Week 5: July 15-19

Tuition: 395

Course: Get ready for a week of nature, art, and fun! In this camp we will spend time outside finding beauty in nature, and we will use what we’ve found with other art supplies to make beautiful collages and other crafts. 

Instructor: Dan Hill is an early school support teacher at CFS who holds a B.S. in mathematics as well as a B.A. in creative writing. They have worked in education as a tutor in various subjects for learners ages 4-35, taught high school math, and now have found a calling for working in early education. They spend their free time crocheting, learning about skin care, and making spreadsheets for fun!

Tuition: 365

Course: Get ready to cheer for the chicken and crow for the crawfish! From watching chicks hatch to close-up encounters with other animal visitors, we celebrate the world’s creatures in this class all about animals. Along the way, there’ll be bird and beast games and stories, music, art, movement, and lots of time outside discovering the animals and habitats of CFS.

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. Though he’s really never met a pie he didn’t like, he especially likes lemon, lime, and peach. 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: This camp is a terrific way for children to learn Spanish quickly! Come and experience the fun of learning Spanish in a Hispanic environment with a native teacher. During this week kids will be involved in a variety of fun cultural activities, including Hispanic dances, games, songs, storytelling, dramatic play and more. At the end of the week the campers will participate in a unique performance using their new Spanish language skills. Then we will have a party “Fiesta” where the kids will break the piñata made by them during the week.

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 One / June 17-21, Shannon Neu
Week Two / June 24-28, Jenna Carlson
Week Four / July 8-12, Cheryl Meyer
Week Five / July 15-19, Shannon Neu
Week Six / July 22-26, Cheryl Meyer
Week Seven / July 29-Aug 2, Sarah Woody

Tuition: 365

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! 

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: 365

Course: A multimedia art class for young people with busy hands and big ideas. The class will be a balance of art lessons and plenty of self directed time with art materials. We will be drawing, painting, crafting, building, experimenting and more as we chase creative ideas that lead to even more ideas! This camp is all about empowering kids to develop and trust their creative instincts. Our goals are to build a positive foundational relationship with art making, build art skills, make new friends, and of course to have a very fun time at summer camp!

Instructor: Meridy Nicholson is a CFS alumni and currently earning her Bachelor’s Degree at Otis College of Art and Design in Fashion Design. She is passionate about outdoor education, working at nature camp for the past two summers. She loves to be creative and explore new ways to make art, whether that is through painting, digital art, or fashion design. In her free time, Meridy loves to go on hikes, cook, draw, listen to music, and spend time with family and friends.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Five / July 15-19, ages 7-11
Week Six / July 22-26, ages 10-15
Week Seven / July 29 - Aug 2, ages 10-15
Week Eight / Aug 5-9, ages 7-10
Week Eight / Aug 5-9, ages 11-15

Tuition: 365

Course:  It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s a... Frisbee! Ultimate Frisbee is one of the fastest growing youth sports in the US, and we want to teach you how to play! Ultimate combines the continuous play of soccer, the end-zones of football, and the pivoting of basketball all with a frisbee to create a fast-paced, exciting game! This camp will teach the fundamentals of the sport, going over different types of throws and the basic strategies of offense and defense. Participants will learn about Spirit of the Game, a fundamental part of Ultimate that focuses on sportsmanship and respect for all players. Each camper will receive an Ultimate Frisbee disc with registration!

Instructor:  Triangle Ultimate is a local nonprofit whose mission is to collaboratively build a community emphasizing accessibility, relationships, and engagement through learning, playing, and teaching the sport of Ultimate in the Triangle region of North Carolina. Triangle Ultimate is excited to strengthen our relationship with the Carolina Friends School community through great summer camp experiences. The camp will be led by some of the top leaders in the Triangle's Ultimate Frisbee community!

Tuition: 365

Course: This is a FREE PLAY camp using the greatest material available to kid-kind: cardboard boxes! Campers will learn art methods for sculpting with cardboard, and then work together to build an enormous castle and perhaps the greatest cardboard maze ever seen at CFS. There will be plenty of games and challenges, and lots of free time with cardboard boxes and in the woods too. This is a great camp for the imaginative kid into world building, or for the kid who has art ideas way too big for your living room. 

Instructor: Nyssa Collins is a multimedia artist, musician, and generally enthusiastic person. She is originally from Burlington, NC and studied Piano Performance at Humboldt State University. Tragically, she no longer lives in Durham, where she was a piano teacher, stilt walker, public artist, and puppeteer/artist with Paperhand Puppet Intervention for five years. She is currently a graduate student in the art department at the University of Tennessee, where she studies time based media, including shadow puppetry and animation, and the pipe organ. See her art here!: www.nyssacollins.com

Tuition: 365

Course: Script writing! Acting! Prop design! Oh my! During this week, students are invited to create dramatic interpretations of a favorite story. Hosted in the Lower School Library, we will read a variety of short stories together and choose which one will come to life. All students will have the opportunity to act, but they are also welcome to only focus on writing the script or creating props, scenery, and costumes! 

