Week 2: June 27-July 1

Tuition: 365

Course: We put the excitement in S.T.E.M. education. Children dive into age-appropriate, inquiry-based, hands-on-learning through FUN designing and constructing activities using Legos, blocks, Thinker Linkers, and more!

For the first three Early Learners sessions, we've engaged two instructors instead of the usual one in order to give more children the opportunity to enjoy CFS Summer Programs.

Instructor: Kathleen McNeil has been a First Day School teacher at Chapel Hill Friends Meeting for 16 years and enjoys engaging with children of all ages. She worked in higher education for 23 years and is currently studying to become a play therapist while also teaching in CFS’ Campus Early School. Kathleen enjoys comedy, puppies, books, classical music, and just about any activity with her son (a former CFS Summer Programs Extended Day staffer). She is thrilled to lead summer camp for our youngest students this year!

Instructor: Williette Zigbuo graduated in 1997 from Berea College in Berea, Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Studies with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. She received her Master’s degree in Special Education from Bay Path College in Burlington, Massachusetts and has over 15 years of teaching experience with children in Liberia, West Africa and in the United States, including now at the CFS Campus Early School. She especially enjoys working with pre-k to second grade.

In addition to her passion for teaching, she finds personal fulfillment by helping educational programs in Liberia; Williette has been instrumental in mobilizing others to help obtain donations and school supplies for orphanages and schools in Liberia. Whenever she returns from Africa, she finds that sharing her pictures and discussing her trip is rewarding for herself and also for her students, to help them understand and see the world outside their community, neighborhoods, and the United States.

Tuition: 335

Course: We’ve got all the ways to be W-I-C-K-E-D! Join us as we create our own Auradon and Isle of the Lost filled with Descendants crafts, games, and adventures. Choose your Disney parent and create your own character for this magical world. We may even make our own Descendants 4 short film to share with family and friends. Come ready to be creative and join the VK ranks alongside Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay!

Instructor: Ruthie Allen (she/her) is a lover of puzzles, cooking, crafting, and education. She began working in Summer Programs in 2018 as the Extended Day Coordinator, then in 2019 as the Assistant Director, and in 2020 and 2021 as the full-time Summer Programs Coordinator. Ruthie loves Summer Programs, and she’s excited to return this year as an Instructor. She has her degree in education and public policy from UNC Chapel Hill, has earned her Early Childhood Education accreditation, has worked as a math teacher in the CFS Middle School, and has worked with Peaceful Schools NC, a CFS-based non-profit focused on Restorative Practices in education.

Ruthie is half of Pain & Panic, where she collaborates with a friend to create original clothing and accessories she sells in local art markets. She’s also the founder of the “Triangle Tennis Alliance,” a local group for queer tennis players and loves to play with them every week. Ruthie has also directed many plays and musicals, including with local children’s theaters. She looks forward to another awesome summer with CFS!

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 20-24
Week Two / June 27-July 1

Tuition: 335

Course: Help ignite a lasting interest in the most beautiful things our planet has to offer. During this exciting week-long program of activities we’ll see, hear and feel nature first hand. Fresh discovery awaits our young explorers through games, art, observation and adventuring. This introductory course is based on the Scandinavian Forest School model where direct outdoor experiences help to foster social skills, confidence, creativity, problem solving and much more.

Program Sessions Days

Nature’s Playground
Students participate in ecologically themed games that help build interpersonal relationships, collaborative skills and curiosity of the natural world.

Wildlife Detectives
On this fun day out, participants will learn some of the basics field skills needed for experiencing nature. We’ll learn how to use camouflage, stealth and listening skills to get up close and personal with those woodland creatures.We’ll look at tracks and signs and undertake the bird olympics challenge.

Creative Creatures
Through a variety of artistic methods, this arts-based day will use nature to inspire and encourage students to explore and celebrate their unique sense of creativity.

