Northern Lights!

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

Our Specialty Camp Schedule is still under construction for 2025, but the 2024 breakdown below provides an idea of the types of programming offered. We will have our 2025 Specialty Camp program up as soon as possible, and no later than January 2nd.

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 22-26, 2024

Grades 4-8

2024 Fees: $590 for everyone / $410 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 at The Criterion in Bar Harbor as part of the Acadia Dance Festival. Final performance details are still in the works, but campers final performance will most likely occur on Friday, the 26th. We strongly encourage all enrolled campers will participate in the final performance.

Outdoor Living: A Junior Maine Guide Program 2024

Junior Maine Guide Camps are sponsored by Machias Savings Bank

Grades 4-7(Junior Maine Woodscraft Program), and 8-10(Maine Woodscraft Program)

2024 Fees: $515 for everyone / $335 with resident grant 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. This year we are excited to also spend time with the Level II program; Maine Woodscraft for campers entering Grades 8-10.  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 24-28: Survive and Thrive – Tool Craft, First Aid, Fire Building, Direction Finding, and Shelter in all its forms. Learn the skills and use the tools you’ll need to navigate the great outdoors when you may not have been expecting it.

July 1-5: Eatin’ Good When You’re in the Woods - Cooking & Camping Skills. 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 Thursday, July 4th

July 8-12: By Lake or By Land - Canoeing, Fishing, and Maine Forrest Ecology. 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.

July 15-19: Eatin’ Good When You’re in the Woods - Cooking & Camping Skills. 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.

July 29-August 2: By Lake or By Land - Canoeing, Fishing, and Maine Forrest Ecology (Campers Entering Grades 5-8) 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 5 - 16: 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 and 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 August 10th and 11th. **Campers do not need to have completed any previous session of Outdoor living to register for this session

Summer STEM Camps

Grades 4-7 (except where noted for Teen campers)

2024 Fees: $515 for everyone / $335 with resident grant discount

June 24-28: Build That Bridge When We Come To It! - STEM campers will start the summer by working together and in teams to build the best bridge. What’s key to making a sturdy bridge, and who’s will stay standing under the weight of it all? Perhaps we’ll even build a full size bridge to support our own weight…..

July 1-July 5: INVADERS! Exploring Invasive Species on MDI and Beyond - They’re all around us, and we aren’t even aware of it, creeping into our ecosystems, wreaking havoc with our wildlife. They are invasive species, and they may be in your backyard! From Green Crabs to Longhorn Beetles to Japanese Knotweed, we’ll spend time both on and off camp property to learn more about them and what we can do to help stem the problem.

July 8-July 12: Cooking By The Book - 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 solar powered ovens we’ve got an appetite for learning.

July 15 -July 19: It WAS Alive! Dissection, Decay, and Decomposition - 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, and what happens when life comes to a close.

July 22 -July 26: 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. Campers will need to have an available laptop or comparable device for at least a portion of this week.

July 29 - August 2: 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 5- August 9: Criminal Minds (Teen Camp Ages 13-16) - Our Teen campers will have the opportunity to dive a bit deeper as they journey through a crime scene in search of answers and understanding. Criminal Minds will allow campers to go beyond the surface of forensics to learn about evidence security, blood pathology, and much much more.

August 12-August 16: Fermentation Station - We’ll wrap up the summer by getting back in the kitchen, but instead of heat, we’re exploring chemical reactions. Is it really cooking, if you don’t heat it up? Sure it is. Whether pickling anything we can find (cucumber, eggs, beets), using acids like lemon juice, or making dye out of foods, there’s a lot you can cook without turning on a stove.

Summer Art Camps 2024

Grades 4-7 (unless otherwise noted)

2024 Fees: $515 for everyone / $335 with resident grant discount

June 24 - July 5 – Ceramics & Pottery - (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! The extra time will allow campers more time 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 July 29-30, or Thursday, July 4)

July 8-12 – Mixed Media 1: Dragons - Do you dream of fantastic 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 15-19 – Mixed Media 2: Faces - The face of a person can say many things and tell many tales without ever uttering a word. This week we will paint, draw, and sculpt around a central theme: Faces! We will explore different ways to capture and represent faces both human and not.

July 22-26 – 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 29 - August 2 – Fantastic Fashions: Wearable Art - Come explore the intersection of art, fashion, and sculpture. Campers will make their own mannequin and a fantastic ensemble of their own. 

August 5 - 9 – Art of Stories : 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).

August 12 -16 - 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.