| Tue-Fri, Jul 6 - Jul 9 |
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Your Voice: Public Speaking
Have fun writing and delivering speeches in front of a supportive group and begin to develop this lifelong skill. We will write short speeches about subjects that interest us and practice reading them out loud in this low-pressure environment. Focus on skills such as standing up tall, using a loud voice, and making eye contact. Watch famous and not-so-famous public speakers and analyze their deliveries. At the end of the week we will create our own TV news broadcasts with you as the anchors. -
Folktale Fanatics
Folktales are a fun way to learn about different cultures, meet silly characters, hear oral stories, and learn life lessons. Explore folktales from around the world, make crafts inspired by these stories, act out stories, and create your own by the end of the week. -
More than Words: Hip Hop Culture & Lyrics
Join other music fans in examining classic hip hop albums, their lyrics, and their relevance to current day social issues. Using Check the Technique: Liner Notes for Hip-Hop Junkies by local author Brian Coleman as a guide, learn to identify metaphors and lyrical content. Take a deep look at classic records from artists such as Tribe Called Quest, Beastie Boys, De La Soul, Eric B. & Rakim, The Fugees, KRS-One, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Public Enemy, The Roots, Run-DMC and Wu-Tang Clan. We’ll also get the opportunity to talk to local hip hop artists about the work they are creating today. -
Little Actors Studio
Join the fun as we work together to write a script, make costumes, design a set and act out the beloved stories of Alice in Wonderland and Beauty and the Beast. Crafts and other activities will be part of each day. On the last day, present a final performance for SummerFun! friends. -
A Beginner's Guide to Rock 'n' Roll
Get ready to rock! Spend a week learning about the music that continues to shape the world as we know it today. Through recordings and film clips, we’ll explore the history of rock ‘n’ roll from its roots in the blues to the alternative boom in the 2000s. -
Summer Stock Musical Theater
Join the Ottoson musical theater team for two immersive weeks as we work toward a final production. We will learn music, lines, choreography, help build sets, and design costumes. Working hard has never been so much fun, and you will be amazed at what we can accomplish in two short weeks. Auditions will be held on the first day of the camp, and everyone will have an opportunity to shine. Please note: The nature of the final production (online vs. in-person) will depend on current COVID restrictions. Students must commit to the entire two weeks. -
Stand-Up Comedy: First Steps
Have a knack for wise-cracks? A gift to lift spirits? A know-how for the low-brow? Or do you endeavor for the clever? In Stand-Up Comedy we will study up on the basics of comedy, craft our jokes, hone our storytelling, practice our puns, and create characters as you develop your very own comedy routine. Test your comedic chops in this inclusive and supportive atmosphere—finally, the perfect place to share your random thoughts and goofy impressions. -
Improv Comedy: Say "Yes" to Fun
Get ready to say “Yes!” to all that awaits you in Improv Comedy, the spontaneous and exciting way to express your creativity. Under the guidance of an experienced sketch and stand-up comedian, explore your silly side through games, exercises, and scenes built on imagination and quick thinking. We will create our own characters, invent our own worlds and scenarios, and embrace the fun and excitement that awaits us in every situation. No theater or improv experience is necessary, only a willingness to try the new, unknown, and completely goofy. -
French & Spanish Clubs
Through songs, games, crafts, short writing activities, drawings, and music, practice Spanish and French in a fun yet rigorous way. Instruction is primarily intended for beginners, but is also suitable for those who have taken ACE language clubs. Please note: To minimize item sharing, all students should bring basic pencil box/art supplies: -pencils, eraser, glue stick, scissors, markers, colored pencils or crayons -
Green Screen Gurus
Working in teams and individually, create your own digital stories using the innovative green screen app on iPads. Become a brave superhero, take a dream vacation, forecast our local weather—or just experiment with your silhouettes. We will design and record our pieces and take turns playing them for the group. -
Business Sharks
Play the role of young entrepreneurs as we start with the germ of an idea for a business and product and take it through the entire entrepreneurial process. Develop prototypes, formulate a business plan and devise a marketing strategy. Learn concepts such as competition, profits, and branding while designing print ads, acting out “TV commercials,” researching real estate locations and designing storefronts. As young executives, you will conclude the program by pitching your ideas "Shark-Tank" style. Let’s take care of business! -
