WOONSOCKET— Walking through the halls of Mount St. Charles during their annual fine arts summer camp, it would not be surprising to hear the unique tropical sounds of the steel drums or see teens engaged in a competitive fencing match in the gym.
Please click here for more photos. In fact, it has been a common occurrence for the past 30 years.
During a two-week, co-ed summer program at the Woonsocket Catholic high school, the 352 campers from grades 5 to 10 get to choose six classes out of 112 options ranging from photography and stained glass to Web design and tribal art. The variety of workshops, lead by MSC faculty members and guest instructors, introduce the young people to the excitement of the fine arts and helps to develop their skills in music, art, drama, and dance, according to camp director Mark Blanchette.
Blanchette, along with fellow camp director John Guevermont, has been welcoming the energetic campers for the past three decades.
“Like any summer camp we work really hard,” said Blanchette. “We do all kinds of PR, but I’d say it’s about 98 percent word of mouth. Kids come from all over. We’ve had some from real long distances like Iowa and South Carolina, but mostly a lot of nearby states. It’s just a whole different community here.”
What makes the camp work is the variety of activities, said Guevermont, as it gives the campers a chance to explore programs they are most interested in.
“As much as kids like to do art, they don’t want to do it for six periods a day,” he said. “We have been doing this camp for an eternity and it’s still such great fun to do.”
The planning for the summer camp begins in January, and when sign ups begin, it takes only a few days for nearly 150 students to enroll, Blanchette explained.
“They get really excited about it,” he said, he said, noting the very positive environment of the camp. “It really builds this community.”
After attending the fine arts camp for four years, Adam Landry, 18, wanted to give back as a volunteer his talents as a singer to teach young campers and help keep the camp as vibrant as possible.
“I always had so much fun,” he said. “It’s the highlight of my summer.”
For Natalia DaFonte, who will attend the fifth grade this fall, fine arts camp was bittersweet.
“It’s a lot of fun,” she said after finishing a fencing match with friends. “I think this is my favorite year so far, but it’s my last year so I’m sad about that.”
Jason LeClair, who is now in his 20th year of teaching, was honored to return to his alma mater to work at a camp that is “respectful, helpful and intellectual.”
“These are the next set of inventors, next set of CEOs, next set of people who are going to change the world around us,” he shared. “It’s important for all these kids to grow as an artistic thinker and to show them how to think out of the box. What better way to keep them learning throughout the summer.”
As an educator, the first thing Jason LeClair tells his campers is that he learns from them just as much as they learn from him.
“If we stop learning, we stop growing and this camp is always growing,” he said. “It is a massive complex of art and fun. It’s intense.”
The annual fine arts camp has struck a perfect balance with the arts, fun and friends, said Guevermont, creating a successful combination for the youth.
“I think it’s an absolutely one- of-a-kind camp,” he said. “I don’t think there is a camp that offers as much variety. We don’t want it to be like school here. They’re on vacation.”
