It’s never too early to dream of summer. With visions of green parks and sunny skies, plenty of organizations throughout the metropolitan area offer outdoor opportunities for the young and old. Want to sharpen a skill? Want to learn something new? Want to act like a superhero? Just read on see just a few ways you can play this summer.
Accelerated Schools of Overland Park:
Looking for a summer camp program that combines academics with art? Then the Academic and Arts Summer Camp, for student entering fourth through eighth grade, at the Accelerated Schools of Overland Park is the program for your child.
Each camp day combines over two hours of individualized tutoring with 90 minutes of creative expression in art, photography, video production and graphic design. We integrate the teaching of effective study skills throughout the academic program, while enhancing your child’s overall experience with creative activities. Students must attend at least three weeks of camp between June 3 and August 9, 2013. Camp begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Transportation is available. Cost per week is $325.
The Accelerated School is located at 10713 Barkley, Overland Park, Kan. For further information about the Academic and Arts Summer Camp, contact Jane Curran, Director, (913) 341-6666. Or visit the website at www.Accelerated
SchoolsOP.org.
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Christian Youth Theater:
Act, Sing and Dance this summer with Christian Youth Theater! Join us for a fabulous summer at CYT’s weekly camps. The Backyardigans (ages 4-5), Rock ‘n Country (ages 5-12), Selections from Mary Poppins (ages 5-12), Xtreme Dance Camp (ages 4-11), The Hobbit (ages 10-15), Avengers (ages 10-15), Star Wars (ages 10-15), Camp Willy Shakespeare (ages 12-18), Middle School Overnight Camp with Selections from Hairspray (ages 12-14), and the High School Overnight Master Camp with The Drowsy Chaperone (ages 14-19) including two full production performances on July 27 and 28 at the Bell Cultural Art Center at Mid America Nazarene University.
CYT is offering more than 20 weeks of camp throughout the summer months at locations all over the Kansas City metro. Our HEART program provides opportunities for children with special needs to participate in CYT camps, classes, and productions. Call (913) 681-3318 for more information orvisit us online at www.CYTKC.org to register today!
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Art of the Car Concours©:
A Benefit for the Kansas City Art Institute
More than 200 vintage, classic and special-interest vehicles belonging to collectors from around the country will be on exhibit at the seventh annual Art of the Car Concours©. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, June 23, on the Kansas City Art Institute campus at 4415 Warwick Blvd.
This year’s concours features racing legends Sir Stirling Moss and Denise McCluggage. Both will participate in a special discussion Saturday, June 22 on 1950 and 1960s racing, recounting their experiences and reminiscing about competing with Kansas City driver Masten Gregory. Admission to Sunday’s event is $15 at the gate or $12 in advance at www.artofthecarconcours.com; children age 10 and younger are admitted free. Proceeds benefit scholarships at KCAI, a premier, private, independent, four-year college of art and design.
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KANSAS CITY BALLET:
The Kansas City Ballet School, with two locations, offers camps designed for those children who are exploring the world of ballet. These camps and workshops offer lessons in poise, balance, rhythm, taking instruction, and working with others… and all under the guidance of our professional, year-round dance faculty.
The children’s classes are created to take participants on an even deeper appreciation for ballet with classes in creative movement, pre-ballet and three levels of classes each summer at the downtown campus or the location in Johnson County. For those serious about ballet instruction, the five-week Kansas City program called the Summer Intensive offers its students a highly concentrated curriculum at Kansas City Ballet’s new home, the Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity. Artistic staff and school faculty of Kansas City Ballet combine to create one of the best summer intensive offerings in the country. Come and train in a professional company and school atmosphere.
For more information about Kansas City Ballet’s Summer Programs, contact Kansas City Ballet School at
816-931-2299 or school@kcballet.org
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City of Leawood Arts:
Look no further than the city of Leawood for summer fun. Cultural Arts Coordinator April Bishop crafts a summer calendar for of arts opportunities for the young and the young at heart.
Grinnin’ and Groovin’ mixes up children’s programming. There’s the DooDads, StoneLion Puppets and an environmental tale called It’s a Jungle, songwriter and musician Dino O’Dell, and juggler Brian Wendling. All four acts have significant ties to the metropolitan area, Bishop says.
The summer musical, Sound of Music, runs July 11 to July 14 and the following week, July 18 to July 20. Auditions are the first weekend in March. “We expect about 50 in the cast,” Bishop commented.
The Summer Jazz Series runs in August and into the Sunday before Labor Day. Grand Marquis starts the series Aug. 18. Heart of Play is next and Kansas City singer David Basse ends the series.
