With the end of the school year right around the corner, organizations across the Golden Triangle are gearing up for summer camp season.
A variety of summer camps planned across the region create a range of options for kids to keep busy this summer, from fine arts and cooking to sports and science.
At the Golden Triangle Theatre in Columbus, there are three camps on the schedule for June, all designed to expose campers to the ins and outs of theater.
Garrett Torbert, executive and artistic director for the theater, said he hopes the camp will give participants a chance to both discover and develop their theatrical skills.
“But really and truthfully, as with anything that we have to offer, just the experience of being creative, tapping into some talent that may be unexpected for somebody,” he said.
Participants in two of the camps will spend their week learning lines, singing songs and rehearsing, all in preparation for a full-scale production at the end of the week. Campers in the first through fourth grade camp will be performing The Lion King, while the camp for fifth through 12th graders will perform The SpongeBob Musical. Auditions for both productions will be held the day before camp officially begins.
Older students will also have a chance to learn from a professional who is currently in the theater industry, Torbert said. Craig First, who recently performed in the national tour of Hairspray, will serve as the guest director for The SpongeBob Musical.
“(He’s) someone kind of that age too that’s relatable to a lot of our high school students,” Torbert said. “I think it’s really cool because that in itself can hopefully get that interest going for students to kind of know this is an option for your life if that’s what you want to do.”
For the first time this year, GTT will host a third camp dedicated to teaching campers skills they can use behind the scenes. In the four-day technical theater camp, participants will spend each day learning a new skill ranging from running lighting and sound to stage management and set construction.
Greg Thorn, an assistant teaching professor in Mississippi State University’s theater department, will be the guest director at the technical skills camp.
“The goal is for those kids who are involved in the tech camp to be a part of doing the lighting and doing some of the other technical things for the performances that will come at the end of each camp,” Torbert said.
Registration for GTT summer camps, which can be completed through the theater’s website, closes Friday.
In Starkville, junior staffer Padaris Lawrence said the city’s unit of the Boys and Girls Club of the Golden Triangle is preparing to welcome children signed up for its annual summer camp. The camp is for both current and new members with ages ranging from ages 5 to 18.
“We’re going to take a field trip every Friday,” Lawrence said. “And through the week, there is a teen program. They’re doing their separate field trips, and they’re going to visit colleges.”
Lawrence said field trips and activities campers will participate in are designed to be both fun and educational. Along with college visits, campers will travel to destinations like the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis and the Birmingham Zoo.
Back in town, Lawrence said the children will have activities like brain games and scavenger hunts to keep them busy, and programs intended to teach them future life skills they may need.
“I’m looking forward to the trips and seeing the kids have fun … and for them to learn stuff while they’re also out of school,” she said. “I hope that they learn about leadership because that’s what we’re all about. (I’m also looking forward to) seeing them smile and wanting to help one another.”
More summer opportunities in the Golden Triangle
Lion Hill Center Golf Camp
Dates to be announced, six weeklong sessions
Columbus
Lion Hills Center will host six sessions of its golf camp for children between 6 and 12 years old. Campers will learn the fundamentals of golf during daily sessions starting at 8 a.m. The cost to attend is $185 per child, which includes lunch and swimming and the Lion Hills Center.
Lion Hill Center Culinary Camp
July 7-10, July 14-17
Columbus
Campers will be developing their kitchen skills daily at the Kids Culinary Camp, where they will learn to bake, plan daily menus and help with the cleanup afterwards. There will be two camps, separated by age group, with the first kicking off on July 7. The cost of registration is $300 per child. Their lunch will consist of the dishes they make.
Mississippi State University
June though August
Starkville
MSU has a wide variety of camp opportunities with focuses on athletics, engineering, other educational subjects, robots and more. Camps are designed for multiple age groups, and registration fees and requirements vary. A full list of camps is available on MSU’s website.
Mississippi University for Women Science Camp
July 14-17
Columbus
The W is hosting a free, four-day science camp at The Plymouth Bluff Environmental Center in July. The camp is open to children ages 9 to 14. Campers will explore science and math disciples through hands-on activities led by faculty and student volunteers. Registration for the camp ends today.
The Wherehouse
June and July
Columbus
The Wherehouse Dance Company will be hosting several summer sessions throughout June and July. Campers can choose between a four-day, triple threat performance camp where they’ll learn about each side of the dance industry, a hip hop dance party or a Swiftie art camp where Taylor Swift fans can make collages and practice their watercolor painting. There will be eight different summer sessions for students of various ages, from as young as three years old. To register, call The Wherehouse at (662) 549-7922.
Editor’s Note: This is not a complete list of summer camp opportunities for children in the Golden Triangle. To submit your camp for possible publication, email [email protected].
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 29 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
