Northern Lights!

For campers Grades 4 through 7 (and sometimes teens!)

Our Specialty Camp Schedule for our Outdoor Living Program, Art Specialty Camp, Dance Camp, and STEM are up to date for the 2025 summer season!

The Northern Lights Camp is our selection of themed specialty camps for small groups of 9-12 year olds (some camps extend into older ages as well). Campers spend most of their day exploring the specialty theme, while enjoying more traditional camp activities during our camper choice block. Don’t miss these quality sessions led by dynamic experts in their field! All sessions must meet a minimum of 8 participants to run. We do our best to notify you immediately if there is a chance a specialty camp session may not run. Prices are listed for Hancock County residents/non-residents. For any 2- Week Specialty Camp, CBC will add the 2nd week Hancock County discount when we register your camper. Higher costs reflect the added expense of running specialty camps.

Dance with Nimbus and the Acadia Dance Festival - July 28- August 1, 2025

Grades 4-8

2025 Fees: $645 for everyone / $450 with resident grant discount

Nimbus Dance Company of New York will be returning to show our campers some moves! As in previous summers, the campers will work with professional dancers to choreograph a performance. Its a ton of fun to be creative with your body and your senses. The campers will bring their art to stage as part of the Acadia Dance Festival. Final performance details, including location, are still in the works, but campers final performance will most likely occur on Friday, August 1st, or Saturday, August 2nd. We strongly encourage all enrolled campers will participate in the final performance.

Outdoor Living: A Junior Maine Guide Program 2025

Junior Maine Guide Camps are sponsored by Machias Savings Bank

Grades 4-7(Junior Maine Woodscraft Program), and Ages 13-16 (Maine Woodscraft Program & Teen Expedition Week)

2025 Fees: $565 for everyone/ $370 with resident discount

OUTDOOR LIVING IS FOR EVERYONE!

The Outdoor Living Camp is rooted in the Junior Maine Guide curriculum, and serves as a combination of experiences designed to increase our camper’s affinity and comfort in nature, while learning skills essential to being at home in the great outdoors. Outdoor Living is rooted in the evidence based knowledge that time in nature is not only excellent for skill building, but for fostering creativity, social negotiation, and general wellness.

JMG is a Maine based outdoor skills program, designed to foster enjoyable, safe, and healthy outdoor living experiences for youth.  The skills and information learned can lay the groundwork for later training and certification as a licensed trip leader, as well as provide a lifetime of enjoyment living in concert with nature in the Maine wilderness.

The skills taught at CBC are rooted in the Level I training program for JMG; Junior Maine Woodscraft for campers entering grades 4-7. We are excited to also spend time with the Level II program; Maine Woodscraft for campers ages 13-16.  Both the Junior Maine Woodscraft and Maine Woodscraft curricula focus on teaching and evaluating skills in areas such as: tool craft, first aid, individual shelter, Maine maps and geography, Leave No Trace, outdoor cooking, fire building, tree and plant identification, camp site creation, hiking, Backpacking, canoeing, fishing, Maine Specific Environmental issues, and general outdoor living skills.

CBC Will offer week-long sessions that combine nature based play and learning with related skills.  Participation in three different sessions would prepare a camper for evaluation and possible rewarding of the Junior Maine Woodscraft patch, but evaluation patch rewarding would not be required.

Campers who choose to register for either the Level I Junior Maine Woodscraft Testing Camp or Level II Maine Woodscraft Testing Camp will learn and practice all skills needed to receive the JMW/MW patch and undergo evaluation by our Outdoor Living staff. Campers DO NOT need to have completed any other weeks of outdoor living camp to register for testing camp.

June 23-27: Survive and Thrive – Tool Craft, First Aid, Fire Building, Direction Finding, and Shelter in all its forms (Junior Maine Woodscraft, Grades 4-7). Learn the skills and use the tools you’ll need to navigate the great outdoors when you may not have been expecting it.