Micro-adventures
Students set out on a small adventure designed to cultivate basic outdoor skills (shelter building etc) and to encourage local nature exploration and a continued curiosity in the natural world.

Life aquatic
We will explore the creeks around school and use nets and tanks to catch amphibians, crustaceans, insects and other aquatic life.

Instructor: Mike Werndly (or Ranger to his friends) introduced our popular Nature Lab environmental education classes in Summer 2017. He is a lifelong birder and practiced field biologist and outdoor educator with a passion for sharing environmental experiences that promote awareness and respect of the natural world. Working and traveling in remote areas around the globe has given Mike a wide knowledge of the Earth’s habitats and ecosystems.

He’s been hooked on wildlife since a chance encounter with an owl when he was eight and hasn't looked back. He studied Ecology and Outdoor Environmental Education at university and has worked for numerous conservation organisations, including the Aigas Field Centre, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, and Scottish Natural Heritage. Mike’s wildlife encounters have been numerous, but some memorable ones include being followed home one night by two otters and being covered head to foot in smelly seabird guano!

He moved from Scotland in 2016 and now lives in Hillsborough with his wife and two young children and their friendly food-crazy labrador, Fogo :0)

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 20-24, Markeith Gary
Week Two / June 27-July 1, Achiri Acha
Week Three / July 4-8, A.J. Valero
Week Four / July 11-15, A.J. Valero
Week Five / July 18-22, Tony Arias Sorto
Week Six / July 25-29, Markeith Gary
Week Seven / August 1-5, Markeith Gary
Week Eight / August 8-12, Achiri Acha

Tuition: 335

Course: An active, fun-filled week of sports adventure just for you! We learn how to play a variety of sports, focusing on skills and learning the rules. We work on team building and create some crafts that go along with our new indoor and outdoor games! We concentrate on learning how to play, building confidence, keeping in shape, and receiving guidance and encouragement from our coach. An excellent class for the active or wannabe active camper!

Instructor: Achiri Acha has been at CFS since he was six years old! He mentored with Jordan Shamp in Sports camp, became a counselor-in-training, and then moved on to become a camp assistant and instructor for the past seven summers. Achiri has worked in Extended Day at Lerner School and School’s Out Camps at the Jewish Community Center and currently works at USA Ninja Challenge during the school year. Achiri's goal is to be an elementary school physical education instructor and coach.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Two / June 27-July 1, Cheryl Meyer
Week Four / July 11-15, Julia Dorn

Tuition: 335

Course: LEGO camp is just around “the block!” We will have a fun-filled week of building with our extensive LEGO sets. Students are invited to create structures, vehicles, animals, cities and fantastical scenes while they explore the fundamental principles of engineering! New sets appear each year–from Minecraft and Ninjago to Star Wars and the LEGO movie. Come dive into thousands of LEGO blocks and see where the adventure takes us!

If you have LEGO you would like to bring to camp, please visibly mark them well so they will not get mixed in with the Summer Programs sets.

Instructor:  Cheryl Meyer (she/her), is a Lower School teacher and librarian at Carolina Friends. A Durham native, Cheryl has a B.A. in English and a certificate in Early Childhood Education from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Masters’ Degree in Library Science from North Carolina Central University. Before coming to CFS, she taught in a Reggio Emilia-inspired preschool and in a high school ESL classroom in Pohnpei, in the Federated States of Micronesia, while serving in the Peace Corps. Cheryl’s current position combines so many of her interests - service, education, advocacy, and equitable information access! In her free time, Cheryl loves to kayak and explore with her two children.

Tuition: 350

Course: Spend a week on a Hispanic cooking adventure! We’ll enjoy the flavors of Argentina, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala, México, Perú, and more. We’ll create our own grocery store with recycled materials. Along the way, students will have the opportunity to learn Spanish vocabulary or improve their Spanish skills and to explore Hispanic culture with a native of Perú.

