Week 2: June 26-30

Tuition: 385

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!

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: 350

Course: Campers will explore life as fairies know it during this week! We will learn all about fairies this week and create jewelry, fairy wands, pressed flower ornaments, a fairy house, and dye silk scarves. We will read books, have tea parties, dance to music, start a fairy journal, color and paint, and do special fairy crafts. This camp will nurture a love for exploring the outdoors and teach children to look for small signs of life that exist all around us.

Instructor: A California native, Stella Bowers (she/her) has been proud to call Durham home for 14 years. In May 2023 she will graduate from Meredith College with a B.A. in Psychology, a minor in Theatre, and a K-6 Teaching Licensure. She has almost 10 years of experience working with children as a babysitter, nanny, camp counselor, party princess entertainer, and student teacher. Her life’s passion is teaching and nurturing a love of learning in her students. In her free time Stella can be found creating art, reading, participating in local theatre productions, thrifting, and making music. This is her first year teaching in CFS Summer Programs.

Tuition: 350

Course: This week's camp will be focused on learning, playing, and falling in love with soccer! We'll be working on technical skills improvement through drills, rondos, and scrimmaging while having lots of fun. We'll also focus on teamwork and the excitement that playing soccer brings. We will utilize our large outdoor sports fields as well as our air-conditioned indoor gym facilities. The great Pelé reminds that Soccer is "The Beautiful Game." Let's play Soccer!

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 a teacher in the CFS Lower School. He earned his A.A. in Education, his B.A. in English, and 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.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 19-23
Week Two / June 26-30
Week Eight / August 7-11

Tuition: 350

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 Two / June 26-30, Bryson Byrd
Week Three / July 3-7, Bryson Byrd
Week Four / July 10-14, (Jr. ages 5-7) Bryson Byrd
Week Five / July 17-21, Cheryl Meyer
Week Six / July 24-28, Kelsie Yohe

Tuition: 350

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:  Bryson Byrd was born and raised in Durham and when not in school could be found exploring the adventurous countryside of the county on horseback. She has been working as a camp counselor and instructor since age 12. Bryson also worked at the Durham Performing Arts Center for more than eight years.

After graduating from North Carolina Central University with her bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, she started work on her master's at UNC Charlotte in Elementary Education. When not at summer camp you can find Bryson at George Watts Montessori Magnet as an IA; or on her family farm with her family, horses, pups, and sunshine. 

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 19-23, Kelsie Yohe
Week Two / June 26-30, Tracy Schledorn
Week Four / July 10-14, Kelsie Yohe

Tuition: 350

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: Tracy Schledorn just finished her second year as a CFS staff member. She teaches health and life classes across units and is the school counselor for the Middle School. Before that she worked as a teacher and school counselor in Alamance County for 21 years. She enjoys gardening and exploring with her husband and two young children. Tracy adored summer activity camps growing up and is always ready to learn something new. As a life-long athlete, she enjoys a variety of activities and relishes the opportunity to have fun and play!

Tuition: 350

Course: Let’s spin some yarn! In this camp, you’ll learn the basics of knitting and crochet - no experience needed! You’ll leave at the end of the week with a handful of projects including dish cloths, hats, and more. Get ready to double (crochet) your summer fun!

Instructor: Kelsie Yohe (she/her) is a second-year 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 with her spouse (Hunter), their two dogs (Pepper and Harley), and their gecko (Henry). When she's not buried beneath academic journals, she enjoys reading, knitting, and playing video games.

Tuition: 350

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.

Please note: this is a two-session course, running Weeks One and Two (June 19-30). Please register under the Summer Programs Week One drop-down in your CampInTouch account.

Tuition: 695 (covering both weeks)

Course: The spotlight is on you! Calling all actors, technical designers, and directors to help us put on a play! In this two-week theater camp we will write and stage an original play. In the first week we will develop acting skills, play theater games, do warm ups, and practice vocal and movement exercises. We will also create characters and write our play. In the second week, we will design props, sets, costumes, and make-up, all while perfecting our roles. Then we will invite family, friends, and other campers to attend a special performance on Thursday evening and Friday morning.

Instructor: Susan Kincaid began teaching at CFS Summer Programs in 1992! Besides being a writer, playwright, and actress, Susan headed the theater program in the Upper School at Carolina Friends for many years, directing and producing shows three times a year. She is eager to collaborate with a new generation of young artists again this summer.

Tuition: 350

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 three 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.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Two / June 26-30
Week Three / July 3-7

Tuition: 365

Course Description: Ever wanted to learn how to write your name in frosting, dust cakes with chocolate powder patterns, create strawberry flowers, use fondant, and create fancy cupcakes and chocolate-dipped strawberries that look like tuxedos, or mold your own chocolate? It is an art form! We'll do all of that and more, starting with easy designs on cardboard before making our own frosting, cakes, cupcakes, and chocolates to decorate. Design your own theme or go wild with abandon and have fun creating edible works of art. Please bring a small notebook for recipes, ideas, and ingredients lists.

Please note that, unfortunately, we may not be able to accommodate dietary restrictions in this class.

Instructor: Karen Clark is a science teacher at Immaculata Catholic School in Durham. She teaches middle school, so enjoys working with other age groups during the summer. She has three wonderful kids and an overprotective mini schnauzer named Heidi that keep her active. In her spare time (yeah, right) she enjoys playing the flute, reading mysteries, and doing puzzles.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 19-23
Week Two / June 26-30
Week Three / July 3-7 (Advanced)
Week Four / July 10-14
Week Five / July 17-21
Week Six / July 24-28
Week Seven / July 31-Aug 4 (Advanced)

Tuition: 350

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: 350

Course: In this course we will be turning lumps of clay into fantastic and functional forms - wall plaques, vessels, and so much more. We’ll spend the week learning the basics of handbuilding as we get creative, play games, and work hard to bring our visions to life. At week’s end we’ll glaze and fire our creations. There’s a lot to learn about working with clay, so to make the most of our time student work will need to be picked up the following week to accommodate the firing process.

