2 SUMMER ’24 PUBLISHER Greg A. Bruns greg@arcadianews.com EDITOR Mallory Gleich mallory@arcadianews.com DESIGN & LAYOUT Gabe Turner gabe@arcadianews.com ADVERTISING ads@arcadianews.com SUMMER SUN, SUMMER FUN There’s always something happening in the Valley of the Sun, and with plenty of suggestions, our list can help you decide what’s next for fun. 4 8 10 INTERACTIVE CAMPS Music, sports, cooking, and animals - these camps cover an assortment of hands-on themes. This list may help you and your camper find their next adventure. WATERFRONT CAMPING Enjoy the great outdoors with a camping trip this summer. We have seven cool Arizona camping spots that offer a variety of activities – water included. 3850 E Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85018 • 602-840-6379 • arcadianews.com Summer is near, and with it is a plethora of camps ready to welcome kids and teens to a season full of fun and adventure. The benefits of summer camp are aplenty: making friends, learning new skills, promoting independence and leadership, and finding new passions. These days, camps even offer educational “classes” to keep kids fresh and up-to- date on their studies. The 2024 Arcadia News Summer Camp Guide is focused on growing those passions: kids can learn about different animal ecosystems with animal camps, whip up a delicious snack with cooking camps, learn about earth and its solar system with space camps, join a local book club, or take a good, old fashioned camping trip with the family. Don’t take too long to decide – sources tell us camps are filling up fast! We hope you enjoy our Summer Camp Guide. Please reach out to editor@arcadianews.com with any feedback or future ideas. Happy summer camp days, and thank you for reading Arcadia News! EDITOR’S NOTE AWA R D W I N N I N G N E I G H B O R H O O D N E W S S I N C E 19 9 3 ArcAdiA News SUMMER CONTENTS CONTENTS 3 TO INFINITY…AND BEYOND! Future astronauts looking to learn more about our solar system might want to check out space camp, where campers can view, record, and hypothesize about what happens in space.

3 SUMMER ’24 oungsters eager to learn more about the world beyond our skies may be interested in space camp – and luckily, there are a few in our state. Campers can immerse themselves in a range of topics – weather, the planets, the sun and the moon – and even get a hands-on look at what astronauts do! EARTH AND SPACE EXPLORATION CENTER 17835 N. 44 th St., Phoenix earthandspaceexpeditioncenter.org Dates: June 3-August 2 Ages: Kindergarten – eighth grade Times: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. or 1-4 p.m. Fees: $125 for half day, $250 full day Earth and Space Center camps are led by experienced Flight Directors passionate about sharing their love of Earth, space and science with the next generation. Campers can learn about the latest space missions, explore the solar system’s mysteries, conduct hands-on experiments and participate in activities and team-building exercises. Topics vary each week and include things like the sun, the stars, the moon, rockets, asteroids and meteorites, constellations, volcanoes and more. LOWELL OBSERVATORY – ORBITS CURIOSITY 1400 W. Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff lowell.edu Dates: June 10-14, 24-28; July 8-12 for grades 1-6; June 17-21; July 15-19 for grades 7-9 Ages: First-ninth grade Times: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. for grades 1-6; 4-10 p.m. for grades 7-9 Fees: $325 for grades 1-6; $350 for grades 7-9 The Orbits Curiosity program – brand-new at Lowell – includes the Orbits Curiosity Zone, an exhibit hall with interactive displays, climbing gyms, characters, and more. Campers in grades 1-6 will explore the mysteries of the cosmos through hands-on science investigations. Topics include the sun, the moon, and electromagnetic spectrum. These activity-based day camps will conclude with a graduation ceremony and family activities on Friday. Students from grades 7-9 will learn how to navigate the night sky. Campers will operate telescopes and other scientific instruments to aid in their mission. Other activities include hiking, drawing, games, and more. Students will learn to identify constellations, locate deep-sky objects, and operate portable telescopes. Lowell also offers a day camp for ages 3-6 that explores science and STEAM topics. Camps are usually held on the first and third Saturdays of each month. These 90-minute camps include parents and a touch on physics and astronomy. Activities include science investigations, games, storytime, music, engineering and art. ASTRONOMY CAMP AT STEWARD OBSERVATORY 933 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson astronomycamp.org Dates: June 13-30 (waitlist for 2024) Ages: 12-19 years old Times: overnight camp; times vary Fees: $1,700 for Beginning; $1,900 for Advanced Steward Observatory Camps are currently on a waitlist, so check back for updates, or keep in mind for next summer! Since 1988, thousands of teens and adults have ventured to the Steward and Mount Lemmon Observatories to experience astronomy, operate research-class telescopes and technology, interact with leading scientists and – most importantly – have fun. During the day, campers will sit in on scientist-led topics like the latest NASA space mission. Campers will also participate in engineering-related projects, explore geology and ecology through hiking and outdoor demonstrations, and travel between observatories. The camp also incorporates space art and musical interpretations of scientific processes. All camps include an in-depth tour of The University of Arizona’s Richard F. Caris Mirror Laboratory. At night, campers become astronomers, operating telescopes, interacting with leading scientists, discussing their observations, and investigating questions about astronomy and our universe. U.S. SPACE AND ROCKET CENTER One Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL rocketcenter.com Dates: June 9-August 25 Ages: 9-11, 12-14 Times: Times vary Fees: $1,699 This camp is out of the area, but NASA runs it, so you know it’s the real deal. Campers will suit up for a mission to the International Space Station or train for a landing on the moon. Throughout the week, campers will participate in astronaut training techniques using equipment adapted from NASA’s astronaut program while learning about hardware and experiencing a spaceflight mission. Activities include a ride on the gravity chair and in the Five Degrees of Freedom simulator, constructing and launching model rockets, learning about life on the International Space Station, using technology to design and construct a Martian colony and competing in camp-wide challenge nights. P.S. There are camps for grown-ups and families, too! Y