Instructor: Kelly Yupanqui is from Perú and moved to the United States in 2005. She earned her B.S. in Elementary Education and her M.Ed. in Educational Administration at Universidad Nacional de Trujillo, Perú. Kelly got her certification as a Montessori Teacher from the American Montessori Society.

She has taught different levels of students for 25 years in public and private settings in her native country and in the USA (including now at Carolina Friends School). Kelly loves to dance, sing, play the guitar, cook, do arts and crafts, and be outside and she enjoys sharing all her talents and her native Spanish Language during Summer Programs.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Two / June 27-July 1, Kelsie Yohe
Week Three / July 4-8, Tracy Schledorn

Tuition: 335

Course: Sharpen your sense of wow! In this hands-on, inquiry-based workshop. You are an artist and scientist all in one as you bring together familiar ingredients and transform them into the unexpected. The fun comes when you perform cool experiments that pop, bubble, and fizz! Tickle your senses and start to wonder about...What happens next? How does that work? What if I try this? We’ll explore the science behind your creations as we tinker and make lovely messes.

Instructor: Kelsie is a Ph.D. student at North Carolina State University in the Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis program. She was a second grade teacher in Wake County Public Schools for five years before heading back into the classroom as a learner. Kelsie lives in Raleigh, NC with her spouse (Hunter), their two dogs (Pepper and Harley), and gecko (Henry). When she's not buried beneath academic journals, she enjoys reading, knitting, and playing video games.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Two / June 27-July 1, Cyrise Davis
Week Three / July 4-8, Carly Campbell
Week Six / July 25-29, Cyrise Davis

Tuition: 335

Course: Celebrate your love of all things Harry Potter as you create themed crafts, play wizard games, and whip up tasty snacks. During camp you will be sorted into a house so that you can mix and mingle with Gryffindors, Slytherins, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws. Then, you'll spend your time immersing yourself into the world of Harry by making memorabilia and creating memories that you can enjoy for years to come. Activities include creating your own wand, making "potions," and enjoying playing the game of Quidditch!

Note: Previous knowledge of the Harry Potter series is helpful when participating in this course.

Instructor: Cyrise Davis holds a B.A. in Art Education K-12 and a B.S. in Commercial Art and Photography. In addition to her freelance photography, she worked for 10 years as an art and photography teacher at The Hawbridge School in Saxapahaw, as a site coordinator and lead teacher for a middle school after-hours program, and as a YMCA summer camp counselor.

For eight years, Cyrise served the CFS family as the Extended Day (AfterHours) Director, substitute teacher, and Summer Programs instructor. Cyrise employs her child-centered style of teaching (and passion for art, engineering, and science) to help CFS summer students and Lower and Middle Schoolers learn to explore and create.

Tuition: 335

Course: Learn how to make necklaces, bracelets, earrings and more using a variety of materials during this fun week of Jazzy Jewelry Making! In this camp, students will create their own original pieces and take them home to show off. 

Instructor: Shannon Neu joined the CFS Summer Programs staff in 2021 and is excited to be back for another fun summer! She earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from UNC-Greensboro in 2016 and has been a music teacher in the Wake County Public School System ever since. For fun, Shannon plays the oboe in the Raleigh Civic Symphony Orchestra and enjoys reading, hiking, gardening, and cooking. She lives in Raleigh with her husband (Logan), her two cats (Jasper and Ruby), and a lot of plants.

Tuition: 335

Course: Do you have what it takes to be in Friends Got Talent? We think you do!  Bring your special talents, whether it’s song, dance, magic, jokes, or a unique talent you would love to share, we want to see it! Students will spend the week crafting a performance. We will explore the different performance categories the students choose, play games that encourage movement and being comfortable with our bodies, participate in fun team activities and challenges, have a Karaoke party, and of course, bring it all together for Friday’s Friends Got Talent!