Adventures in Latin
Explore the Roman world in the language of the Romans! We will review words and phrases and then go outside the building and explore Roman art and culture through role-playing and hands-on activities. Learn how to use Roman weapons, touch ancient artifacts, and take a virtual trip—all in Latin! Students are encouraged to participate as long as they have studied Latin for one year in either a formal or informal setting. We will run many activities in two groups, one for beginning speakers and one for more advanced speakers. -
Theater Explorations
This class is all about playing, moving, and storytelling. Practice performing through games and activities that let you take center stage. Games like Museum, Human Machine, and Spacewalk will warm us up so we’ll be ready to take on bigger challenges like acting out storybooks, dancing, and even creating our own performances to share with our classmates. -
Jazz Workshop
Practice the basics of jazz improvisation while jamming with other musicians in combo and jazz band settings, and learn to read chords and jazz harmony. If you have been playing for at least a year and can read music you can join us for some musical fun and learning. Open to woodwinds, brass, guitar, bass, piano, and drums. Please note: You must bring your own instrument. -
Summer Strings 2
We will form small chamber groups as well as play together as an orchestra to explore music from classical, pop and jazz or create new compositions of our own. Our week will culminate in a concert open to SummerFun! friends. For students with more than two years of playing experience. Please note: You must bring your own instrument. -
The Play's the Thing!
What do you think of that Shakespeare guy? Do you think his plays are confusing? Boring? Old? We will explore Shakespeare’s most exciting scenes, with themes of heartbreak, magic, good vs. evil, fury, treachery, deception, passion, and more. You will play games, be cast in a scene, get to know your scene partners, and then finish with a showcase of everyone’s scenes. After this course, we promise one thing: you’ll have a new appreciation of Shakespeare! -
Summer Strings 1
Here is an excellent opportunity to continue playing your string instrument during the summer months. Together, we will learn new techniques and perform fun music from a varied repertoire. Our week will culminate in a concert open to SummerFun! friends. For students who have participated in the first year of the APS string program or who have had 10-12 string lessons using the first book of Essential Elements for Strings or the Suzuki method. Please note: You must bring your own instrument. -
Music Improv
Play fun and interactive music pieces while flexing your creativity. Discover easy techniques and activities for making original music from scratch utilizing music theory, harmony, arranging, and more. This course is open to vocalists and instrumentalists of all levels. Please note: You must bring your own instrument. -
Discover Brazil
Come “travel” south to Brazil as we explore its amazing culture, geography, and language. Learn some basic Portuguese words and phrases and discover this massive country’s beaches, rainforests, rivers, and mountain ranges. We’ll also get creative through arts and crafts related to Brazilian culture and the famous festival, Carnival. Please note: To minimize item sharing, all students should bring basic pencil box/art supplies: -pencils, eraser, glue stick, scissors, markers, colored pencils or crayons -
Show Choir
Calling all singers and dancers! Join us for a fun-filled week as we sing and learn choreography to popular show tunes, current hit songs, and oldies. Come express yourself physically and creatively as we rehearse multiple skits and tunes throughout the week using different daily themes. -
Speech & Debate: Rock the Podium
Learn to debate, speak and deliver a speech in front of your supportive peers. Practice how to construct and support an argument, think critically, speak confidently, and listen thoughtfully. We will also debate common ethical, moral and philosophical questions. -
Television Workshop
Learn how to make TV at the Arlington Community Media Inc (ACMi) production facility. The action begins as soon as you arrive, with hands-on training on cameras, lights, and sound equipment that will help you make TV magic. Stop-motion animation, special effects, and interviewing others on camera are just some of the things you’ll learn over the course of the week. By Friday, you will use your new skills to produce a short film from scratch. Almost everything we do will end up being shown on one of ACMi’s TV channels! Please note: This course is primarily for students who have not previously participated in middle-school production groups. Meet at ACMi studio, 85 Park Avenue, Arlington Heights.
