Johnston Community Education

Course Description Advanced Chess Summer Camp starts with advanced chess lessons right away. Players will study opening theory, end game scenarios, and deeper strategic concepts. This is a summer camp for chess players with previous chess experience and a desire to improve! Prerequisite: Previous experience in a YEL chess class or summer camp, or an 800+ ChessKid.com rating. Logistics None Instructor Youth Enrichment League Youth Enrichment League – {YEL!} – was founded in 2004 by Chet and Lisa Gunhus. It was founded to bring the highest quality enrichment to schools throughout Minnesota. Through the combined blessings of amazing teachers and happy clients, {YEL!} has grown to 745 schools and 150 teachers in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

Course Description Prerequisite: Participants must have prior experience in a {YEL!} Project Runway camp. This is a faster paced camp than Project Runway. The instructor will lead students to design unique and personalized take-home apparel following current fashion trends. Projects include: A romper, tote bag, drawstring bag, and hair scrunchy. Logistics All supplies provided Instructor Youth Enrichment League Youth Enrichment League – {YEL!} – was founded in 2004 by Chet and Lisa Gunhus. It was founded to bring the highest quality enrichment to schools throughout Minnesota. Through the combined blessings of amazing teachers and happy clients, {YEL!} has grown to 745 schools and 150 teachers in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

Course Description Calling all builders, makers, and designers! Experience a fun hands-on camp where participants will create blueprints, learn about architectural features, explore scale and build a model of a dream house! Registration Deadline: July 14 Logistics None Instructor TigerLily STEM. TigerLily STEM has led fun and interactive camps and classes for thousands of students in the Des Moines area since 2017. They emphasize instruction through activities and have a ton of fun while learning about science, math, and technology. All TigerLily STEM instructors are professional teachers or college students pursuing careers in STEM related fields https://tigerlilystem.com/

Course Description Anchor Kids was built to give kids the tools to lead strong, healthy lives. We do this through the 5 Pillars of Health for Kids: Fitness, Nutrition, Seeds2Snacks, Mindfulness, Sport/Activity. Our summer camp dives deeper into these 5 pillars with fun, immersive, and engaging programs to start the learning process of leading healthy lives. Pillar 1: Fitness. We utilize what we call the 9 foundational bodyweight movements to teach kids proper movement and mix them up in as many ways as creatively possible to put kids through a fun exercise experience. We begin each day with movement warm-ups and a group exercise session together. Pillar 2: Nutrition. We partnered with a local Registered Dietician to put together a fun and engaging infographic that gives kids the creative freedom to learn about each food group in an activity we call "Eat Your Colors". This breaks a plate of food down into proteins, carbohydrates, fats, dairy, and grains. We also reinforce good hydration habits and differentiate between a "healthy" drink and a not-so-healthy drink. Kids will utilize fun coloring activities to show how they can eat their colors. Pillar 3: Seeds2Snacks. This is a fun and innovative pillar that gives kids the tools to plant their own seeds in planting pods that we provide and we teach the basics of caring for the seed to grow into their own healthy snacks. Food just doesn't magically appear in a grocery store and Seeds2Snakcs helps to reinforce that idea. Pillar 4: Mindfulness. Yoga has been around for centuries, but primarily taught and practiced by adults. This pillar gives kids the time, energy, and space to think their own thoughts and feel their own feelings while engaging in fun and interactive yoga flows and poses. Pillar 5: Sport/Activity. Kids will focus on the intangibles of sport and activity like teamwork, working together to achieve a goal, respect, sportsmanship, effective communication, and more. This pillar wasn't designed to coach a sport, even though we do work through some skills of specific sports, it was more so designed to give kids an idea of how sport and activity can be fun and challenging at the same time with the proper tools to engage with others and work hard. Throughout the camp kids will tell stories, read stories, play games, interact with each other in a positive way, create their own Anchor Kids Ethos together, exercise together, eat healthy snacks (considerations made for food sensitivity and allergies), drink lots of water, be inside and outside, and just have an all around great time! Your student will also be issued a book: The Way of the Warrior Kid - Field Manual, by Jocko Willink, that is theirs to keep once the camp is complete. Anchor Kids lead the Way. Logistics All snacks and supplies provided Instructor: Anchor Kids https://www.facebook.com/AnchorKidsOrg https://www.instagram.com/anchorkidsorg/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/anchor-kids-org/

Course Description Join Ms. Lambert for a week of sunshine, creativity, and garden themed art! Explore mixed media, painting, and mosaic art making while making and taking home an assortment of gardening and magical fairy themed art. Participants will create their own miniature fairy gardens, stepping stones, and much more! Logistics Registration fee includes a $30 materials fee Instructor: Melanie Lambert Ms. Lambert is the art teacher at Beaver Creek Elementary!