All skill levels are welcome, come with your minds open and be ready to get your hands (and clothes) dirty!

Instructor: Emmanuel Oquaye is in his first year working with us at CFS as a substitute teacher. He is excited to share his passion for visual and culinary arts with the students this summer. Emmanuel has served as a studio assistant and working potter at Durham’s Claymakers Studio since 2017. He also has experience assisting with the ceramic art program at Carrboro High School. Emmanuel has a wide range of interests, from cooking and baking to pottery and horticulture.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 19-23, Chloe Gillespie
Week Two /  June 26-30 (Soccer),  Carly Campbell
Week Three / July 3-7, Achiri Acha
Week Four / July 10-14 (Soccer),  Tony Arias Sorto
Week Eight / Aug 7-11, Achiri Acha 

Tuition: 350

Course: This week's camp will be focused on improving Soccer skills for the low to medium experienced player. We'll be working on technical skills improvement through drills, rondos, and scrimmaging while having lots of fun. We'll also focus on teamwork and the excitement that playing Soccer brings. We will utilize our two large outdoor sports fields as well as our air-conditioned indoor gym facilities. The great Pelé reminds that Soccer is "The Beautiful Game." Let's play Soccer!

Instructor: Carly Campbell (she/her) is a former Carolina Friends Middle School teacher and is thrilled to be returning to CFS for summer camps this year! She has spent the last decade working with young people around social justice, Spanish, imaginative storytelling, and music. Carly has a B.A. in Community Education from Goddard College and a certificate in Community Spanish Facilitation from Durham Tech. She is an avid reader of scifi and fantasy books and she has read the entire Harry Potter series more than 30 times! 

Carly’s activism work includes supporting young people challenging the school to prison pipeline, LGBTQ+ activism, Black Lives Matter, and Immigrant and Language Justice. She has had the opportunity to participate in three Civil Rights Movement bus tours and is particularly passionate about the role of young people in social movements throughout history and the world.

Tuition: 350

Course: Narratives! They move the soul and exist in all walks of life. Often the joy of narratives is lost in the trees of a normal educational career. In this workshop we'll approach the study of narrative from a new direction: Japanese Animation. Using Anime we will explore learning objectives from the North Carolina Grade 9-10 English Language Arts curriculum. Class activities will include watching anime, writing analysis, discussion, graphic and chart creation, and educational games. Some of the materials will be Rated TV-14 in the US and we will be following a high school level curriculum, however, the content will still be accessible for students under this age.

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.

Tuition: 380

Course: The era of personal 3D printing is upon us! The cost of in-home 3D printers has dropped to a point that many people now have 3D printers in their own home. Powerful and free 3D design software allows users to design and customize three dimensional objects - limited only by the bounds of our imagination and ingenuity.

Students will learn the basics of 3D printing, from the computer to reality. We will use Tinkercad, web-based 3D modeling software, to design our models, which we will use to test the limits of this amazing technology. This camp will be focused on learning the basics of 3D design and printing through guided projects as well as giving students the opportunity to bring their own ideas to life. No prior experience required.

We have a number of 3D printers, but not enough for every student to have continuous access to their own, so there will be some variable time where students engage in other activities.

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, she completed her M.S. in Differential Geometry, and for 12 years prior to joining CFS 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.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 19-23, Tony Arias-Sorto
Week Two / June 26-30, Meaghan Kachadoorian
Week Three / July 3-7, Tony Arias-Sorto
Week Five / July 10-14, Meaghan Kachadoorian

Tuition: 350

Course: What makes you a more effective leader and team player? Let us show you some tools. Using group building games, art, theater, movement, discussion, and individual reflection we learn and practice leadership techniques. We will work as individuals and as a group to enhance confidence, cooperation, and communication. The workshop is an excellent exercise in developing leadership skills for jobs and community roles. 

If you're interested in being a Counselor-In-Training (ages 13-15) in CFS Summer Programs, this course is a prerequisite. We work through some basic “how to deal with” situations, focusing on conflict resolution and effective ways of listening and responding. And no, we do not sit in chairs throughout the day listening to lectures! This is an active course culminating in a "shadow day" as a CIT and a certificate of successful leadership training completion.

Instructor: Meaghan Kachadoorian (she/her) is an educator who is excited to foster CFS campers’ connection with the natural world and one another this summer. After studying History and Latin American & Caribbean studies at Duke, she taught at the Montessori Farm School, where she still loves to contribute as a substitute teacher. Meaghan has facilitated summer and school-year exchange programs with high schoolers from over 20 countries. She earned her M.A. in International & Multicultural education before working at the United World College in Freiburg, Germany. Back home in Durham, she loves exploring the natural world of the Piedmont and sitting with her local mindfulness group.

Tuition: 350

Course: Here’s your chance to become the CFS Sole Survivor! Whether or not you’ve seen any of the 41 seasons of the show Survivor, you’ll have an awesome time working your way through challenges (obstacle courses, puzzles, water challenges, endurance challenges, and more) and practicing some suinancervival skills like safe firemaking and shelter building. No one will get voted off the island in our special CFS version, and you’ll certainly have the chance to build new relationships and make new friends in your tribe. Get ready for an awesome adventure!

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!