Week 6: July 22-26

Tuition: 395

Course: Do you love fairytales? Then now is your chance to dive deep into some enchanting tales. We’ll compare and contrast different versions of fairy tale classics, write our very own fairytales, make crafts, and play games inspired by our favorite stories! 

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. She currently works as a Learning Specialist supporting neurodivergent teens and young adults. Meaghan has facilitated summer and school-year exchange programs with high schoolers from over 20 countries. She loves exploring the natural world of the Piedmont and sitting with her local mindfulness group. She can't wait to join CFS for her second year in Summer Programs!

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Two / June 24-28
Week Four / July 8-12
Week Six / July 22-26

Tuition: 365

Course: A very 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 playing with paint, fabric, oil pastels, mud, 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. This is not a product oriented art camp, although campers will have plenty of pieces to take home. 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: 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. 

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: 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. 

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week Two / June 24-28
Week Six / July 22-26
Week Seven / July 29 - August 2

Tuition: 365

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 organizations, 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)

Tuition: 365

Course: Enter a world of wizards, unicorns, mermaids, and any other mythical, magical characters you can imagine. After you create your OWN original character, we’ll work together using improvisation, games, and guided explorations to combine these new characters into a short original play to share with friends and family. 

Instructor: Blair (she/her) is a theatre-maker and teaching artist who is thrilled to be sharing her love of theatre with CFS this summer! She holds a B.A. in theatre from Wofford College and an M.F.A. in directing from Boston University. Blair is originally from Charleston, South Carolina, where she was the co-founding Artistic Director of the theatre company 5th Wall Productions. She’s taught theatre to students of all ages at Lexington Children's Theatre, Spartanburg Youth Theatre, Boston University, Duke University, and–currently–McDougle Middle School in Carrboro. 

When she’s not making or teaching theatre, you can find Blair cuddling with her beloved dog Moe, hiking, baking cupcakes, or making very lumpy pottery.
 

This course is offered in multiple weeks:
Week One / June 17-21, Markeith Gary
Week Two / June 24-28, Emmanuel Oquaye
Week Three / July 1-5, Emmanuel Oquaye
Week Six / July 22-26, Markeith Gary
Week Seven / July 29-Aug 2, Robinson Earle

Tuition: 365

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: Markeith Gary joined CFS in 2016 and has served as varsity basketball coach for the Upper School. He helped co-found a non-profit travel basketball program called the NC Wildcats serving the Chapel Hill-Durham area. A graduate of Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia, and a school-year educator, Markeith has served as mentor to many in his community and volunteers at the local community center teaching life skills. He enjoys spending time with his wife Marsha and their three children (Nina, Myles, and Laila).

Tuition: 365

Course: Take a virtual trip around the world as we explore a different country each day! We will find our destination on the globe, acquaint ourselves with our setting through pictures and videos, and then explore the culture through music, stories, games, crafts, and some tasty snacks. Let’s see how big - and small - our world is!

Instructor: Michael Oggiani is originally from Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts. He graduated from Saint Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont in 2018. He later went on to earn a master’s degree in Elementary Education from Westfield State University in Westfield, Massachusetts in 2022. Michael is of the belief that all children are naturally adventurous, open-minded, and inquisitive, and that it is the job of the teacher to help nourish and strengthen those qualities. Michael enjoys the creative side of teaching and strives to make sure the learning environment in his classroom is a student-centered one that promotes student self-sufficiency and creativity. When not in the classroom, Michael enjoys hiking, cycling, watching movies, and cheering for the Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics, and Green Bay Packers. 

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: 365

Course: Excited about toying with numbers and creative problem solving? Come engage in some challenging brain teasers! Think Magic Squares, logic puzzles, Killer Sudoku, algebra challenges, and more. We will stretch our brains as we learn to work systematically, look for patterns, and develop and refine theories to help us solve problems. We will practice working as individuals, in pairs, and in small teams, because math is a collaborative exercise. Playing fun math games will allow us to test out our new strategic thinking skills against one another along the way!

Instructor: James Rees was born in England but grew up in Davidson, North Carolina from the age of 4, when his family immigrated to the U.S. He spent a lot of his free time growing up playing soccer, tennis, and basketball, or puzzling over brain teasers and math puzzles. Years later, he attended Duke University and spent his time similarly there, graduating with a B.A. in Mathematics in 2019. James arrived at CFS in 2022 and has worked as a Lower School teacher for the past two years. He is excited to have fun sharing his excitement for math and sports this summer! 

Tuition: 365

Course:  Join us for a week of exploration all about weaving and animals! Let’s build simple tapestry looms, weave LARGE with gathered natural and unrecyclable materials, and assemble a great animal from the handmade parts. This week will include a 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 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, Tiny Rug project lead, and Extended Day (AfterHours) staff. She’s also a former CFS parent!

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: For our older students, here’s an opportunity to enhance your skills in comic drawing. Led by Jamie Charles who has been teaching Comic Design in CFS Summer Programs for many years, the workshop provides a meeting place for expanding skills and talents. You do NOT have to have taken Comic Design prior to this. This is for those students who want to work a bit intensely on their creations. Share your techniques, exchange tips, learn new skills, collaborate with a partner, and learn from the community.

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: 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, and explore the amazing trails and rivers in the state parks in our area. You’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!

Instructor: Ari Nicholson (they/them/theirs) is a CFS graduate and lover of nature, science, culture, and activism. They earned their undergraduate degree from Clark University in Social & Environmental Justice and their graduate degree in Geographical Information Science. They have led backpacking trips in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the Adirondack Mountains. They are a certified Wilderness First Responder with a passion for teaching survival and nature skills. Most recently they were working for the Augsburg University Center for Global Education and Experience with study abroad students in Cuernavaca, Mexico. In their free time, they love to hike, climb, cook, learn, and play ultimate frisbee.

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

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 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: 395

Course: Do you like to experiment with sounds or create your own music? Learn how to take your ideas and bring them to life in the studio. We will work with some of the latest digital recording software and effects, learn how to record instruments and vocals as well as learn how to produce digital music and beats. If students have their own computers or instruments they are welcome to bring them at their discretion, otherwise we will have access to everything we need on site. 

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.

Tuition: 365

Course: Let’s spin some yarn! In this camp, you’ll learn the basics of crochet - no experience needed! You’ll leave at the end of the week with a handful of projects. Get ready to double (crochet) your summer fun! Materials are provided, but students are welcome to bring their own supplies from home if desired. 

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: Come spend a week being inspired by comics! We’ll be focusing on comics featuring Queer characters having adventures and living their lives. Over the course of the week, we’ll be reading comics (including some manga), talking about comics, discussing art styles, and creating our own comics. 

Instructor: Julia Stivers (she/her) is the Upper School Librarian at CFS. As an American Library Association Emerging Leader, she helped develop AASL’s Defending Intellectual Freedom: LGBTQ+ Materials in School Libraries. She's proud to have been named NC's 2022 School Library Media Coordinator of the Year and the 2023 School Library Journal School Librarian of the Year. She loves connecting with students over their love for comics, graphic novels, and manga, and is a co-author of an upcoming book Manga in the School Day (ALA, 2024).

For the past six summers, Julia has served as a Writing Facilitator for Wake County’s Summer Writing Institute, which supports students as they write in community. Julia is excited to partner with Ash Williams, a rising CFS Senior and artist, to offer a Queer comic-focused camp at CFS.