Course Description Working with a variety of materials, particpants will explore a new form of craft each day! Participants will work with yarn to create small baskets, create their very own sketchbooks, and make colored handmade paper from recycled materials! Participants will learn about various artists that use these methods of creating as inspiration. Logistics All art materials provided Instructor Kenzie Lindsey Kenzie is an art teacher at JHS where she teaches Drawing, Digital Photography and Art of Craft. She has experience teaching all age groups and working with a variety of materials. Her favorite art related things are knitting, taking photos, and creating collages.

Course Description The goal of his camps is to provide each camper with a positive, fun-filled learning experience. The camp is designed to provide personal attention to help young athletes improve their basketball fundamentals. These camps set the framework for successful future athletes. Different drills/activities per camp. More Info Enter through Door #12 Bring water bottle with your name on it Camp Director Kenton Tennal- Coach T has been running or assisting basketball camps for nearly 2 decades.

Course Description Battle Drones features an exciting combination of aerial acrobatics and engineering design challenges that teaches students STEM concepts, teamwork, and how to skillfully fly a drone. In Battle Drones, teams of students will build robotic launchers designed to fling projectiles at opponents’ drones. Students will be guided by experienced camp instructors in how to construct projectile launchers to maximize speed and accuracy. The camp culminates in an epic battle where students attempt to pilot drones to safety by successfully dodging opponent projectiles while attempting to take down opponent drones. The best drone pilots and launchers will emerge victorious! Students have the option to purchase a drone to take home at the end of camp for $50 (approximately a $100 value). Registration deadline to purchase drone with camp registration: June 23. Logistics If registering for the CAMP ONLY - select the $105 rate If purchasing a DRONE IN ADDITION to camp registration - select the $155 rate (Deadline: June 23) Instructor: COR Robotics

Course Description Join this dynamic course to learn a dynamite instrument! Players will learn the basics of music including reading music, rhythm, melody and meter. Classes are fun and make the instrument easily accessible for all students. Sign up today to let the music play! Logistics Students must provide their own guitar. Need assistance selcting aguitar? Visit https://youthenrichmentleague.com/what-kind-of-guitar-should-i-buy-for-my-child/ Instructor Instructor: Youth Enrichment League Youth Enrichment League – {YEL!} – was founded in 2004 by Chet and Lisa Gunhus. It was founded to bring the highest quality enrichment to schools throughout Minnesota. Through the combined blessings of amazing teachers and happy clients, {YEL!} has grown to 745 schools and 150 teachers in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

Course Description Students will learn the basics of board game design as they create their very own board game! This creative and exciting program uses elements of STEAM to break down a big project into bite sized pieces for students to make a playable board game. Course includes a design journal, board game box, board, and all the bits & pieces needed to play! Over 5 quick days, board game builders will learn about crucial parts of board game design such as rules, board types, what all the pieces are and much more. Below is a breakdown of our board game building program components: Theme & Backstory The Board in Board Games Bits, Meeples & Pieces, Oh My! Rules and Their Importance Visual Strategies & Play-Testing Finishing Touches & The Pitch! (Parents are invited to the final 20 minutes of class to see their student present their game!) While the program teaches young minds how to build a board game, the aim of this program is to inspire the next generation to take a step away from being consumers in order to be creators, makers and designers. Logistics All supplies provided Instructor Little Creators Club To learn more about Little Creators Club or the board game building program, please check out www.LittleCreatorsClub.com

Course Description Calling all Master Builders looking for a challenge! During this camp, builders will accept the engineering challenge to build and program a robotic dog, motorized bug, race cars and more! Battle summer brain drain. Sign up today! LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site or program. Logistics None Instructor Youth Enrichment League Youth Enrichment League – {YEL!} – was founded in 2004 by Chet and Lisa Gunhus. It was founded to bring the highest quality enrichment to schools throughout Minnesota. Through the combined blessings of amazing teachers and happy clients, {YEL!} has grown to 745 schools and 150 teachers in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

Course Description All levels of chess players are welcome. The {YEL!} Teach It!…Practice It!...Play It! method keeps chess students progressing with 60+ chess lessons and thousands of puzzles as well as guided games and an end-of-week in-class tournament. Class fee includes ChessKid.com membership for the session. Battle summer brain drain...sign up today. Logistics None Instructor Youth Enrichment League Youth Enrichment League – {YEL!} – was founded in 2004 by Chet and Lisa Gunhus. It was founded to bring the highest quality enrichment to schools throughout Minnesota. Through the combined blessings of amazing teachers and happy clients, {YEL!} has grown to 745 schools and 150 teachers in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin.

