In lieu of on-site day camps, Greenbelt Recreation has unveiled its Summer Connect programs, designed to keep campers active and happily engaged during the summer months. The programs are described in a guide posted in the Virtual Recreation Center on the city’s website, greenbeltmd.gov. General registration opens on June 8.
“It became clear that it wasn’t going to be feasible to bring children together for on-site camps this summer, so we have reinvented the camp programs to provide fun at-home experiences, led by our terrific camp staffers,” said Anne Oudemans, program supervisor for the department.
Camp coordinators have benefited from the advice and suggestions of Greenbelt parents, who had offered input based on their families’ experience with online school classes.
The emphasis in the activity videos is on doing, moving, making and exploring, rather than passive viewing. In addition, interactive Zoom time, which many children find both stimulating and tiring, is scheduled for brief periods for the elementary school camps, so that they can greet their camp friends and counselors and show what they’ve been making.
For the older and younger age groups, the mix is different. Camp Encore, the performing arts program for ages 13 to 17, will feature extensive online activities. Kindercamp, designed for preschoolers, will provide a take-home box of activities, with limited screen time.
For Creative Kids Camp, which is usually organized around the production of a camp musical show, campers will create music videos that will be compiled into a summer movie musical, Memory Quest In Central Park. Home puppet theater is also on the agenda.
“We’re also looking forward to producing music videos featuring the campers singing the original songs created by Chris Cherry for Memory Quest,” said Izzy Springer, a camp manager.
Creative Kids Camp will also be offering an innovative option for Zoom interaction: The Tales-2-Tails program, in which campers can sign up to read aloud to a camp staffer’s pet. Similar to the successful in-person Read To Rover program at the Greenbelt Library, this online version features the same indispensable ingredient: a furry friend, who listens without critiquing.
For Camp Encore, using Shakespeare’s text, Kate Magill Robinson has created a show called Fun, Fearless and Fierce: Shakespeare’s Females – And The Fellas They Fascinate. Robinson said that the project will give teen thespians “a golden opportunity to explore several of the Bard’s most memorable characters.”
Many of the Summer Connect leaders have gained skill and experience in teaching and leading classes online.
Circus Camp director Mike Funt’s online reach has been global. From his home in Greenbelt, he recently taught workshops for students living in Beijing, the Middle East, Canada and across the United States. “Historically, circus performers traveled from town to town. This summer, our digital caravan will travel to campers’ homes, without leaving our own.”
The reimagining of Camp Pine Tree and Camp Yogo, which traditionally have emphasized outdoor activities and field trips, has been greatly facilitated by the return of experienced managers. “Several of the staffers are school teachers, who’ve now experienced first-hand what works best for successful online programs,” said Andrew Phelan, camp coordinator. “Just as important, they already know so many of our campers. They are crafting our Summer Connect programs with the kids in mind.”
The extended reach of the new programs is an opportunity to serve new patrons. Oudemans said, “Silver linings are a theme of this summer, and one of them is the chance to increase participation by families for whom lack of transportation or financial resources may have been a barrier.” She noted that the heavily discounted tuition for the Summer Connect programs, plus the availability of scholarship assistance for Greenbelt residents, should make the programs an affordable option for more families.
Oudemans also pointed out that some participants may have a connection to Greenbelt, but live far away. “This summer, when so many families’ travel plans have been upended, participating in Summer Connect could be a great way for faraway friends and cousins to be together with their Greenbelt friends and relatives,” she said. It’s time to call the cousins!