As we move ever-closer to our twenty-first fabulous summer at Centauri Arts Camp, many of us are engaged in training events in order to make this summer the best yet! This began last weekend, when our camp nurse and health care assistant attended a training workshop for camp nurses across Ontario run by our very [...]
Most of our blogs are about campers (of course). But now, it’s the parents’ turn. Day 1 Drop your child off at Centauri. Let’s face it, this person is one of the most precious (perhaps THE most precious) person in your life – so don’t just drop them off. Bring them to camp, and meet [...]
In times past, it was usual for families to be ‘extended’. Young people were more likely to experience closeness to - and respect for - family members of different ages. Today, many youth live on the other side of the world from grandparents, uncles and aunts. Meanwhile, families are smaller - meaning that children are [...]
Recently, a parent calling to enquire about our summer writing camps commented that her younger daughter – not yet old enough for Centauri Arts Camp- was not a reader like her older sister, and that they were struggling to find ways to encourage her to read. Did we have any thoughts we could share, after [...]
At camp every summer, we offer two types of theatre programs. The first type speaks for itself: programs that help an actor further develop their skills through traditional acting workshops and scene studies that most likely end in a scripted performance. The second type of theatre program can be classified as a “Devised Theatre Project’ [...]
On May 15 this year, my novel for ages 9-14, The Finding Place, will be published in both Canada and the States, by Red Deer Press. I’ve been asked quite a few times about my experiences with this novel, so I thought I would share some of those here, with a second blog entry to [...]
Part of our mandate at Centauri Arts Camp is to give all campers an equal opportunity to grow and shine within an atmosphere that emphasizes a spirit of collaboration rather than competition. We want all our campers to have a positive and creative time at camp, regardless of whether they have any previous experience in [...]
In the first of a series of blogs on arts programs at Centauri this coming summer, I’m writing to invite you to join us for Aaron Alviano’s fabulous POP ART program! Pop Art – our Session Three Fine Art program for ages 12-18 – is a general visual arts program (painting, drawing, sculpture…) with a [...]
I had a surprise in the office this morning. A parent called out of the blue to tell us what a difference we had made in her daughter’s life. She said that years ago, her daughter attended a traditional camp, but as a child with a creative spirit and a keen interest in drama, she [...]
Recently I came across a terrific book about summer camp by bestselling author and speaker, Michael Thompson, entitled, ‘Homesick and Happy’, Thompson argues that in today’s world, when many parents consider it unsafe even to let their child walk to school by themselves, overnight camp has never been more important. Children are rarely away from [...]