Student Enrichment

Course: Do you have a vivid imagination? Like to play silly games? Do you enjoy performing or playing different characters? This class will explore acting skills such as improvisation, speech, movement, and character development through fun improv games. We will also create and perform a pre-show scene for the Middle School's annual February production, this year Shrek!

Schedule: 3:15-5:00 pm Thursdays | January 6, 13, 20, 27; February 3, 10 + performance time (February 11 and/or 12)

Participation in this class requires actors (and a parent or guardian) to be present for the beginning of one or two performances. Shrek dates are Friday February 11 and Saturday, February 12. Plan on having your child at the Performing Arts Center approximately from 6:30-7:45 pm for the relevant performance(s).

Tuition: 156

Instructor: Maxine Eloi is an award-winning actor, writer, director, musician, and filmmaker. Classically trained at Boston University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA), Maxine has continued to pursue her creative passions through film, theater, and music since graduating with a Bachelors of Fine Arts.

Maxine has acted in over 15 films, including sci-fi fantasy feature film The Broken Swords available on Amazon. She is a company member of Theater Delta and Curious Theatre Collective, and a teaching artist at North Carolina Theater Conservatory. Maxine also enjoys creating films and recently sold her short film, Sunday Funday, to BadamiTV; you may see it playing on national TV, and it's also available for streaming.

Maxine is a social justice activist, using her art and music to create positive change. She started an anti-colonial punk band in solidarity with Black, POC and Indigenous folk. She is also a vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter for her indie rock/soul band, Maxine Eloi, performing original music about life, love and the pursuit of happiness. Maxine is so grateful to live as an artist and collaborate with others to create engaging and thought-provoking work in film, theatre, music, and TV.

Course: This workshop is a creative and magical space in which young children can feed their imaginations and both explore and practice using superpowers- those they have and wish to have.  We move heaven and earth as we create potions, herbal teas, plays, fairy houses, and magic staffs, pendulums, wands, and works of art to empower children to be the change- bringing more beauty, love, and hope into the world. There is no shortage of glitter, bubbles, shaving cream, vinegar and baking soda, clay, color, art and natural materials and treasures from the recycling bin as we step into the world of mad scientists, superheroes, inventors, magicians, witches and warlocks, fairies and merfolk, artists, and healers. And of course we always get to showcase our creations with family and friends at the end.

Schedule: 3:15-5:00 pm Wednesdays | January 5, 12, 19, 26; February 2, 9

Tuition: 139

Instructor: Rinah Rachel Galper is the founder of Our Sacred Circles, hosting gatherings for individuals working for change at the intersection of justice, creativity, healing, and spirituality. She is the sole proprietor of Joyoushout, providing JEDI consulting (Justice, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion), Life Coaching and Retreats for women, and Enrichment classes for youth and adult changemakers. Rinah is a licensed EC and General Education teacher, Program Coordinator, Expressive Arts Instructor, Change Maker, Group Facilitator, Nature Guide, and Healing Practitioner.

She has been providing creative summer camp adventures at Carolina Friends and throughout the Triangle since 2006 to nurture young people’s love and need for magic, mystery, mindfulness, curiosity, creativity, connection, a sense of their own power and worth, and pathways for making the world more loving. In CFS Summer Programs 2020 and 2021, she led our Girl Power and Celebrating Queer Culture courses.

Course:  Each hour-long session will be a mix of participatory activities--simple fun drills and scrimmages so participants can learn fundamentals, the beauty and fun of a team sport, and good sportsmanship. Students should wear comfortable clothes and sneakers.

This workshop is open to students who've never played and want to learn, as well as to “experienced” players who can’t get enough and want to improve their game. We'll initially focus on dribbling skills, different types of passes, learning good shooting form, smart ways to play defense, and focusing on details. Then we'll move on to concepts like certain basic plays (out of bounds, pick and rolls, give and gos, outlet passes, and always moving after passing the ball). We'll always emphasize having fun while learning the game of basketball!

At least for now, this particular offering is open only to 2nd through 4th-years. Please email ExtendedLearning@cfsnc.org to express interest if we have room to open the clinic to 1st-years.

Schedule: 3:15-4:15 pm Thursdays | Mar 3, 10, 17, 24; Apr 7, 14

Tuition: 72

Instructor: Dave Wofford (a CFS Fountain Class father) was a basketball-loving fool growing up, and enjoyed playing alone, socially in pickup games (including at Friends School on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings) with a variety of people and skill levels, and competitively on school teams. He recently coached in the Hillandale league for three years.

Dave misses the days when it was easy to find pickup games and his knees were in better shape. He was fortunate to attend North Carolina State during the Corchiani and Monroe era, and greatly enjoys working with kids. He also has taught other children's classes, including book binding and art making.

Course:  Come join us for an outdoor adventure program where you will learn the basics of wilderness survival and delve deep into the wonders of our natural world. We will be having a ton of good, safe fun in the woods, taking advantage of our 126-acre campus, while turning students into naturalists.

Join us for activities such as knot tying, edible plant identification, shelter and fire building, animal tracking, tree climbing (with ropes and safety gear), map and compass skills (perhaps even creating a semi-permanent Orienteering Course around campus), and more! If you enjoy the great outdoors and want to learn new skills for your wilderness toolbox, this is the class for you!

Schedule: 3:15-5:00 pm Wednesdays | Mar 2, 9, 16, 23; Apr 6, 13

Tuition: 139

Instructor: Before coming to North Carolina and CFS as a member of the Shop crew, Matt Walters spent 18+ years working in outdoor educational programming at numerous schools, camps, nature centers, and non-profit children's museums. He served as a park ranger for the National Park Service and as an educator for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. While living in Washington, D.C., he founded and directed Outdoors With Friends, an organization committed to facilitating outdoor recreational programming for children with Autism. He is certified as a Wilderness First Responder.

