Fairfield University offering a diverse range of summer programs for young people and adults | Press Releases

Fairfield University's summer offerings include educational and fun-filled programs for people of all ages, including a jazz workshop with noted musician Brian Torff, the renowned Missoula Children's Theatre Company, a computer camp teaching animation and video game design, and 14 youth sports programs. For information on all the programs, visit www.fairfield.edu/summercamps.

The Summer Festival Chorus (SFC), now in its 15th year, provides the highest standards of choral training from music director Carole Ann Maxwell, D.S.M., director of choral and liturgical music at Fairfield University since 1980. Members will have the opportunity to learn a wide variety of musical styles, including pop, Broadway showtunes, and spirituals. This year the focus will be on great American composers, including Rodgers and Hammerstein and other incredible contemporary music specially chosen for the Fifteenth Anniversary celebration. The 2008 season presents 'Americanarama,' on Saturday, July 26 at 7:30 p.m. at The Quick Center with special guests composer and jazz performer Joe Utterback, members of the Greater Bridgeport Symphony Brass and Percussion, accompanist Beth Palmer, and assistant conductor Michael A. Ciavaglia. Experienced choral singers are invited to audition Tuesday, June 10 at 7 p.m. Previous participants need not audition. Rehearsals are Tuesdays and Thursday evenings, from June 17 to July 24. For information, visit www.fairfield.edu/summercamps or call Dr. Maxwell at 203-254-4000, ext. 2577 or toll free 1-877-ARTS-396.

The National Computer Camp (NCC) was founded 31 years ago by Dr. Michael P. Zabinski, professor of physics and engineering at Fairfield University, to prepare young people for a world with computers. The focus of NCC is 2D and 3D video game design, computer programming, digital video production, web page design, A+ and Network+ certification, and software applications including animation, Flash and graphics. An optional sports program is also available. Each week NCC offers all levels of programming in Basic, C++, Java, assembler, HTML, XML, and JavaScript. Campers may attend one or multi-week sessions with a continuous curriculum that is age appropriate and suitable for beginners to super advanced. The camp is held in June, July and August. The camps are ideal for both experienced and first time campers. For information, visit www.fairfield.edu/summercamps or www.NCCamp.com .

The Connecticut Writing Project - Fairfield (CWP), an affiliate of the National Writing Project, offers summer programs for both teachers and middle and high school students to cultivate their writing talents and to work with published authors. A major goal of the project is to improve literacy by strengthening the teaching and learning of writing. For teachers, 'Teaching with Power: A Celebration of Teaching, Learning, and Best Practices' offers the sharing of great ideas about the teaching of writing and enhancing the classroom experience for students. It also includes a daily selection of useful, provocative, hands-on workshops by CWP-trained presenters. Project-trained presenters. It will be offered July 7 to 11. Participants also will have the opportunity to share and learn from each other effective, researched-based, and practical strategies for teaching that makes a difference for all students.

In the 'Young Writers Summer Institute,' students create exciting new pieces of writing and become more confident writers. It will be offered in two sessions, June 30 to July 11 and July 14 to 25. Students in 6th to 12th grades have the opportunity to participate in writing workshops on different genres and also work with published writers and illustrators to improve the quality of their writing. It is team-taught by exemplary, credentialed teachers in local schools who are CWP teacher-consultants. Partial scholarships are available. Transportation from Newtown, Milford, Greenwich, Wilton, and points closer to Fairfield University is provided, along with lunch on campus. For more information on both these programs, visit www.fairfield.edu/summercamps or contact Christine Lawton at (203) 254-4000, ext. 3124, or by e-mail at clawton@mail.fairfield.edu .

The Jazz, Rock & Blues Workshop, a University College program, is an opportunity for adult students to play, learn and record with professional musicians, including director Brian Torff, a renowned bassist and composer who has performed with Miles Davis, George Shearing and Marian McPartland. Taking place July 18 to 20, the workshop is 'an adult music immersion weekend experience.' Participants will be immersed in learning how to improve their playing while acquiring skills on how to approach their music. (They must have a minimum of five years or more experience with their musical instrument to participate.) Directed by Torff, associate professor of visual and performing arts at Fairfield, the workshop also offers students the opportunity to perform in Fairfield's Gonzaga Auditorium at program's end. For more information, visit www.fairfield.edu/summercamps or call (203) 254-4307.