Course Description It's Christmas... in June! Come make gift-quality Christmas related crafts in this fun art camp. Participants will explore materials like wood, fiber, and paint. Projects this year will include (subject to change based on time and material availability): 3rd-7th Grade, Mon/Wed Camp: puppets, wooden block snowmen, Christmas lights string art, twig trees, and pom pom wreaths. 5th-10th Grade, Tue/Thu Camp: Russian nesting dolls, A-frame wooden ornament trees, snowflake string art, and handmade rope garlands. Logistics All materials included 3rd-7th Grade, Mon/Wed Camp: Students must be able to independently tie knots in yarn 5th-10th Grade: Tue/Thu Camp: Participants will use real tools like hammers, nails, and a screw gun in this class. Safety glasses will be provided and no tool experience is necessary. Instructor Amy Uthus Amy Uthus is an independent artist. She enjoys gardening and teaching in addition to working on her own ceramic sculpture and pottery. Amy has experience at a wide variety of studios. She was the inaugural Artist-in-Residence and Education Coordinator at RDG Dahlquist Art Studio in Des Moines, an International Student Resident at the International Ceramics Studio (Kecskemét, Hungary), and as an Artist-In-Residence at Guldagergaard International Ceramics Research Center (SkælskØr, Denmark). With more than 17 years of teaching experience, she has taught workshops and classes at the Des Moines Art Center, Johnston Community Education, the After School Arts Program, RDG Dahlquist Art Studio, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and her own studio near Knoxville, IA. https://www.amyuthus.com/

Course Description This two-day musical theatre dance workshop will have campers learning stylized choreography and steps to dances from hit Broadway Disney shows that will be performed at the camp's conclusion. Logistics Enter through the main door on the south side of the building Performance of learned dances will be at 12:45pm on Friday, August 9 Instructor The Dancer's Theatre Staff

Course Description This three-day dance and more camp will have students living Olympic dreams through dance and fun activities inspired by summer games. Logistics Enter through the main door on the south side of the building Performance of a learned dance will be at 1:50pm on Friday, August 2 Instructor The Dancer's Theatre Staff

Course Description Create a unique t-shirt design! Students will work to design a custom T-shirt using digital graphic design tools. A professional screen printing company will turn the design into a real life T-shirt and ship it home after camp! Experienced instructors will teach students how to run the software and guide the process to turn student visions into reality! Logistics Instructor COR Robotics

Course Description Boys are taught fundamentals of shooting, passing, ball handling, finishing, offensive action and defense. In addition to fundamentals, team concepts for offense and defense will be taught. Goal is to give all kids a great experience by providing an opportunity to compete, listen, learn, and enjoy the great game of basketball. Johnston’s coaching staff along with current and former players will instruct the campers. All boys receive a T-shirt. Logistics Enter through Door #3 on south side of JHS Wear proper basketball clothing including t-shirt and short with clean, dry shoes Bring a basketball with your name on it if you have one Bring water bottle with your name on it Camp Director JHS Boys Basketball Head Coach Courtney Henderson- Coach Henderson took over the head job at JHS in 2023. He has won 10 CIML(Metro)/Alliance Conference Championships, 5 District Championships, 5-time District Coach of the Year, Iowa State Coach of the Year 2015-16, 4A State Coach of the Year 2010-11, has had 2 All-State Basketball Players, made 10 Consecutive District/Sub-State Finals, State Runner-up 2011, and has 5 state tournament appearances.

Course Description Join coaches and athletes from the Boys' Dragon Track & Field team for an introduction to the fundamentals of this great sport! Emphasis will be placed on having fun and building individual skills & fitness. The final day of camp consists of a non-competitive, mini, fun track meet in which everyone will receive a t-shirt for participation. Please note if inclement weather occurs, attempts will be made to go inside to the gym if available. If not, then there will be no make-up days due to schedules. Logistics Wear shorts/t-shirt and comfortable running shoes. Bring water bottle with your name on it Camp Director JHS Head Boys Track and Field & Head Boys Cross Country Coach Matt Jaschen- Coach Jaschen started coaching at Johnston in 2010 and teaches HS Science at JHS. He was the 2023 State Track & Field Coach of the Year, 2023 Des Moines Register All-Iowa Coach of the Year, 7x At-Large XC Coach of the Year Awards. His teams have been to state the last 12 years in a row! JHS won state in track in 2023, runners-up in cross country in 2013/2022, and have had multiple individual champions in both sports. Coach says "We help athletes develop self-confidence, promote a healthy lifestyle, and create a culture where young athletes can learn and take ownership of their success."