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Summer Camps

We are offering FUN and ENGAGING opportunities for middle and high school students this summer! Check out all of our listings below!

Arts & Crafts

For more information on the following classes please contact: Jeff Marley, Director of Personal Enrichment & Heritage Arts at 828.366.2005 or j_marley@SouthwesternCC.edu

Register online HERE.

Looking for adult classes? Here is a current listing of Heritage Arts and Personal Enrichment classes.


 

CLAY

Clay Owl
Course Code: CSP 4000
Course Hours: 9
Cost: $100/Cost of materials is included
Location: Swain Center, Room 123
Dates/Times: M T W • June 5-7 • 9A - 12P
Instructor: J. Kolenda
For ages 8 years and up. During this three-day mini-camp, students will create a sculpted owl from clay. Students will learn the process of creating a sculpture, modeling, and how to glaze and decorate their final form. All projects will be ready for pick up after three weeks or shipped for a small fee if you’re visiting. Remember to bring a snack and a water bottle! No experience is needed and all materials are provided.

 

Mushroom House
Course Code: CSP 4000
Course Hours: 1.5
Cost: $24/Cost of materials included
Location: Swain Center, Room 123
Dates/Times: T • June 20 • 1P - 3P
Instructor: M. Burrell
For ages 8 years and up. Kids will build a cute and easy mushroom house from tubes and slabs of clay, using stamps and tools to texture and decorate. If time permits, we will also make a few "pinch pot" creatures. No experience is needed and all materials are provided.

 

Face Mug
Course Code: CSP 4000
Course Hours: 1.5
Cost: $24/Cost of materials included
Location: Swain Center, Room 123
Dates/Times: Th • June 22 • 1P - 3P
Instructor: M. Burrell
For ages 8 years and up. Kids will create a fun face mug using tools, and stamps to texture and decorate. All projects will be ready for pick up after two weeks or shipped for a small fee if you’re visiting. No experience is needed and all materials are provided.

 

Clay Masks
Course Code: CSP 4000
Course Hours: 9
Cost: $100/Cost of materials included
Location: Swain Center, room 123
Dates/Times: M T W • June 26 - 28 • 9A - 12P
Instructor: J. Kolenda
For ages 8 years and up. In this three-day mini-camp, students will create a clay mask from start to finish. Students will be provided with clay to create slabs and add details and features to their masks. They’ll also glaze and decorate their mask. All projects will be ready for pick up after three weeks or shipped for a small fee if you're visiting. Remember to bring a snack and a water bottle! No experience is needed and all materials are provided. 

 

Wheel for Teens
Course Code: CSP 4000
Course Hours: 15
Cost: $122/Cost of materials included
Location: Swain Center, Room 123
Dates/Times: M T W Th F • July 17 - 21 • 1P - 4P
Instructor: M. Burrell
For ages 12 years and up. Learn how to throw on the potter’s wheel in this five-day afternoon camp. Students will learn to center and pull, and create bowls, tumblers, and vases. Students will have a chance to glaze their finished work. All projects will be ready for pick up after two weeks or shipped for a small fee if you’re visiting. Remember to bring a snack and a water bottle! No experience is needed and all materials are provided.

 

Clay Fox
Course Code: CSP 4000
Course Hours: 9
Cost: $100/Cost of materials included
Location: Swain Center, Room 123
Dates/Times: M T W • July 17 - 19 • 9A - 12P
Instructor: J. Kolenda
For ages 8 years and up. In this three-day mini-camp students will create a sculpted fox from clay. Students will also learn the process of creating a sculpture, modeling, and how to glaze, and decorate their final form. All projects will be ready for pick up after three weeks or shipped for a small fee if you’re visiting. Remember to bring a snack and a water bottle! No experience is needed and all materials are provided.

 

Stamped Pottery
Course Code: CSP 4000
Course Hours: 3
Cost: $28/Cost of materials included
Location: Swain Center, Room 123
Dates/Times: T • August 1 • 9A - 12P
Instructor: J. Kolenda
For ages 8 years and up. During this three-day mini-camp, students will create a sculpted owl from clay. Students will learn the process of creating a sculpture, modeling, and how to glaze and decorate their final form. All projects ready for pick up in three weeks, or shipped for a small fee if you’re visiting. Remember to bring a snack and a water bottle! No experience needed and all materials provided.

