Campers enrolled in Ocean Adventure in Boca Raton, designed for children up to age 15,
have opportunities to sail, snorkel and surf.
Photo provided
By Janis Fontaine
Summer camp opportunities for children 12 and younger abound. But what about our teens? What are they going to do this summer? Here are a few options.
For water lovers
Founded in 2009 by boat captain Maya Shoup, Under Blue Waters Ocean Adventure Camp is an intimate camp experience for kids who love the water. Kids master skills for snorkeling, boogie boarding, skim boarding, surfing, paddleboarding, fishing, sailing and scuba diving, and learn about marine and environmental conservation.
All staff undergo level two background screening, are certified in CPR, AED and first aid, and are qualified and certified in their areas of expertise.
Camp meets from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, with extended hours to 5 p.m. available, at Red Reef Park, 1400 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton, and is designed for children up to age 15. A four-day camp is $203 for Boca Raton residents, $288 for nonresidents. A five-day camp is $325 for Boca Raton residents, $406 for nonresidents.
Through a special cooperative effort with the Wild Dolphin Project, Under Blue Waters will offer a one-of-a-kind Wild Dolphin Camp. Campers will focus on the marine research field through interactions with the WDP crew. They’ll learn about dolphin behavior, habitat, current research and conservation efforts as well as boater safety, snorkel and diving safety, paddleboarding, and the environmental conservation of local waterways. Kids complete skin diver and snorkeling courses that will come with an official PADI certification.
Only 12 spaces are available for this camp, which meets at New Port Cove Marine Center under the Blue Heron Bridge, in Riviera Beach. Camps meet two weeks: June 26-30 and July 17-21. The fee is $450 per week, which includes a mask and snorkel and PADI certification.
Call 715-0499 or visit underbluewaters.com
For techie teens
If your house includes a rising freshman, IMACS can provide just the edge needed to excel in technology classes in high school and prepare for the high-tech world beyond.
IMACS is an independent teaching and educational research institute focused on helping students reach their highest potential in math, computer science and logical reasoning, but the skills campers learn translate across the board no matter what they study.
Coursework includes university-level logic for mathematics based on the Elements of Mathematics curriculum, and university-level computer science designed for talented secondary school students. They also learn the hands-on skills needed for the design and construction of electronics projects, using resistors, diodes, LEDs, capacitors and integrated circuits, and students get to keep what they build.
Classes are two hours each, and students can register for up to three classes, which makes a full day of camp. They can even take an aptitude test to assess readiness.
IMACS is at 23172 Sandalfoot Plaza Drive, Boca Raton. For more information, call 470-1178 or visit www.imacs.org.
For budding thespians
The Rocky Mountain Conservatory Theatre hosts summer camps at Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center in Boca Raton. These full-immersion camps are designed for ages 11 to 18 and are offered in two, three-week sessions from June 5 to 24 and June 26 to July 15.
Campers will do everything it takes to put on a show. Teens are instructed in acting, music, voice, dance, art and rehearsal, and they break up the day with theater games and improv. Each student who enrolls is guaranteed a part in the summer production. Student auditions take place on June 5, which is the first day of camp.
This year’s productions include The Addams Family for session one and Guys and Dolls Jr. for session two. Performance dates are June 22-24 and July 13-15. Camps meet from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with early drop-off at 8 a.m. and late pickup until 5:30 p.m.
Tuition is $900 per session, or $1,775 for both sessions.
For more information, call 962-1570 or visit RMCTonline.com.
For risk-taking entertainers
Aspiring circus performers can get training in juggling, trapeze and tightrope walking at Lynn University in Boca Raton. And circus camp is just one of the opportunities offered at Pine Tree Camp.
Circus day camps are designed for youths up to age 14 and include lessons in juggling devil sticks, riding a unicycle, performing tricks on a trampoline and the trapeze, tumbling, globe walking and walking the low wire. Students also perform on two tough-to-master props, the giant yo-yo and the rola bola.
Because these are high-risk activities, Pine Tree Camp is focused on safety. Spotters will carefully supervise campers’ stunts and campers will be protected by mats and safety lines.
Camps meet at Lynn University in three sessions: June 5-23, June 26-July 14 and July 17-Aug. 4. Tuition is $1,085 per session. An overnight camp is also offered for $2,275.
When they’re not practicing circus stunts, campers stay active with traditional camp activities, from kickball to crafts. Children who want to learn to swim can take lessons. At the end of the three-week session, parents get a ringside seat at PTC’s Greatest Show on Earth. Or at least in Boca.
For more information, call 237-7310 or visit www.pinetreecamp.com.
For crime-solving lovers
FAU’s School of Criminology and Criminal Justice is offering a criminal justice summer camp on its Boca Raton campus, 777 Glades Road. Campers ages 15-17 (must be entering grades 10-12 in the fall) observe and participate in mock crime scenes and mock criminal trials; watch demonstrations by bomb squads, K-9 units and SWAT teams; and visit police marine units, 911 call centers and local FBI offices.
The program is a partnership among FAU and the Boca Raton Police Department, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI’s Miami office.
Camps meet June 11-15 and July 9-13. Tuition is $600. Call 297-3040 or visit www.fau.edu/sccj.
For kids on the spectrum
FAU also offers S.O.A.R. — Summer Opportunity for Adult Readiness — for high school students and young adults with autism and similar learning disabilities. Campers live on campus in Boca Raton for one- or two-week sessions. A meal plan provides three meals a day, with vegan, gluten-free and other special dietary options available.
Activities focus on teaching campers to be more independent. Teens learn social skills, employment readiness, scheduling and time management, and health and wellness, including fitness and nutrition content. They learn to handle stress using meditation, mindfulness and positive aspirations. Campers have access to all of FAU’s facilities, but they also go off-campus for movies and dinner, which build social skills and self-confidence.
Camps for ages 16-17 meet in one-week sessions June 5-9, June 12-16, June 19-23 and June 26-30. Tuition is $1,400 plus a $75 nonrefundable application fee.
Camps for ages 18-25 meet in two-week sessions from May 22-June 2, June 19-30 and July 10-21. Tuition is $2,400 plus a $100 nonrefundable application fee.
For more information, call 213-5450 or visit fau.edu/pcpo/schedule.
For more ideas, visit our Summer Camp Guide at www.thecoastalstar.com
Comments