We are actively planning for an in-person summer at Westtown, while mindful of the evolving considerations due to COVID-19. We are working in partnership with our colleagues across the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), and have had numerous conversations with medical advisors, with residential camps that operated in Summer 2020, and with partners at the Foundation for Jewish Camp and American Camp Association. We will continue to work closely with these partners over the next several months and into summer, to offer a safe camp experience for our community.
Our campers experience all that the Creative Arts Academy has to offer in our 12-day sessions. From arts majors, chuggim (electives), and kinesthetic arts (recreational activities) to all-camp programs that build community, a session of camp helps campers advance their skills, discover new passions and make friends that could last a lifetime, while also growing as individuals.
Join us for 2, 4 or 6 weeks of Summer 2021!
| Session Dates – Current 3rd-10th Graders | Opening Day | Closing Day | Tuition |
| Session 1 | June 29 | July 11 | $3,495 |
| Intersession A | July 11 | July 13 | *included with multi-session tuition |
| Session 2 | July 13 | July 25 | $3,495 |
| Intersession B | July 25 | July 27 | *included with multi-session tuition |
| Session 3 | July 27 | August 8 | $3,495 |
| Two Sessions* | $6,840 | ||
| Full Summer* | $10,185 | ||
| Gesher (rising 12th grade) | July 13 | August 8 | $5,245 |
*includes intersession and multi-session discount
Bonim and Olim
In their chosen discipline, Bonim campers build their skills and Olim campers step-up. Participants in grades 3-11, practice and perform in a dynamic, challenging and FUN environment. Participants set personal goals, increase skills, and work toward portfolio/audition quality pieces.
Gesher
Gesher, meaning bridge, focuses on the development of young individuals as participant and role model within the camp community for current 11th grade students. As part of this 4 week program, participants experience skill building within the arts discipline of their choosing, as well as professional development in key areas of camp: residential life, programming, and logistics. Gesher participants shadow staff of all camp areas while participating in Arts Majors, Showcase, and Shabbat. A select group is accepted into this program based on their Gesher applications (separate from CampMinder application), personal interviews, and references. Artists currently in grade 11 spend 4 hours each day in one Major Studio from the list above. Dates for this summer will be available soon.
Each day our campers experience a variety of immersive arts activities:
Majors
Bonim (current Grades 3-7), Olim (current Grades 8-10) and Gesher (current Grade 11) focus on one major per 12-day session in which they spend time in instruction and application with our Arts Mentors. Click the Arts Discipline to learn more.
Classical + Contemporary Theatre
Musical Theatre
Creative Writing
Photography
Dance
Visual art
Instrumental Music Ensemble
Vocal Music Ensemble
Chuggim (Electives)
Chuggim are an opportunity for camp to come together based on evolving interests. Chuggim give campers an opportunity to explore a new arts area each day that may compliment a major or be new or unfamiliar. Chuggim are often cross discipline collaborations and have included:
| A capella | Baking | Hip Hop | Instrumental Music | Musical Theatre |
| Playwriting | Songleading | Song Writing | Poetry | Technical Theatre |
Kinesthetic Arts (Sports)
Our campers choose from fun, non-competitive options for recreation. KinArts like yoga, Israeli dance, jogging, swimming, 9 Square-in-the-Air, Ultimate Frisbee, and kickball give us a chance to stretch our minds and bodies outside of our studios for approximately one hour each day.
Evening Programs
Campers participate in nightly activities with their age unit and the entire camp community. Evening programs entail a variety of camp style programs that encourage campers to move around campus, think creatively, practice teamwork, have traditional camp-like fun. Past programs have been mystery scavenger hunts like Case of the Missing Birthday Banana to exploring the summer theme with low ropes activities.
Shabbat at Camp
Shabbat is a completely collaborative experience at the Creative Arts Academy. Each week, campers have a choice of activity area in which to help prepare for Shabbat. While some choose challah-baking, others wish to be in the Shabbat Band, while others opt to prepare art or dance pieces. The community comes together and offers Shabbat to one another through these artistic expressions, allowing us to take a deep breath and shift gears from the busy week.
Saturdays are a break from our normal routine, with a late wake-up and, on the first Saturday of each session, leisure activities that find us at yawn-on-the-lawn, on a nature hike, the ropes course or on the lake, canoeing. Our second Saturday is a flurry of activity as we simultaneously tech for our evening Showcase performance and pack for the end of the session.
Showcase
While a great deal of our time is spent in skill building, Creative Arts is committed to the balance of process and product. Campers have the opportunity to apply what they have learned in Showcase on the second Saturday evening of each session. Health and safety permitting, Showcase is open to our families and the community by reservation. We do recognize that not all families can attend, nor should they feel obligated to do so. Copyright laws prevent us from live streaming the event, and we are looking into alternatives for those who cannot join us in West Chester.