Instructor: Leites Chiong has been playing guitar for almost 30 years and teaching guitar for over a decade, with stints in various bands along the way. He's a father of four, including two children at Carolina Friends. Leites teaches all styles of music for acoustic and electric guitar, as well as bass guitar and Ukulele (including in CFS’ after-school music program for children AND adults from CFS or anywhere else). He helps beginners through advanced students learn how to play and how to write songs. Leites enjoys working with children and seeing the love of music grow within them.

Polly teaches Polly's Picassos: Monart classes in multiple weeks:
Week Two / June 27-July 1 (Art History)
Week Four / July 11-15 (Animals)
Week Six / July 25-29 (World Landmarks)

Tuition: 335

Course: In this class, we will learn about famous ARTISTS (i.e. da Vinci, Picasso, van Gogh) and then create artwork in their style using markers and watercolors. I will be using the Monart method to teach students with step-by-step instruction: giving enough structure to ensure success and enough freedom for independent creativity. In a nurturing, peaceful environment students will learn that there is no right or wrong way to draw and that “the magic is in the coloring.”

Instructor: Polly Clark grew up in California and then traveled cross-country to Connecticut College, where she got her B.A. in English. She then earned her M.A. in Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University, but after 9/11, reevaluated her career goals and decided to pursue what she had always wanted to do, which was TEACH! She earned her teaching credential and then taught for 14 years as a third grade teacher at Jensen Elementary School in Castro Valley, California.

In 2018, with her three kids starting their own journeys into adulthood, Polly and her husband, Kevin, decided to leave the increasingly frenetic pace of the Bay Area and move to beautiful Chapel Hill. She taught 4th grade for one year at Carrboro Elementary School and has taught the past three years at Carolina Friends School Middle School where she’s also an advisor. She loves teaching at CFS for many reasons; one of which is she is able to pursue her passion for drawing and painting by teaching art electives during the school year and art camps in the summer!

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Two / June 27-July 1
Week Six / July 25-29

Abby teaches Improv 201 in Week 7! 

Tuition: 335

Course: Love acting? Love comedy? Sign up for Improv 101 to learn the basics of improvisational theatre! Throughout the week, students will learn improv games, character development, and other acting techniques, and will apply those skills in an improv show on Friday. Campers will also learn skills such as team-building and trusting one’s scene partner that can be applied on or off stage. Register for Improv 101 to become a better performer, make friends, and make people laugh! No experience necessary.

Instructor: Abby Kameny has been involved in Carolina Friends School Summer Programs for 18 years. She started out as a camper, served as a Counselor-In-Training, was hired to work in the Extended Day program, and then became an instructor! She received her B.A. in Linguistics from the University of Maryland, took a gap year to teach English in Spain, and is now back at UMD for her Master’s in teaching English to speakers of other languages. She has also been involved in theatre, improv, and singing throughout high school and college.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Two / June 27-July 1
Week Four / July 11-14
Week Six / July 25-29, Tony Arias Sorto

Tuition: 335

Course Description: 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. Prepare to get wet!

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 20-24
Week Two / June 27-July 1
Week Three / July 4-8 (Advanced)
Week Four / July 11-15
Week Five / July 18-22
Week Six / July 25-29
Week Seven / Aug 1-5 (Advanced)

Tuition: 335

Course: Addicted to comics? Doodle in class? Come create your own comic book characters and stories. Bring creativity, imagination, and motivation along with your pencil. Exchange ideas, receive input, and work on technique with a professional comic artist. There’s also time for Four Square, games, and Capture the Flag. Oftentimes, campers take multiple sessions. Please bring pencils, erasers, and favorite drawing pens. (Two Advanced Comic Design sessions are available for those who want to expand their skills.)

Instructor: Jamie Charles, a working illustrator, graduated from UNC-G in Fine Arts. Besides exhibiting his own work, Jamie works at CFS as an art instructor for Middle School students. He is also a champion Capture the Flag leader, having coached his workshop groups to many victories (not that he is bragging). Jamie offers private lessons in drawing and art.

