of music, from baroque to contemporary to jazz. Director Gene Vanden Bosch has been a public school band director for many years and teaches trombone and tuba in the community school. The ensemble meets from 7:30 to 8:25 p.m. Thursdays from June 18 to July 30.
CSA Guitar Ensemble (ages 9-adult) is for beginning and intermediate players. Director Quentin Dover is a guitar teacher and studied at NIU with Fareed Haque. The ensemble meets from 7 to 7:55 p.m. Wednesdays from June 17 to July 22.
MUSIC AND ART CLASSES
Prelude (ages 1-3) and Development (ages 3-6) are group classes with singing, dancing, early exploration of instruments and rhythm activities. Teacher Laurie Rodriguez is an early education music teacher who also teaches violin and chamber music. Both classes are taught on Tuesdays from June 16 to July 21. Prelude is from 5:45 to 6:15 p.m. Development is from 6:20 to 6:50 p.m.
Guitar Basics (Section 1 is for ages 9-12 and Section 2 is for 13-adult) is for beginning students interesting in learning the fundamentals of the guitar. Teacher Quentin Dover is a guitar teacher and studied at NIU with Fareed Haque. The children’s class meets from 5 to 5:55 p.m. and the teen/adult class meets from 6 to 6:55 p.m. Both classes meet Wednesdays from June 17 and July 22.
Paper Free Music Theory (ages 12-adult) is a new theory class that builds on listening skills to help students improve their ability to read, memorize and improvise music. Bring your instrument to class. Teacher Eric Schroder teaches traditional and Suzuki guitar lessons for the community school. Class meets from 6 to 6:55 p.m. Mondays from June 15 to July 20.
Arts Carnival (ages 7-10) is a mix of music and visual art designed around the famous and delightful Carnival of the Animals by Saint Saëns. Children enjoy activities that bring the animals to life. Teacher Lila Chavez is an art and music student at NIU. Class meets from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Monday, July 6, through Thursday, July 9.
Outer Space Art Adventure (ages 7-10) uses different art media and fun projects to visualize the world of outer space. Teachers Andrew Pemberton and Ashley Goy are art education students at NIU. The class meets from 1:45 to 4:15 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays beginning June 29 and ending July 8.
Basic Drawing Concepts (ages 10-15) is for beginners and shows how drawing geometric forms leads to basic figure drawing. Portrait Drawing (ages 10-15) is for intermediate students and shows the basic forms that make up the process of drawing the human face. Both classes are taught by NIU arts student Lila Chavez from Monday, July 6, through Thursday, July 9. Basic Drawing Concepts begins at 1:30 p.m. and Portrait Drawing begins at 3:15 p.m.
For more information about these programs, call the NIU Community School of the Arts at (815) 753-1450. All information, including a registration form to print and mail, is available at www.niu.edu/extprograms.
Game Design Day Camp, hosted by the NIU Digital Convergence Lab, is scheduled for the weeks of July 20 to July 23 and July 27 to July 30. Campers will work as a team to design a video game prototype by developing a game story, creating game characters, inventing game goals and rules, storyboarding game scenarios and designing a game interface.