In his spare time Matt enjoys all things out-of-doors, in particular backpacking, kayaking, climbing, and skiing with his two children. Off campus you can find him playing guitar, wandering aimlessly through the woods, or keeping a keen eye out for the ultimate snowball fight.

Course: Here's a chance to build up your wilderness survival skills! Learn how to (safely) build and cook over a campfire, put up a tent or build a shelter, recognize local trees, plants, and animals. We’ll develop an understanding of intense survival situations and how to get out of them. And put our abilities to the test. For the hardy, the adventurous, the nature lover, and the fun-seeker!

Four full days over four Saturdays, each focusing on a different set of outdoor skills:

1. first aid
2. fire building
3. shelter and general wilderness survival
4. outdoor cooking

The course will take advantage of our 126-acre campus of woods, fields, and stream and the adjacent Duke Forest.

Instructor: Marshall Wilfong was born and raised in Durham. An Eagle Scout from Troop 400, he’s been volunteering and working as a summer camp counselor since the age of 12. When he was 15 he got his first job as a merit badge counselor at Camp Raven Knob instructing First Aid, Search and Rescue, Safety, Camping, and Wilderness Survival. His time in the Scouts gave him a massive amount of respect for the outdoors as well as for the youth he instructs. Marshall has also been an after-school counselor at the Orange County Sportsplex and Aldersgate UMC.

He now works at Carolina Friends as the Middle School Extended Day Teacher, as a Middle and Upper School substitute, and as a Summer Programs instructor (of outdoor, Minecraft, sock puppet, space, Star Wars, and other courses!.

Ages: 12-18

Schedule: 9:30 am-3:30 pm Saturdays | October 30; November 6, 13, 20

Tuition: $150 for all four sessions or $45 per individual session 

We hope each student will attend all four dates for maximum community-building and other impact, but also understand calendar conflicts may necessitate fewer. 

We don't want finances to keep any student from participating! Please email Anthony and Tracy at ExtendedLearning@cfsnc.org for tuition assistance, payment plan, and other options. We're eager to work with you!

Course: During our four fabulous Saturday sessions we will explore and celebrate Queer Culture--past, present, and future--through project-based art, fashion, music, story, and film as well as guest speakers, hopefully a field trip, and a call to action. Help us create community where joy meets justice!

Rooted in the powerful connections made in the Summer Programs 2020 and 2021 Celebrating Queer Culture courses, this Weekend Camp is open to all queer, trans, non-conforming, fluid, questioning, and allied students at CFS and any other school.

The program is offered through CFS Extended Learning in collaboration with the Joyoushout Changemakers K-12 After School Enrichment Program.

Instructor: Rinah Rachel Galper is the founder of Our Sacred Circles, hosting gatherings for individuals working for change at the intersection of justice, creativity, healing, and spirituality. She is the sole proprietor of Joyoushout, providing JEDI consulting (Justice, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion), Life Coaching and Retreats for women, and Enrichment classes for youth and adult changemakers. Rinah is a licensed EC and General Education teacher, Program Coordinator, Expressive Arts Instructor, Change Maker, Group Facilitator, Nature Guide, and Healing Practitioner.

She has been providing creative summer camp adventures at Carolina Friends and throughout the Triangle since 2006 to nurture young people’s love and need for magic, mystery, mindfulness, curiosity, creativity, connection, a sense of their own power and worth, and pathways for making the world more loving. In CFS Summer Programs 2020 and 2021, she led our Girl Power and Celebrating Queer Culture courses.

Instructor: Ruthie Allen (she/her) joined CFS in 2018 as a seasonal employee in Summer Programs and served as full-time Extended Learning Coordinator from 2019 to September 2021. Ruthie cherishes the opportunity to meaningfully connect with children, families, educators, advocates, and community members in her work. 

She graduated with distinction and as a Carolina Covenant scholar from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy, minoring in education and philosophy, political science, and economics. She’s designed and taught courses to high school students on college affordability, education policy, and theatre for social movements with Splash UNC and with the Students for Education Reform (SFER) Social Justice Summit. She holds an Early Childhood Education Accreditation and has worked as a teacher's assistant in Montessori Children's House of Wake Forest and Wake Forest WEE Care Preschool.

Ruthie also enjoys her work as a stage director. She is an associate member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, the professional union organization for directors, and has engaged in directorial training with institutions including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Directing Intensive. She has directorial credits with various companies, including Playmakers Repertory, Kenan Theatre Company, NC Central University Theatre, Odyssey Stage, and Company Carolina. She's also an accomplished costume designer. Her artistic work is guided by interactions and processes that prioritize kindness, respect, high expectations, and mutual growth. More on her theatre background, as well as her education research, can be found at ruthevelynallen.com.

Ruthie fills her precious free time with yoga, quality dog + TV time, gardening, Durham exploration, and extensive calls to her mom.

Ages: 12-18

Schedule: Noon-4:00 pm Saturdays | October 23, 30; November 13, 20

Tuition: $100 for all four sessions or $30 per individual session 

We hope each student will attend all four dates for maximum community-building and other impact, but also understand calendar conflicts may necessitate fewer. 

We don't want finances to keep any student from participating! Please email Anthony and Tracy at ExtendedLearning@cfsnc.org for tuition assistance, payment plan, and other options. We're eager to work with you!