Registration underway for North Central College youth summer camps

Parents can register their young 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 underway 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. 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,” says 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 only last for 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 are already familiar with.

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 College. Other experienced instructors include Mary McMahon, a professor of mathematics at North Central; Melissa Foster, the head of musical theatre 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” will be presented on July 26-28 and August 2-4, allowing participants ages 8 and up. “Iolanthe” will be performed July 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20 and allows anyone post-high-school aged to audition. 

North Central is hosting a variety of community workshops available to anyone ages 11 and up during summer 2013. Courses include “Mindfulness, Meditation and Stress Management,” “Frustration-Free Computer Use” and several other helpful and interesting topics. Most of these classes last a few days for several hours in the afternoon, with costs ranging from $25 to $140.