Before you know it, summer will be here, and now is the time for savvy parents to enroll their children in the Gold Coast Arts Center’s popular summer programs: the SummerArts Camp and the Half-Day Junior Camp. The SummerArts Camp has comprised of one, and two-week-long sessions concentrated on specific forms of visual and performing arts, giving local children a variety of ways to have fun and express themselves. Sign up for one session or all! As a special offer, parents registering their kids by March 6 can save $25 per week!
The SummerArts Camp Program, which begins on June 29 and runs through Aug. 21, is geared toward children ages six to 14 and goes from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., including lunch and a snack. The Half-Day Junior Camp is for kids pre-K to age six and goes from 9 a.m. to noon, and includes a morning snack. All food provided is nut-free. Flexible scheduling allows for children to attend sessions from as little as one week to all eight weeks.
Knowing that youngsters have a wide range of creative interests, the Gold Coast Arts Center has organized weekly sessions that offer something for everyone, including cartooning, drawing and painting, musical theater, 3D art, ceramics, dance, chess, theatre, Wood Workshop, and NEW Robotics Camp.
“The summer is an ideal time for students to devote 100 percent of their creative energy to a specialty,” said Ellen Schiff, school director at the Gold Coast Arts Center. Ms. Schiff reminds parents that programs fill up very quickly, and encourages parents to register soon, especially before March 6, to take advantage of the early-bird discount that will save them $25 per weekly session.
All camps take place at the Gold Coast Arts Center, located at 113 Middle Neck Road in Great Neck. Tuition depends on attendance dates. Reduced rates are available for members of the Center. For more information, visit www.goldcoastarts.org.To register for the programs, please call 516-829-2570.
WOOD WORKSHOP
The Gold Coast Arts Center’s Wood Workshop, a new 4-day program is offered June 29th-July 2nd. Attendance is limited to 12 students. Campers, ages eight and up, have the opportunity to create their projects using raw materials and supervised in an intimate and safe environment. Safety is paramount.
Students spend a great deal of time working on a One Board Minimalist Chair, which some historians say dates back to the Vikings. Each camper will create a unique piece of furniture using acrylic or water-based paints.
Karen Hubela, the instructor of the wood workshop, explained, “the One Board Minimalist Chair gives practical knowledge with a creative aspect. Woodworking builds persistence, concentration, and use of new muscles.” Intern Theo Chang said about last year’s class, “it was an opportunity to be very creative while designing their chairs, for example, there were a cupcake, spaceship, and chessboard chairs.”
The purpose of the program is to offer youngsters the opportunity to design, cut, and use tools properly. “Safety is emphasized, and we have spotters when using a drill or saw,” Hubela assured.
ROBOTICS CAMP
The Gold Coast Arts Center’s Robotics, a new week-long program, is offered Aug. 3rd – Aug. 6th. Children ages seven to 14 and all levels are welcome. Class size is limited to 12 students.
Students will learn to build mechanisms, write programs, and incorporate sensors for the Vex IQ robot by working through a series of guided challenges, such as autonomous navigation, object transportation, and SUMO-bots.
Through a curriculum that meets the next generation of science standards, elementary students will be engaged in authentic scientific experimentation, and energized to develop the skills necessary to be successful in the 21st century.
Submitted by the Gold Coast Arts Center
