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News & Events

Camp Sitar Fills Many Needs

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This summer Sitar Arts Center is expanding Camp Sitar to six weeks of full-day camp, plus beforecare and aftercare, and serving 150 students primarily from low-income families. This is in response to Sitar families expressing the need for full-day camp. Providing vital educational programming to students during the critical summer weeks while making it affordable on a sliding scale is a priority for Sitar. Families recognized how valuable this is and Camp Sitar quickly filled up with over 80 children on the waiting list.

Combatting Summer Learning Loss

For kids, summer can be a game-changer. Studies show that children and youth from low-income households experience greater summer learning losses than their higher income peers because they are often not involved in summer programming. This learning loss can mean a month or more of lost reading or math skills each year. Even worse, summer learning loss is cumulative, and continues to build summer after summer leaving many children and youth years behind their academic potential. It can have a tremendous impact on students’ success – affecting high school completion, post-secondary education and workforce preparedness. Sitar Arts Center helps children and teens continue their learning and achieving during the summer through the performing and visual arts at Camp Sitar.

Performing & Visual Arts at Camp Sitar

For students entering 1st to 7th grade who like to paint, dance, sculpt, play an instrument, write or all of the above, Camp Sitar is a great place to spend the summer. Students have the opportunity to choose classes that match their interests in the visual and performing art, from dance and web design, to collage art and percussion. The Teen Arts Intensive will challenge older students with a higher level of classes in graphic design, music production, photography, fashion, dance and more. The teens will work vigorously throughout the summer, completing projects and learning new skills.

One of the highlights of every summer at Sitar is the summer musical which provides students who like to sing, dance, and act the opportunity to participate in an exciting Broadway-style musical under professional direction and design. This summer’s musical will be Hairspray. Students will experience all aspects of mounting a full-length musical from auditioning to rehearsals to final performances. Every student will be a star this summer as they embrace their parts in the performances from show-stopping chorus members to outstanding lead characters.

Preparing Tomorrow’s Leaders

Sitar hired 45 teens to work this summer through DC’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). The Sitar Emerging Arts Leader interns will help Camp Sitar students in classes, assist with office work, create a mural, and they will learn various aspects of producing Sitar’s summer musical. Students will not only earn money through SYEP, but will also develop important life skills like responsibility and teamwork.