June 30- July 3: Eatin’ Good When You’re in the Woods - Cooking & Camping Skills (Junior Maine Woodscraft, Grades 4-7). Just because your camping, doesn’t mean you can’t eat well. Learn how to plan a camping trip and create a menu you’ll want to write home about. No camp Friday, July 4th

July 7 - 18: The Junior Maine Woodscraft Testing Camp (Campers Entering Grades 4-7) This two-week session is designed specifically to meet all the requirements to obtain the Junior Maine Woodscraft patch. During this two week session, campers will focus on all of the skills needed to complete the Junior Maine Woodscraft requirements, and engage in testing at the conclusion of the weeks. As a part of this two week session, campers will get to experience an overnight camping trip. Note: This is a two-week program and participation will be limited to those campers that are able to be present for both weeks. The cost per week is the same as other Outdoor Living programs) No camp July 12th and 13th. **Campers do not need to have completed any previous session of Outdoor living to register for this session

July 21-25: Maine Woodscraft - Survive and Thrive – Tool Craft, First Aid, Fire Building, Direction Finding, and Shelter in all its forms (Ages 13-16). Learn the skills and use the tools you’ll need to navigate the great outdoors when you may not have been expecting it.

July 28- August 1: Maine Woodscraft - Teen Expedition Week (Ages 13-16) Embark on an unforgettable adventure with Camp Beech Cliff's newest offering: a 4-day canoeing expedition through Maine's pristine woods and waters. This program is perfect for beginners curious about outdoor pursuits, as well as teens already passionate about canoeing, backcountry camping, and exploring the great outdoors. For a full description and more information click here. (Due to the nature of this program, program fees are higher than other JMG offerings)

August 4 - 8: By Lake or By Land - Canoeing, Fishing, and Maine Forrest Ecology (Junior Maine Woodscarft, Grades 4-7). Maine is a unique and beautiful place. That means it faces unique issues. Deepen your connection with the lands and waters (and creatures that live there) of MDI, while learning more about what makes Maine special.

August 11 - 15: Maine Woodscraft - Eatin’ Good When You’re in the Woods - Cooking & Camping Skills (Ages 13-16). Just because your camping, doesn’t mean you can’t eat well. Learn how to plan a camping trip and create a menu you’ll want to write home about.

Summer STEM Camps

Grades 4-7

2025 Fees: $565 for Everyone/$370 with Resident discount

June 23-27: Keepers of the Wild: Wildlife Conservation - STEM campers will start the summer with exploration. Whether getting up close and personal with a vulture at Birdsacre, searching for amphibians in a vernal pool, learning about the Loons that make Echo Lake so special, or seeking out aquatic life in an intercoastal tidepool, we’ll be leaving camp to visit our wild friends, and learn what it takes to protect these creatures and their homes.

June 30 - July 3: Mission To The Moon: The Science of Flight and Outer Space - Paper Airplanes, Drones, Rocketry, Astronomy…How have humans worked to leave the surface of the planet, and what keeps them up in the air? We’ll explore the science of flight, and imagine what our future among the stars may involve.

July 7-11: Bodies: Slice and Dice! - What’s up with DNA? How do I figure out my blood type? What similarities exists between human organ systems and those we find in other organisms? Slap on your gloves, affix your safety goggles, and grab your scalpel, because it’s time to take a look INSIDE the plants and animals that fill our world to see what made them tick, and understand more about our bodies, how they work, and the many systems that make us tick!

July 14-18: The Science of Sports! - You read that right, sports is science too. Whether it’s calculating your heart rate to understand the way our bodies use the food we eat to help us stay active, or learning how different materials cause a football to be throw differently, understanding the science of sports can help you become a better athlete…or just understand what’s happening when you’re having fun!