 

Hosta Leaf Tray
Course Code: CSP 4000
Course Hours: 2
Cost: $24/Cost of materials included
Location: Swain Center, Room 123
Dates/Times: F • August 4 • 1P - 3P
Instructor: M. Burrell
For ages 8 years and up. Create a pottery tray using a hosta leaf as a form. Students will shape and work with slabs, and decorate and glaze their trays for firing. All projects will be ready for pick up after two weeks or shipped for a small fee if you’re visiting. No experience is needed and all materials are provided.

 


 

CRAFTS & HOBBIES

Tiny Scene in a Box
Course Code: CSP 4000
Course Hours: 3
Cost: $32/Cost of materials included
Location: Swain Center, Room 102
Dates/Times: T • August 1 • 1P - 4P
Instructor: J. Marley
For ages 8 years and up. Create your own miniature scene inside a box! We’ll have all sorts of materials to use to create your scene, including foam, sticks, pictures, plants, floral material, and figurines. Bring any pictures or tiny items you would like to use and your imagination!

 


 

PAINTING & DRAWING

Watercolor Basics
Course Code: CSP 4000
Course Hours: 6
Cost: $54/Cost of materials not included
Location: Swain Center, Room 102
Dates/Times: M T W • June 5 - 7 • 1P - 3P
Instructor: J. Marley
For ages 8 years and up. Explore the basics of watercolor. We will focus on wet on wet, washes and creating layers. Students will need their own watercolor set, brushes and watercolor pad. No experience needed and all materials are provided. 

 

Drawing
Course Code: CSP 4000
Course Hours: 6
Cost: $60/Some materials included
Location: Swain Center, Room 102
Dates/Times: M T W • June 26 - 28 • 1P - 3P
Instructor: J. Marley
For ages 8 years and up. Learn how to paint and draw with markers, pens and quill pens. We will focus on how to use markers, blending and lines. Students will need their own drawing paper and marker set, other materials will be provided.

 


 

SIGN LANGUAGE

Kids Sign Language Camp
Course Code: CSP 4000
Course Hours: 8
Cost: $67
Location: Macon Campus, Room 215
Dates/Times: M T W Th • June 5 - 8 • 9A - 11A
Instructor: S. Adams
For ages 8 years and up. This course is designed for young students interested in American Sign Language (ASL). Students will learn over 50 signs to use in everyday life. Participants will connect to ASL through actives, games, and lessons. Lessons incorporated are the ASL Alphabet,
fingerspelling, greetings, introduction, ASL numbers, basic conversation words/phrases, feelings, colors, and more.

 

Family Sign Language Camp
Course Code: CSP 4000
Course Hours: 8
Cost: $34 (Parent & Child must each register)
Location: Macon Campus, Room 215
Dates/Times: M T W Th • Aug 7 - 10 • 9A - 11A
Instructor: S. Adams
For all ages. This course is designed for families interested in American Sign Language (ASL). Participants can expect to learn signs, phrases, and basic conversation to use every day. We will connect to ASL through social interaction, activities, and games. It will help boost confidence and expand your skills in a new visual language. Lessons incorporated are ASL Alphabet, fingerspelling, greetings, introduction, numbers, colors, basic conversation words/phrases, feelings, and more. Parents/grandparents/guardians and children must attend together.

 


 

OUTDOOR SKILLS & FUN

Primitive Cooking
Course Code: CSP 4000
Course Hours: 3
Cost: $36
Location: Jackson Campus, Bradford Gazebo
Dates/Times: Th • June 15 • 1P - 4P
Instructor: J. Gottlieb
For ages 6 years and up. Learn how to cook over a campfire! We’ll explore a variety of foods to cook over a campfire, including cooking methods, and food safety. Please specify any food allergies at the time of registration. All materials provided.

 

Primitive Toys & Games
Course Code: CSP 4000
Course Hours: 3
Cost: $32
Location: Jackson Campus, Bradford Gazebo
Dates/Times: Th • July 6 • 1P - 4P
Instructor: J. Gottlieb
For ages 8 years and up. Explore some of the oldest games on the planet! Students will collect and make all the necessary items to play each game in this hands-on class. All materials provided.

