Children will have an opportunity to explore and create in the arts during week-long camps at Hope College in August.
The camps will feature hands-on activities in all four of the arts – the visual arts, dance, music and theatre.
A camp for children entering grades one through three will run Monday-Friday, Aug. 2-6, and for children entering grades four through six will run Monday-Friday, Aug. 9-13. Campers will work within a theme, integrating their arts experiences and producing a culminating performance at the end of the week.
Instruction will be provided by area in-service teachers and Hope education students. They will be led by four arts instructors: Maxine DeBruyn, who is the Dorothy Wiley DeLong Professor of Dance and chairperson of the department at Hope; Patrick Foley, theatre teacher at West Ottawa High School; Claudia Hayes-Hagar, art teacher at Waukazoo Elementary School; and Bobbi Kearns, music teacher at Waukazoo Elementary School.
The lead team has taught a class at Hope called "Arts for the Elementary Teacher" for the past seven years. This is the second year that the college is presenting the summer arts camps.
An additional opportunity is available to area elementary teachers who wish to enhance their own classroom instruction by working alongside the lead team and Hope education students. This part of the program is designed to help educators develop classroom arts experiences that connect with the core curriculum.
The camps will run from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. for the children. Registration for participating children is $80 per week.
The teachers will begin their day at 9 a.m. There will be a fee for college credit for the participating educators.
The registration deadline is Friday, July 23.
Additional information may be obtained by calling Dr. Leslie Wessman, who is the Arnold and Esther Sonneveldt Professor of Education and chair of the department, at (616) 395-7738. Information and a registration form may be obtained online at: http://faculty.hope.edu/artscamp