Tuition: 335

Course: Ever heard the old adage, "A picture is worth a thousand words?" Well, we’re taking that into the modern age! Each day of this adventure, we will explore photography through mini-activities, experiment with various photography projects, and learn how to use Google photos and other apps in post-production to make great images even more dynamic. Participants will need a cell phone or tablet which they have used to take photos. All participants will create a keepsake photo album at the end of this fabulously fun camp!

Instructor: Danielle Riley grew up Quaker in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and had the privilege of earning her degree in middle school and high school English instruction from The College of William and Mary. She became a certified teacher and began teaching in North Carolina in 1993. Just two decades later, she completed a master’s degree in Folklore at UNC in Chapel Hill. Danielle is a recipient of the 2013 North Carolina Collection Photographic Archives’ North Carolina Documentary Photography Award for her work documenting graffiti throughout Durham County as reflective of the county’s economic decline and changing demographics. She loves reading detective fiction, streaming 80’s tunes, and exploring this beautiful world with her camera.

Tuition: 335

Course: Join us this week for CFS' Girl Power Camp! Each day we’ll have a different fabulous theme and adventure designed to explore and celebrate all the different ways of being powerful females in our world.

Days 1 and 2: Body Beautiful - We explore images of women and girls in art and stories, fashion and food, work on individual and community art projects, write creatively, and do some meditation and movement.

Day 3: What’s Your Superpower? - Working alone and in a team, we play games and do activities including a group designed challenge course on campus designed to help us identify and celebrate our unique gifts and skills and the power of working together.

Day 4: Finding and Using Our Voices for Change - We will meet and work with wise and powerful women leaders surviving and thriving in our communities and practice how to use our voices in powerful ways.

Day 5: Girl Power Arts Showcase - We culminate this amazing week with an interactive presentation of some of our art, writings, and other work from the week.

Instructor: Rinah Rachel Galper is the founder and director of Our Sacred Circles and the sole proprietor of Joyoushout, working for change at the intersection of justice, creativity, healing, and spirituality. Throughout the year, Rinah supports youth and adult change makers with enrichment programs, gatherings, JEDI consulting and professional development, and broad spectrum life coaching. She is a licensed teacher, expressive artist, clergy members, activist, group facilitator, nature guide, and healing practitioner. Rinah has been providing summer camp adventures at CFS and throughout the Triangle since 2006 to nurture young people’s love and need for magic, mystery, mindfulness, creativity, connection, confidence, and joy. 

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 20-24, Jochen Wachter (European Handball)
Week Two / June 27-July 1, Tony Arias Sorto
Week Three / July 4-8, Tony Arias Sorto
Week Four / July 11-15, Tony Arias Sorto
Week Five / July 18-22, Achiri Acha
Week Six / July 25-29, Jochen Wachter, AM; Will Anderson, PM (Soccer)
Week Seven / Aug 1-5, Jochen Wachter (Soccer)
Week Eight / Aug 8-12, instructor pending

Tuition: 335

Course: Can’t get enough of sports? We totally understand. Some of our students take sports all summer. So we get it. We introduce basic rules, strategy, and techniques of basketball, soccer, and some indoor gym games (as well as Capture the Flag!) for the fun of playing. We focus on technique, skill development, and team building. All activities take place on our outdoor playing fields (using cooler morning temperatures) and in our two air-conditioned gym facilities. Sports experience is absolutely not necessary. Our goal is for you to learn how to play so you’ll feel comfortable knowing the rules, understanding the strategy, and practicing good teamwork. We don’t stress competition. We're here to help you improve your game and have fun.

Instructor: Tony Arias Sorto is from Honduras and moved to Massachusetts in 2014. He relocated to North Carolina in 2018 and before coming to CFS was the Before and After Care Program Coordinator at Leesville Elementary in Raleigh. Tony is now an assistant teacher in the CFS Lower School. Tony earned his A.A. in Education, his B.A. in English, a master's degree in Leadership for Sustainability, and is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in Leadership for Sustainability. Tony believes in creating spaces for children to fill with laughter and he’s very excited to join the CFS team for a second summer!

