‘Summer Brainstorm’ camps for children ages 8-12 will be held in West Hartford the week of July 11-15, 2016.

Participants in ‘Hands on Science,’ one of the West Hartford Department of Leisure Services’ Summer Brainstorm camps, will have the opportunity to examine fossilized shark teeth. Courtesy photo

By Ronni Newton

The Town of West Hartford’s Leisure Services Department has long been known for its sports-oriented summer camps, but for the second year in a row enrichment camps have been included in the menu of offerings.

The camps – termed “Summer Brainstorms” are week-long sessions, many of which are taught by public school teachers but some of which are also led by parents in the community who have a particular interest or expertise, Director of Human and Leisure Services Helen Rubino-Turco said.

“It gives them a chance to do something they’re passionate about, and share it with children at the same time,” Rubino-Turco said.

Conard chemistry teacher Leslie Hadra is running a “hands-on science” camp, which as the name implies focuses on hands-on activities including dissecting owl pellets, creating a model human heart, and examining fossilized shark teeth.

Former Duffy Elementary School teacher Clare Taylor Neseralla, who is now a STEM coach at Discovery Academy in Wethersfield, will lead a session on Japan, which has long been one of her interests and a place to which she traveled as part of the Japan Memorial Fulbright Program.

If your child has shown any interest or talent in music, there’s “Summer Songwriting” with award-winning singer-songwriter and West Hartford native Kate Callahan, and “School of Rock” with Shawn Persinger aka “Prester John” which explores the history of rock and roll.

Rich Ferguson-Hull, a parent of two West Hartford Public Schools alumni, is a professional animator who has worked for Cartoon Network and Comedy Central. He will lead a session on animation that looks at every stage of the process. An interest in TV can also be explored through a special session of Jennifer Evans’ “Be the Media.”

Those who prefer outdoor activities may be interested in “Geocaching 101” or “Wolcott Forest Explorers.” “Launch It” will also get kids outside shooting off rockets and launching other flying devices they build themselves.

A student thinking about taking French during the school year can spend a week in Voilà Paris with Machelle Rosenlieb and help get some understanding of French culture and cuisine as well as an idea of what studying the language may be like.

The Summer Brainstorm camps are a great way to pique interest in a certain area. “It really gives kids a chance to try something out,” Rubino-Turco said.

The brainstorm camps run the week of July 11. They all take place at Wolcott Elementary School (either inside a dedicated wing of the school or on the grounds) and run in two sessions, from 9 – 10:30 a.m. and 10:40 a.m. – 12:10 p.m. Participants can have a half-day camp experience by choosing two different programs or just sign up for one. Neither the time nor the financial commitment ($99 per program for residents) is overwhelming.

Leisure Services Manager Marc Blanchard said that parents like having the ability to involve their kids in a half-day program, leaving the afternoon free for swimming or other summer activities. “Years ago summer school gave that experience, and this fills that void,” he said. “It’s a mixture of fun and learning.”

Leisure Services runs between seven and 15 different camp programs every week, and Blanchard said there are still openings in many of them.

For more information or to register for a program, visit the Leisure Services website.

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