 

Woodcarving for Kids
Course Code: CSP 4000
Course Hours: 3
Cost: $32
Location: Jackson Campus, Oaks Hall
Dates/Times: Th • July 13 • 1P - 4P
Instructor: J. Gottlieb
For ages 10 years and up. Learn the basics of whittling and carving. Learn how to carve useful items for use in the outdoors or camping. Students will learn knife safety and explore a variety of carving techniques. All materials provided.

 

Wild Basketry for Kids
Course Code: CSP 4000
Course Hours: 3
Cost: $32
Location: Jackson Campus, Oaks Hall
Dates/Times: Th • July 27 • 1P - 4P
Instructor: J. Gottlieb
For ages 9 years and up. Make a beautiful and useful one-of-a-kind basket from vines, bark and other natural materials! All materials provided.

 


 

NASA STEM CAMPS

For more information on the following classes please contact Randi Neff, Project Coordinator, Smoky Mountain STEM Collaborative at 828.339.4357 or r_neff@SouthwesternCC.edu
 

 

Robotics Camp
Dates/Times: June 12 - 16 • 8:30 - 11:30A
Cost: $50
Location: Balsam Center, room 253
Led by Smoky Mountain High School’s First Lego team. Open to middle school students. 

 


 

AstroCamp
Dates/Times: June 14 - 28 • 8A - 1P
Cost: FREE
Location: Smokey Mountain Elementary School

Open to middle school students. Students will do a variety of activities and challenges, including NASA engineering problems and a dissection. Students will work in teams to earn badges while learning fun, new skills. Includes breakfast and lunch. 

Click here for more information.

 

 

PARI Camps

Teacher recommendation is required for acceptance into the PARI Camps.

Exoplanet Exploration
Dates/Times: June 11 - 22
Cost: $50 registration fee + transportation to camp
Location: Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute’s campus in Rosman

Open to middle school students in public, charter, private and home schools in Jackson, Macon, Swain Counties and the Qualla Boundary.

Do you like challenges? Have you ever wondered what it would be like to feel the warmth of another star or breathe the air of a different planet?   Campers will stretch their problem-solving skills, learn space science, and work with real data to find planets around other stars. They’ll then plan a mission and strive to send their team to a planet beyond our solar system in this combination of role-play and academic camp with a focus on engineering and identification of exoplanets.

Campers will prioritize mission goals, design spacecraft and instruments, choose a capable and diverse crew, and navigate funding and ethical challenges in this scenario to choose their planet and launch their Exoplanet Exploration.

 

Above & Beyond
Dates/Times: July 2 - 13
Cost: $50 registration fee + transportation to camp
Location: Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute’s campus in Rosman
Open to high school students in public, charter, private and home schools in Jackson, Macon, Swain Counties and the Qualla Boundary.

Above and Beyond is PARI’s signature camping experience designed to immerse high school students in the world of space science and research while building confidence and critical thinking skills. The process followed by scientists and researchers who’ve made space science their career is modeled to show how new discoveries are made about the universe.  Campers are provided the tools and guided through the process by professionals who have made space their life’s work. From determining the expansion speed of a supernova remnant, to characterizing an exo-planet or finding evidence of dark matter; your data will reveal and your conclusions will add to humanity’s knowledge of the universe!

 

 

Healthcare

For more information on the following class please contact Angie Dills at 828.586.2311 or adills@jcpsmail.org.

To sign-up please complete the following link: https://tinyurl.com/healthcamp23
 

 

Sylva Healthcare Careers
The following camp is only available to students in Jackson County Public Schools
Dates/Times: June 12 - 16 • 9A - 12:30P
Location: Don Tomas Health Sciences Center

For rising 9th and 12th grade students. Sponsored in partnership with SCC and Jackson County Public Schools, explore health science careers in an immersive hands-on experience with a focus on patient simulation activities. This camp will follow four patient scenarios from diagnosis through the entire health team through emergency medical science, medical assisting, sonography, nursing, physical therapy, respiratory therapy and others! Learn from real SCC instructors about treating simulated patients in healthcare!

* Lunch will be provided

*Parents will be responsible for providing transportation

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