Summer @ the Lab: Week One!

This is a post by Aaron Mace, JBFC Camp Director / Program and Curriculum Developer

We got off to a great start on Monday! 40 kids walked through our doors to meet their groups and the counselors that they are going to spend the next three weeks with. We played games, watched films, ran around, began shooting some projects, made lots of sounds, and so much more all on the first day. We have had four great guest teachers and specialists working with our campers this week.

Mike Williams is a guidance counselor in a school most of the year, runs a pool during the summer, and is our acting teacher here at the JBFC. In his younger years he was a professional actor and starred in many films. Mike spent some time with the 3rd and 4th grade campers helping them to develop their acting chops.

Greg Lewis, a photographer and father of five (congratulations on the birth of your son!), came in to teach the 5th and 6th grade campers about animation. He used to work at Blue Sky Studios, the creators of Ice Age and many other animated films. He shared his expertise with the kids and brought magic to life in our animation studio.

Darrel Swann, a musician and full time faculty member at the Burns, started camp off with the 7th and 8th graders. They learned about creating sounds to emphasize the world through the art of Foley production. After creating stories they pulled them together aurally to craft a radio play.

Brady Shoemaker, is the Director of Curriculum at the JBFC and a “maker.” He worked hard with the 9th and 10th grade campers to expose them to the idea that they can make anything. Maker is a movement that is a mix of electronics, coding, and construction. From rockets to robots, anything is possible.

We are looking forward to a fun summer of creating all kinds of projects! Stay tuned for our weekly blog updates.