In this summer camp for beginners, kids ages 8-12 will learn the basics of fencing. Stance, footwork, and bladework will be introduced and explored, and these young fencers will enjoy time to test their skills against their classmates in real fencing bouts on electric pistes. We will take lots of water breaks, and enjoy fencing-related games during this week-long training session. All equipment will be provided. Please be sure each student arrives wearing long athletic pants (no shorts), has clean indoor athletic sneakers, a water bottle, and a packed lunch. En Garde!

This camp experience will allow kids to create and tell their own stories over the course of a week. We will learn and use improv theater techniques and exercises to explore and express ourselves and flex our imagination, culminating in a showcase performance on the final day for friends and family. No experience necessary, just the courage to be on stage and skills for being silly. Elise Voigt is a trained actress and theater educator who has been working in the midcoast area for the last 15 years. Her love of theater and children perfectly combines to make meaningful and memorable moments for students and audiences alike. ***Ages 9-14.

A question that is often asked of writers is “where do you get your ideas from?” It is one thing to have an idea; it is another thing entirely to remember it when you sit down at your computer to write. Learn how to harness your writer’s imagination, avoid writer’s block and hone your writing skills by keeping a daily writer’s journal. Your instructor will share tips and techniques for setting up your journal as well as for finding inspiration even when you are not feeling particularly inspired. A blank notebook will be provided, please bring your own writing utensils. Can’t wait to see you there! Join your instructor, writer and author Stephanie Garrity, in taking your journaling practice to the next level.

Are you interested in obtaining a USCG Captain’s License? Do you want to learn the differences between an Operator Uninspected Passenger Vessel (OUPV) license and a Master 100GT license, and what experience the Coast Guard requires for each? These informational sessions will help answer these questions and others about the two licenses. Also discussed will be the different methods for completing the course requirements. We plan to offer both courses in Maine during the Fall of 2024, representing the Captain School Key West/Miami. This information session is free, but please register in advance, so the instructor knows how many individuals will be attending and can send login instructions.

Put on your hard hat for this exciting week of Engineering Science. We’ll get wacky with aerodynamics, crazy with circuitry, radical with rockets, innovative with inventions, and mad with machines! In this thought provoking week, we will span the fields of Chemical, Aerospace, Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering. We start out the week exploring structures and learning about the role that the movement of air plays on simple flying devices. Children will spend a day learning the fundamentals of rocketry where they will build their own Aerospace rocket to take home. Children will use their construction skills by assembling and controlling fun machines like pulleys, levers, and catapults, and even robots! They finish out the week by experimenting with chemical engineering and inventing potential work-saving inventions of their own. Who knows, your child may be the next Edison! Please note: Camp is for ages 6-12 y/o.

Come join us for a week of Animation! Bring your imagination to life with traditional frame by frame animation alongside cutting edge digital animation software. Learn from professional new media artist and educator Andrew Elijah Edwards and create your own custom animation project from start to finish while playing with the artform. Discover and explore the fundamental concepts behind professional animation techniques and explore the medium of moving image in this week long adventure!! ***Ages 13-17.

A loose theme of "Art Around the World" will be incorporated into this weeklong art camp. Not every project will be structured this way, but we’ll touch on the art of Egypt, Greece, Australia, England, Japan, China, and the U.S. It will still be a deep dive into art, but several of the projects will provide an opportunity to look at the incredible artwork of these cultures for inspiration. So when it makes sense, we will. During the week we’ll work from observation, imagination, and consider how dreams might come into our art pieces. No worries if you haven't had art for awhile, come join us for some art making fun! ***Ages 11-14.

The perfect family getaway! Lush forests and stunning waterfalls… rumbling volcanoes and endless coastlines… Costa Rica is a paradise teeming with exotic plants and incredible animals. Enjoy the tranquil views of Arenal Volcano from your hotel. Explore part of the 20,000-acre nature preserve of Cano Negro on a riverboat adventure. Spend two nights in Monteverde’s lush cloud forest. Experience the forest canopy on your choice of a hanging bridges nature walk or an exhilarating zip lining tour. Luxuriate at a resort for two nights at Playa Carrillo, Guanacaste, known for its breathtaking beauty and fine sandy beaches. You will find a slice of paradise and so much more. Trip includes: 9 Days & 14 Meals.

*Register with Merrymeeting for more information. Travel dates: February 14 - 22, 2025. ***This trip is not FREE. The information is FREE.