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: 365

Course: Welcome to STEAM camp, where the summer sun meets a sizzling fusion of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics—better known as STEAM! Our camp the perfect place for curious minds, blending the thrill of adventure with the excitement of innovation. Imagine a day where campers launch homemade rockets into the stratosphere, solve real-world problems using limited resources AND create artistic masterpieces inspired by the wonders of math. If this sounds like your kind of fun then don't miss out!

Instructor: Sarah Woody joins us from Grady Brown Elementary in Hillsborough. Where she was named Beginning Teacher of the Year for the 2023-2024 school year in Orange County. She loves all things history and STEAM-related and loves to talk about all the cool places to visit in North Carolina. When she's not teaching 4th graders she is watching movies, hanging out with her two dogs and husband, or playing card games with her family. 

Tuition: 380

Course: Do you want to travel the world AND eat your way through it? If you said yes, this camp is the one for you! Each day, we will explore a different part of the world by cooking up delicious meals and learning about different cultures. Along the way, we’ll learn some unique cooking techniques, explore new recipes, learn about different parts of the world, and, best of all, taste our many creations!

Instructor: Tom Latimer has been running camps at CFS for 17 years. He has been teaching for 30 years and has a Masters degree in elementary education. He currently teaches 2nd grade at Immaculata Catholic School in Durham and plays guitar in Chapel Hill band Zoltar’s Fortune. 

Tom lives in Chapel Hill with his wife Alison and their two cats Nora and Lionel. He enjoys seeing and playing music, eating at our local restaurants, collecting vinyl records, and working with kids.

Tuition: 365

Course: In this course, campers will learn all about how money works. First you earn it, then what? Save it? Spend it? How much money do I need to buy lunch and the candy I want at the store? Campers will play games, enjoy engaging, hands-on activities, maybe even take a field trip, and learn all about the thing that "makes the world go 'round." The week will culminate with a carnival hosted by campers where they will raise funds for a student-chosen cause! This "Wall Street for kids" is the place to be this summer!

Instructor: Cort Bennett, a CFS Lower School parent, spends much of his free time with his wife, Lindsey, and two children, Janie and Henry, which brings him great joy. They spend a lot of time outdoors and have a fondness for the mountains, family, their dog Paisley, and playing board games.

Cort says, “Growing up in a family of psychotherapists, naturally, my parents emphasized developing “human capital” – our unique skills, knowledge, talents, and values that combine to make each family strong. They probably thought my siblings and I would figure out on our own how to become economic beings. Now as an adult and parent, I understand the importance for our children to have not only the financial wherewithal, but also develop values to manage money with mindfulness and integrity. Thus, a dual approach to financial education.”

During the day, Cort’s professional life has him working with families and individuals helping them navigate their financial lives, plan for their future and their legacy. A lot of the time this stewardship has him working with multiple generations building a connection and meaning to the resources that pass through the family. Due to a love for community and outdoors, he has taken an interest in sustainable, responsible and impact investments.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Five / July 15-19
Week Six / July 22-26

Tuition: 380

Course: This week involves everything dough! Phylo, pie, cookies, pizza, bread, pretzels, puff pastry, pasta and more. Even playdough. What makes one dough different from another and what can ruin one and make another amazing? We’ll explore all week through delicious creations in the kitchen. 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 a crazy dog named Ralphie that keep her active. In her spare time (yeah, right) she enjoys playing the flute, reading mysteries, exercising, and doing puzzles.

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 17-21
Week Two / June 24-28
Week Three / July 1-5 (Advanced)
Week Four / July 8-12
Week Five / July 15-19
Week Six / July 22-26
Week Seven / July 29-Aug 2 (Advanced)

Tuition: 365

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: 365

Course: Have you ever wanted to publish something you wrote, but didn’t have any idea how to do it? Get ready to have all your questions answered during a week of creativity and exploration at Durham Book Club’s Publishing Camp! Join us to unlock the secrets of writing and publishing with fun activities and engaging conversations.

