Workshops

Summer Camp workshops are educational and complement areas of study during the school year. No homework is given and classes maintain a relaxed but focused atmosphere. Campers are held accountable for their own involvement and, although no actual grades are given, reports of accomplishment are mailed to each family at the end of each camp session. Campers enroll in three different workshops organized by age and skill level. Small class sizes foster a supportive learning environment and individual attention.

Workshops include:

Acting

This workshop will focus on the skills needed by an aspiring actor or actress in speech, physical movement and personal projection. Students will take part in a variety of developmental processes including improvisation, mime and forensics. Students will collaborate on skits and one-act plays to present to the camp community.

Beginning Guitar

Campers study the basic concepts required to learn to play guitar in this course. Campers must provide their own guitars.

Ceramics

The ceramics workshop offers campers the opportunity to learn the basic techniques involved in working with clay. Skills taught include handbuilding, throwing, wheelwork and glazing.

Conversational Spanish

Using informal scenarios such as ordering food in a restaurant or seeking directions while traveling, students are introduced to the language of Spanish in a creative and fun setting. The goal is to instill in the students the notion that Spanish, or any foreign language for that matter, is worth pursuing.

Creative Writing

This course will focus on developing clear and cogent writing through a variety of styles including short stories, formal essays, poetry and articles. Basic rules of grammar, punctuation and usage will be reviewed. Students will compile a portfolio which may be a useful resource in their upcoming school year.

Dance

This workshop explores the many facets of dance, from motion and flexibility to choreographing a routine.

Games of Strategy

This workshop teaches critical thinking and problem-solving by using a variety of non-computer strategy games, conventional board games and various creative activities. Participants will improve their ability to analyze and solve problems through the following steps: understanding the problem, formulating different approaches to tackle the problem and weighing the consequences of those approaches, learning to shift tactics as the situation warrants, and becoming proficient at reaching a desired conclusion in an efficient manner.

Knitting

Stevenson Summer Camp offers campers the chance to learn the craft of knitting. In this hands-on workshop, students will learn the fundamentals of knitting and will produce many projects by the end of camp.

Literature

Reading for enjoyment, designed for students who already possess strong reading skills, this workshop helps students widen and quicken their understanding and enjoyment of literature by reading selected short fiction. The works read are discussed thoroughly in class, and each student is encouraged to share his or her thoughts with other members of the workshop.

Math Skills

A major portion of the workshop will be devoted to a review of the fundamentals of arithmetic. The student also will be shown the practical applications of mathematics in everyday life–from purchasing to measurements of land and space. Students will be placed according to relative level of achievement to work in the most effective setting possible.

Marine Studies

Taking advantage of the abundant sea life living in the Monterey Bay, this workshop provides an overview of the flora and fauna found in and around the coastal Pacific Ocean waters. An activity-based approach provides students the opportunity to gain a hands-on appreciation of how interconnected life is in the sea. The group will go tide-pooling and visit the world-famous Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Media

By studying both the daily newspaper and weekly periodicals, students learn the mechanics of how articles are structured. The class’ primary objective is to produce the weekly camp newspaper. The course usually includes field trips to the local newspaper and a television station.

Photography

An excellent workshop for the novice which involves operating a camera, taking good pictures and developing black-and-white film. Each student will submit black-and-white prints for critique by the staff. Opportunities for independent work are available to advanced students. Bring a 35mm camera if you are taking this class.

Physical Science

This class is a hands-on workshop that not only covers basic concepts of force, work, pressure, electricity and sound, but also includes multiple experiments each week demonstrating these concepts. Projects include such tasks as building bridges out of toothpicks and crafting ways to protect a falling egg.

Preparatory Algebra

Students entering 9th grade at Stevenson will benefit from this workshop, but it is open to students entering other high schools as well. The purpose of the class is to review pre-algebra concepts and to identify and work with a student’s strengths and weaknesses in math.

Preparatory English

This workshop is for students entering 9th or 10th grade at Stevenson or another high school. Its purpose is to introduce students to the material that will be covered during the first term of English I and to review writing, reading and study skills needed to give a student a head start on his or her high school English course.

Studio Art

An introduction to the fundamentals of drawing, painting and print-making, this course is presented to meet the needs of both the beginning and the accomplished artist. The art studio is well-equipped and offers a wide range of opportunities for independent studio work under supervision.

Study Skills

The purpose of this workshop is to improve a student’s organization and study skills. The course will focus on reading comprehension, outlining and notetaking, test preparation and test taking, and skills required in different content course areas.

Wilderness

It is valuable for every young person to be skilled in hiking and camping. Rock climbing, camp cooking, map reading, first aid and survival techniques are some of the skills that will be taught, and an appreciation of the wilderness and the development of appropriate wilderness ethics are encouraged. The workshop also makes use of the school’s extensive ropes course.