At the Oxford School House, the Wednesday reading club continues with discussions on two novels. Bishop says one novel will probably be Tom Sawyer. The American Girl Doll Series will also continue with Samantha, Kirsten and Molly. Another plus is the coordinated effort to offer Camp Shakespeare’s Will’s Players. “Will’s Players is for the youngest campers. At the end of the week, last year, they performed Midsummer Night’s Dream and it was great. We want to offer parents and kids in the southern portion of the community an option for this camp.”
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Kansas City Young Audiences:
Week-long Spring Break and Summer Camps offer performing and visual arts experiences for children of all ages. Professional teaching artists deliver age appropriate arts education in acting, dance, music and visual arts designed to promote creativity and inspire success for every student.
Summer 2013 will feature some new and unique opportunities as well as some favorites from previous summers! Some past favorites were Camp Comedy, Radio Show and Arts Sampler. Complete camp schedules and descriptions are online at kcya.org. All camps take place on the campus of St. Teresa’s Academy between Brookside and the Plaza. Scholarships are available for those who qualify. Call (816)531-4022 for more information or to register.
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Park University:
Be a Pirate for a Week: Park University Soccer Camps
One of the leading intercollegiate soccer programs in the Kansas City area will host two fun-filled soccer camps this summer for players at any level, from novice to skilled. Park University, which fields consistently ranked NAIA teams in men’s and women’s soccer, will host coed camps June 17-21 and July 15-19, for boys and girls ages 9-18. The camps will be held at Hemmingway Field on Park’s campus in Parkville, Mo., the same facility used by varsity athletes for the Pirates soccer programs.
Leading the camps will be Park’s head soccer coaches, Efrem Shimlis (men) and Ken Hefner (women). Both have led their Pirates teams to conference championships and NAIA national tournaments, and are past Coach of the Year honorees by the American Midwestern Conference. They will be joined by Honka Zlitni, Legacy Soccer Club coach and former Park soccer standout. The cost for each five-day camp is $175, which includes lunch daily and a camp T-shirt. Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Individual technical skills to be stressed in the camp include passing, trapping, dribbling and shooting. Team skills addressed will be combination play, attacking and defending. Participants will get a firsthand look at Park’s winning soccer program and have the opportunity to interact with the Pirates high-energy current players. For more information or to register, visit
www.park.edu/soccercamp.
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UNION STATION:
The Science of Rock ‘n’ Roll exhibition at Union Station provides a fresh look at the history of rock from the perspective of science and technology. See how music has shaped the tools of rock – and how those tools have changed the music. Content Director Alan Cross says the exhibit shares how far technology has come from the 1950s when musicians and singers would have laughed at the notion of carrying a device that would hold thousands of songs.
The exhibition is divided into galleries. Rock ‘n’ Roll History is the first gallery with a chronological approach to the world of music in its relationship with technology and science. The second gallery examines music theory, writing and composition. While in this gallery, learn about the elements needed for composing music. The third gallery examines rock instruments, including a chance to play a guitar, piano or keyboard. Gallery four explores the science of sound and how people truly listen to music. The fifth gallery takes visitors into the science of recording music and the sixth gallery explores rock careers. Gallery seven is a wall of videos.
Along with the interactive exhibits, three more live concerts will be presented. The Walltalkers are March 21; Alice Sweet Alice, April 28; and the Clementines, May 4. The bands play from 5-7 p.m. and the exhibit remains open until 8:30 p.m. These concert events offer a discounted ticket price of $10.
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YMCA:
Take on summer … The YMCA of Greater Kansas City’s Summer Day Camps give kids an important opportunity to get up, get out and grow. Ages 3-18 can take on summer with endless possibilities at a variety of traditional and specialty camps. Kids can explore nature, find new talents, make lasting friendships and memories, and make a difference. Traditional camps for preschoolers, grade schoolers and teens encourage learning and fun with different themes weekly including science and technology, arts and crafts, swimming, field trips, nature and exploring different cultures.
Specialty camps for ages 6-12 include sports, engineering and Legos. A destination camp at Camp Naish provides opportunities for ages 6-12 to explore the great outdoors with the comfort of going home every night and convenient pick-up and drop-off locations. Opportunities for tweens and teens include Youth Volunteer Corps of Greater Kansas City’s Summer of Service, where ages 11-18 can give back through service learning projects. Tweens and teens can also build skills through the Y’s new Leadership Camp at William Jewell College and a Counselor in Training program.
Locations include Blue Valley, Center, Olathe, Shawnee Mission, Spring Hill, and Platte County R-3 school districts, Camp Naish, William Jewell College Tucker Leadership Lab and Riverside Community Center. For more information, visit ymcasummerfun.org.•