What's In Store?:

• Explore the Publishing World: Discover how books come to life! Hear from local authors, editors, artists, booksellers, and more while exploring different types of publishing, from books to radio.
• Hands-On Writing Workshops: Throughout the week, you'll work on your own piece of writing through workshops. Learn to express yourself, find your unique writing style, and create a piece you'll be proud of! 
• Become a Published Author: Create your own piece and see it published! It's a chance to showcase your creativity and hard work

Instructor: Stephanie Mulligan is the mentor to the brilliant and passionate middle school students who make up Durham Book Club's Student Leadership Team. Her favorite things to do include reading, cooking and eating, talking about books (especially while eating), and playing soccer. After six years in the publishing industry, Stephanie enthusiastically earned her MLS from UNC to live her biggest dream – being a librarian who works exclusively with kids and young adults. With two years with Durham Book Club, she is super excited to blend her greatest interests and give students a sneak peek into the world of publishing!

Tuition: 365

Course: Calling all artists, makers, artivists and outdoor adventurers! We'll each build a rigid heddle backstrap loom (in use today around the world and probably as old as weaving itself). Then, we'll learn about animal anatomy in art. That’ll help us weave small 3D animal creatures--to which we'll explore how to add light-up eyeballs. Let your creativity run wild! Animal-centered field trip!

Instructor: Jan French is a fiber artist and weaving educator/advocate, demonstrator, and collaborator weaving on location at schools, arts councils, museums, festivals, and Scrap Exchange events. She is a member of the Triangle Weavers Guild’s Education Committee and has instructed hundreds of folks of all ages how to build and weave delightful and useful items on a simple handmade loom.

Before coming to CFS in 2008, Jan worked in environmental and open space planning and lived for two years in Geneva, Switzerland. She has Masters degrees in Environmental Management from Duke University and in Landscape Architecture from North Carolina State University’s School of Design.

At CFS Jan has served students as Middle School substitute teacher, art project coordinator for three Martin Luther, King, Jr. Day celebrations, Science Day guest speaker, and Extended Day (AfterHours) staff. She’s also a former CFS parent!

Tuition: 365

Course: Who says we can’t spend all day thinking and talking about Taylor Swift? Let’s listen to our favorite songs, analyze them for literary themes and ideas, and even use some for our own creative writing. We’ll watch Miss Americana and discuss her impact as a girl changing the world, and watch some of her recording sessions during COVID and think about how words influence her. The week wouldn’t be complete without some glitter and friendship bracelets! Everyone is welcome: short skirts, tshirts, cheer captains, bleacher-seaters! Come ready to read, write, sing, and listen.

Instructor: Callie is a former middle school English teacher, and a current English education researcher and PhD student at NC State. One of her passions (and research interests) is girl power, feminism, and girl topics in English classrooms, which led her to create “the Barbie trial” project at her former middle school during an annual study of the play Twelve Angry Men. It was just pure coincidence that the Barbie movie came out years later and has inspired more interest and enthusiasm for Barbie and feminism! 
Callie is originally from Charlotte, NC, has lived in Philadelphia, PA, Denver, CO, and Houston, TX, and is happy to now be in the Triangle area with her husband, two young children, and two very old dogs. 

Tuition: 365

Course: Sharpen your improvisational skills with Improv 201! First, we’ll refresh on basic improv skills, and throughout the week, campers will learn even more games and acting techniques. We’ll introduce “game of the scene,” long-form improvisation, and build on skills for developing character and relationships. Of course, we will end the week with a show on Friday! Some experience recommended (either Improv 101 or another improv class/camp).

Instructor: Abby Kameny has been involved in Carolina Friends School Summer Programs for 20 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.

Please note: this is a two-session course, running Weeks Five and Six (July 15-26). Please register under the Summer Programs Week Five drop-down in your CampInTouch account.

Tuition: 725 (covering both weeks)

Course: In recent years the Tabletop Roleplaying Game has had something of a surge in popularity in large part because of the movement of Dungeons & Dragons into the mainstream. The TTRPG is a powerful engine for social fun. You can expect to dig into the inner workings of games, especially TTRPGs, to learn how they work and why they’re fun. We’ll play a few systems and eventually make some of our own. (Please note that this is a two week camp)

Instructor: Zander Hall is a former camper who suddenly one day found himself too old for any available camp so he went to the greatest camp of all, college. Having survived that experience, he returned to CFS in the summer to co-teach Magic the Gathering Camp with his cousin Achiri and lead Board Game Design camp. He’s excited to be back for another summer!

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 17-21, Achiri Acha
Week Two /  June 24-28, Zeke Petrou
Week Three / July 1-5, Mike Oggiani
Week Four / July 8-12, Achiri Acha
Week Five / July 15-19, Achiri Acha 

Tuition: 365

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, Frisbee, 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: 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: 365

Course: Do you think you’d have what it takes to survive in the wild? Well, we won’t leave you to the elements this week, but you’ll learn some intense wilderness survival tips, tricks, and techniques. This week you can expect to learn how to purify water, build shelters, identify edible plants, and track wildlife. 

Instructor: Before coming to North Carolina and, for a time, 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.