July 21-25: Introduction to Coding - Coding is a fancy way of creating instructions so that computers do the things we want them to do. But did you know you can learn about coding through games and experiments in nature before you ever touch a computer. As campers dive into the world of coding they’ll begin the week by exploring games and obstacles courses then move to work on a computer, and program a robot to accomplish tasks. Campers will need to have an available laptop or comparable device for at least a portion of this week.

July 28 - August 1: The Science of Cooking: Put on your aprons, because this week we’re taking to the STEM Shack Test Kitchen to make some tasty treats while learning the science behind cooking. Be sure to pack an appetite this week, because from the science of baking to ice cream to chemical reactions to fermentations to solar powered ovens we’ve got an appetite for learning.

August 4-8: Crime of the Century - The friendly trusting environment at CBC has been shaken to it’s core by criminal activity! EGAD! Our team of investigators will put their skills to use to find the clues and the culprit. Exploring the basic skills of forensics our campers will learn about many methods of criminology from fingerprinting to DNA, and restore a sense of well-being once again.

August 11-15: Engineering: Forces Awaken! - What do boats, bridges, and trebuchets have in common? They all rely on physics to function! Join us for a week of hands-on exploration as we dive into forces like gravity, momentum, friction, and tension—learning how they shape the world around us. Put your engineering skills to the test by building a boat, a bridge, or a structure, then see if they stand up to the challenge. Physics makes the world go round… literally!

Summer Art Camps 2025

Grades 4-7 (unless otherwise noted)

2025 Fees: $565 for everyone/ $370 with resident discount

June 23 - July 3 – Under the C! Ceramics & Pottery With an Undersea Twist- (Grades 5-8) - This year campers will get two weeks of getting their hands dirty through a variety of pottery projects, from learning how to throw on a wheel to creating ceramic sculptures that connect us to the ocean and all the things that come with it! From lighthouses to sea creatures, the extra time allows campers the chance to fire, glaze and finalize their ceramic masterpieces! (Note: This is a two-week program and participation will be limited to those campers that are able to be present for both weeks. The cost per week is the same as other Art Camp programs. No camp June 28 & 29, or Friday, July 4)

July 7-11 – Stop Motion Animation Week - Learn the basics of animation on paper and screen. We will create our own characters and then see what we can make them do for our own amusement. (Campers will need to bring a phone or tablet to camp to use this week. Parents will need to help them download the free Stop Motion app ahead of time).

July 14-18 – Fiber Arts: Sewing, Weaving, Yarn and Handwork - Come tangle with fibers of all stripes! Learn the basics of sewing, weaving, felting and more. Add color to your artwork by making your own natural dyes. Campers will be introduced to a variety of techniques and will be encouraged to stitch them together into their own fantastical creations to take home.

July 21-25 – Mixed Media: Dragons - Do you dream of fantastic, scaly beasts of myth and legend? Do you long to soar through the skies as an ancient rider of majestic creatures? This week we will paint, draw, and sculpt around a central theme: Dragons! We will explore the many forms these fantastical creatures take. 

July 28 - August 1 – Wickedly Wonderful Wearables: A Week of Fashion and Costumes - Come explore the intersection of art, fashion, and sculpture. Campers will make their own mannequin and a fantastic ensemble of their own. Whether you long the be the next big name designer, or the greatest cosplayer ever, grab some scissors, cardboard, fabric, thread, or duct tape, and create.

August 4 - 8 – Plein Air Painting (Grades 8-10) - Who says you have to paint slowly inside? Join us as we follow in the steps of Monet and Van Gogh and take our canvases into the great outdoors to practice observation and capturing changing light in this historied artform. Please Note: Campers will need to wear durable shoes and clothes that can get paint on them. 

August 11 -15 - Active Art - Always wanted to make art but get bored of sitting down? Come and run around with us as we find unconventional ways to paint, draw and sculpt. Whatever we create, we’ll find ways to move while we make it. Let’s get messy and play! Campers will need to wear clothes they can get super dirty.