Is your student interested in getting a jumpstart on college or tuning up his or her acting skills? Is he or she a budding gardener or chef, interested in building a sustainable future while having fun and making new friends? Unity College has a summer camp that delivers all Maine has to offer.

Each of the six fun, educational summer programs is held on the wooded 225-acre campus of America’s Environmental College, overlooking Unity Pond in the heart of Waldo County. Many camps will journey off campus to experience the splendor of a Maine summer.

Each program mirrors the high-quality academic experience that’s made Unity College a nationally ranked liberal arts college, Unity College President Dr. Melik Peter Khoury said.

“Unity College summer camps are geared toward students who want to explore subjects they may want to study in college, or just see what excites them,” Khoury said. “Whether it’s understanding ocean ecology, North Woods law enforcement, or the geology of Maine, Unity College summer camps are a great way to meet faculty, engage, explore, make friends, and have fun.”

Locals can attend most of the Unity College camps at the reduced fee of $450, which pays for tuition and lunch but not lodging, with the same take-home premiums of residential campers.

“Unity College summer camps make me wish I was young again,” Khoury said. “For a young person who wants a Maine summer camp experience with added educational value, a family can really have a great time while being engaged in learning and camaraderie.”

Sign up before May 1 and get $50 off any Unity College residential camp.

For more about specific camps — including deadlines, cost, and prerequisites — click on the link for each camp below.

Summer camps for all ages:

Environmental Science Camp: Explore the geology of Maine. Students entering grades 9-12 in Fall will go stream wading to collect and analyze water samples, collect and analyze sediment cores, explore coastal geology, and dabble in geomorphology, hydrology, and environmental chemistry. July 9 – July 15.

Farm to Table Camp: Explore Maine from farm to table – for the entire family. Come spend a week exploring greenhouse operations, agricultural growing methods, animal management, sustainable growing, and harvesting — on campus and with local producers of milk, meat, veggies, fruit, cheese, fiber and textiles. For ages 14 – 114. July 16 – July 22.

Marine Biology Camp: Passionate about the ocean and marine creatures? Learn about plants and animals that inhabit 70% of the world’s surface and conduct hand-on experiments in our unique coral wet lab. Learn the impact of climate change on our world’s oceans and explore career options in marine biology. Students entering grades 9-11 in Fall 2017 are eligible. July 16 – July 22.

Natural Disaster Camp: Wildfires are bigger, more frequent, more complex and more destructive every year, endangering life, property, and natural resources. Students interested in fisheries, forests, waterways and wildlife protection will learn about resource risk, how to plan for disasters and incidents, how to manage them when they occur, and how to recover after an incident. Students entering grades 10-12 in the Fall are eligible. July 23 – July 29.

Unity Warden Camp: Did you ever wonder if you would like to become a state game warden, federal wildlife agent, marine patrol officer, or environmental police officer? Learn skills from real wardens and conservation officers at the home of the Unity College Conservation Law Enforcement program: search and rescue, map and compass, wildlife and fisheries identification, patrol tactics and techniques, crime scene investigation, wildlife forensics, and more. For students ages 16 through 19. July 30 – Aug 5.

Young Actors Camp: “Supporting the Whimsical,” a five-day acting intensive for young adults age 13 through 18 to help expand their prowess as actors. Each day of the five-day camp, a theatrical lense will be explored: understanding voice, stage presence and movement, characterization, the history of theatrical styles and the cultural context in which they emerged, and building a performance. Students should have some prior experience in theater, or should have some concept of the basics of stage. June 26 -30.

Monday, March 20, 2017