He was raised playing soccer but enjoys anything from volleyball and basketball to slacklining and trail running. Tony lives in Pittsboro where he loves running with his two dogs and exploring the woods.

Tuition: 350

Course: Dreaming of piles of pies and other pastry pockets? You need EASY AS PIE! We’ll make pies of all sorts--sweet, spicy, tart, savory, creamy, baked, and frozen. Any way we slice them, they’ll have our taste buds singing! There’ll be fruit pies with super-flaky pastry…but that’s just the beginning. We’ll also try our hands at making galettes, empanadas, quiche, and more. Get your taste buds ready!

Instructor: Bo Newsome is a musician (an oboist, composer, and educator), teaching students at his home (or on Zoom) and at Duke. He frequently creates and presents programs and residencies for young people, and attended workshops presented by Kennedy Center’s program for teaching artists. He developed a general music program and created original operas with children in a remote public school on an island in Maine. 

To satisfy his sweet tooth in a house with few sweets, Bo started baking pies, cakes, and cookies when he was little. His favorite pies are anything citrus, chocolate, pecan, peach, peanut butter, or coconut. I guess he’s really never met a pie he didn’t like. In addition to cooking, Bo’s been a lover of animals, architecture and art, and a collector of treasures as long as he can remember.

Tuition: 365

Course: Come find out how to create 2D and 3D crafts using a Glowforge laser-cutting system. We will learn how to create signs, puzzles, boxes, and more. Bring your innovative ideas and willingness to learn. Students will be introduced to vector-graphics programs like Vectornator and Inkscape in order to create graphics files to use on the Glowforge. 

No prior experience required.

Instructor: Chip Hale was a long-time resident of Carmel, California where he loved sailing, hiking, and participating in craft shows with items he made on his Glowforge. Now that he is living in Chapel Hill, he is still hiking and going to craft shows but had to swap in tennis and canoeing in lieu of sailing. He also is the Technology Director at CFS and enjoys working with students and staff of all ages.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Two / June 27-July 1, Christa Gann
Week Five / July 18-22, Katherine Angell
Week Seven / Aug 1-5, Christa Gann

Tuition: 335

Course: Player's Handbook sales are topping the bestseller lists! Self-published game supplements are breaking commercial records on Kickstarter! Celebrities are live-streaming their game sessions! These days, the classic fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons is experiencing a major renaissance. And it's no wonder! Playing D&D may activate a wider range of skills than any other game: puzzle solving, critical thinking, statistical analysis, interpersonal negotiation, theatrical performance, creative storytelling, and imaginative worldbuilding. And let's not forget dice rolling!

Students will build characters, play through adventures, and study the fundamentals of role-playing game design to discover what makes the best D&D sessions so memorable. By the end of the week, we'll use what we've learned to craft an original adventure for other players to experience. Whether you're a newcomer to the game or an avid fan, there's a place at the table for you!

Instructor: Christa Gann joined CFS in 2018 as a Physics and Computer Science instructor. She graduated with a B.S. from Berry College in 2002, double-majoring in Physics and Mathematics and earning a minor in Computer Science. Christa then moved to North Carolina, studying mathematics at UNC-Chapel Hill. In 2004, Christa completed her M.S. in Differential Geometry. For 12 years prior to joining CFS, she was an instructor of mathematics at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham. She is also a National Board certified teacher.

Christa has a passion for teaching physics, mathematics, and programming, but also enjoys hiking and running with her (very large) dog, Odin, spending time with her two children, and geeking out over sci-fi and fantasy themed pastimes such as Magic the Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons. Christa is a life-long learner who loves to share curious facts and interesting questions with anyone who wants to listen. She endeavors to learn something new everyday.