Apalachicola summer camp to start June 6

Camp Moving Education is returning this summer.

The brainchild of Frenchy Haynes, a dance instructor from New York City who has moved to Apalachicola, the camp debuted last year and was a big success.

This year, again under Haynes’ direction, it will run from June 6 to July 8, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Holy Family Senior Center, 220-200 Dr. Frederick S. Humphries Street in Apalachicola.

The camp is free to campers ages 10 to 19, and breakfast and lunch are included.

Activities include contemporary, hip/hop and jazz dance with Artist-in-Residence Ron Belger of New York City for the entirety of the camp. Participants perform choreographed dances at the end-of-camp showcase finale July 8 from 5 to 7 p.m. before their families, invited guests and the community.

West-African Dance on Tuesdays and Thursdays will be led by Artist-in-Residence Tifini Austin of Tallahassee, returning from last year, for the entirety of the camp. Participants also will perform choreographed dances at the end-of-camp showcase finale.

West-African Percussion on Tuesdays and Thursdays will be led by Shawn Lawrence of Tallahassee for the entirety of the camp. Participants accompany the dancers and play musical selections at the end-of-camp showcase finale.

There will be a Wild Mask Making residency with local artist Jenny Odom Monday through Friday June 13 to 17 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. This residency is limited to 20 participants on a first registered basis and includes music, movement and creation of a performance piece presented at the end-of-camp showcase finale.

The Culinary Arts Residency will be led by Chef Brett Gormley Monday through Friday June 20 to 24 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. and 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. This residency is limited to 10 participants per section and is on a first registered basis and culminate with the participants preparing and serving a five course meal to their parents and invited VIP guests

The American Sign Language Residency with local Apalachicola Bay Charter School teacher Joy Carrino Floyd will be Monday through Friday June 27 to July 1 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. She will teach the participants to sign the alphabet, their names and with the assistance of Haynes will incorporate sign language with movement to create choreographed dances to be performed at the end-of-camp showcase finale.

Yoga on Tuesdays and Fridays from 9 to 10 a.m. will be led by Betsy Nofziger of Elder Care Community Council. Campers will take yoga classes alongside the seniors who show up for yoga classes. Frenchy Haynes, the camp’s director, will assist. Haynes has been practicing yoga for 45 years and has used yoga to support enhancing literacy skills for school aged youth.

Other highlights include collaborating with the FAMU Extension Program and Bervera Xochtil to build a Garden of Youth as part of the summer-long gardening residency.

Collaboration with Bring Me A Book Franklin will feature Karen Kessel who will lead a book club to support reading, writing and literacy through journaling on Mondays and Wednesdays for the duration of the camp.

New to the camp effort are Apalachicola Friends of Camp Moving Education, co-chaired by Kate Clarke and Jeffrey Points.

“Kate and Jeff are working to raise funds in order that we can offer children ages 6 to 9 the opportunity to enroll in the camp,” said Haynes. “Currently we don’t have funding to support campers ages 6 to 9.

“Our major funder Career Source Gulf Coast has generously increased the funding for the camp and has provided additional funding for stipends for six youth interns who will work with the camp at the rate of $10 an hour,” he said.

There are two planned field trip, surprise parties, featuring hamburgers, hot dogs, ice cream, and watermelon, movies in the late afternoon and snacks

Major funding for the camp comes from Career Source Gulf Coast with additional funding support from Duke Energy, Franklin’s Promise Coalition, Culture Builds Florida the Florida Department of State Division of Cultural Affairs and the city of Apalachicola.

For more information visit www.movingeducationinstitute.org