The Instrumental & Vocal Jazz Workshop offers middle school and high school student instrumentalists and vocalists an intensive five or ten-day jazz program, combining jazz instruction, improvisation and theory. In addition to Brian Torff, director of jazz and popular music at Fairfield, teachers include John Fumasoli, a trombonist who has performed with Tony Bennett and Diana Ross, as well as Steve Moran, who was director and arranger for the United States Naval Band in Great Lakes. This University College program is offered from July 7 to July 11 and July 14 to July 18. Students will play in jazz ensembles and perform in a concert at the culmination of the workshop. Participants must have at least two years of instrument or vocal experience and have a basic music reading ability. For more information, visit www.fairfield.edu/summercamps or call 203-254-4307.

The Missoula Children's Theatre Company , now celebrating its 19th season at Fairfield, is open to students six years old and up in 1st through 12th grades. However, few spaces remain. The renowned camp takes place at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts during July and August. During the six one-week workshops (July 7-11, July 14-18, July 21-25, July 28-August 1, August 4-8, and August 11-15), a new company of 60 young people work together according to cast requirements toward the production of a new play, to be performed on Fridays at 7:30 p.m., July 11, 18, 25 and August 1, 8 and 15. The 2008 schedule of plays includes "The Princess and the Pea," "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "The Wiz of the West," "Robinson Crusoe," and "Hansel and Gretel." To purchase tickets, visit www.quickcenter.com. The preeminent professional children's theatre company, Missoula Children's Theatre, is a non-profit organization from Missoula, Montana, that tours the country and serves 300 communities every year. See www.fairfield.edu/summercamps.

Institute for Reading Development (IRD) participants, from four-year-olds to adults, are taught to read substantially better by improving their concentration, comprehension and recall. The programs for young children develop essential reading skills and habits that promote a love of books, plus strong comprehension and reading fluency. The programs also aim to develop skills in participants that enable them to read longer, more complex books with ease. For example, middle and high school students learn a step-by-step approach to reading, studying, and taking notes. Those entering college or already enrolled in college will be taught to read two to four times faster and to take more organized and useful notes. Students receive both individualized guidance and reading materials. Complete details of this University College program are located at www.fairfield.edu/summercamps.

The Summer Institute for Lifelong Learning , a program of University College, offers adults the opportunity to study how the lyrics of popular music reflect America's values, the mythic and psychological patterns of the Greek tragedies, and how the physiology of animals is affected by human activities. The program begins at 9 a.m. each day and concludes at 3 p.m., from June 2 to 6. The course schedule and teachers are as follows: 'Greek Tragedy,' 9:15 a.m.-10:45 a.m., Aaron Perkus, associate dean of University College; 'Popular Lyrics,' 11a.m.-12:30 p.m., Wesley Davis, adjunct professor, New Media, Film, Television and Radio; and 'The Physiology of Human Disturbance,' 1:30 p.m.-3 p.m., Brian Walker, assistant professor of biology. The idea behind the Summer Institute is the same as University College in that it encourages lifetime learning, and aims to enrich people intellectually and personally. It is a sister program of the Institute for Lifelong Learning, which takes place September through May. People can explore the world of arts and humanities by auditing a wide range of courses, and attending special interest programs. Open to the intellectually curious over age 50. For more information, call (203) 254-4307 or visit www.fairfield.edu/summercamps.

The Summer Institute for the Gifted (SIG) is a day program for gifted children in Kindergarten through 6th grade. The mission of the July 14 to August 1 program is to provide the highest quality educational and social opportunities for academically gifted and talented students through courses designed to meet their abilities and needs. Students select to take three courses in humanities, mathematics and sciences, and multi-disciplinary subjects. Instruction in the arts is also an option. The arts courses are designed to provide students an opportunity to explore areas of interest and to provide meaningful learning experiences. Each class meets five times a week for 90 minutes on the Fairfield campus, and the day also includes a recreational period that will be another opportunity to learn new skills and discover talents. SIG, a subsidiary of the American Institute For Foreign Study (AIFS), is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. Other locations are offered. For information, visit www.fairfield.edu/summercamps or call (866) 303-4744, ext. 5159.

Sports Programs are offered for kids of all ages and in an array of sports, including baseball, basketball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball and swimming. The choices are the Stags Baseball Camp, the Joe Frager Basketball Camp for Girls, the Ed Cooley Basketball Academy, Women's Basketball Camp, Fairfield Nike Field Hockey Camp, Blue Chip Lacrosse, Livin' It Lax, Elite Girl Soccer Camp, Academy of Excellence, Planet Soccer, Fairfield University Elite Academy (Men's), Nike Softball Camps, and Fairfield Nike Swim Camp. For more information, visit www.fairfield.edu/summercamps.