Norristown Theatre Opens Arts Bubble Camp For Remote Learners

Norristown School District has announced that school will go remote for the rest of 2020. Many families don't have a way to provide their students with the focused time and energy it takes to make sure they are keeping up with remote learning, and the Centre Theater at 208 DeKalb Street is jumping in with an affordable option for working families, hosting the Arts Bubble Day Camp project.

Run by the Center's resident theater company, Theater Non Conforming, The Arts Bubble is a day camp offering socially distanced stations where students are provided with an isolated learning area and a hands on education coordinator to help them with their remote education program's lessons.

Guided arts and fitness activities, and outdoor gardening options are provided to break up the learning day. The Arts Bubble also offers an afternoon of fun physical activities to keep children engaged in experiential learning through yoga, dance, music and performing arts activities. Substantial safety protocols such as mask and face shield use, temp screening, and six person pods to reduce cross camp exposure will be in place.

"We are living in unprecedented times, and the arts community is always finding creative solutions for tough problems," explains Troy Cooper, the company's Artistic Director. "Due to the pandemic, our space is going to be much emptier in the fall than it usually is - and we thought our offices would work great to create isolated study areas, while our outside garden alley would give students a much needed break in nature."

"Arts build bonds, reduce stress, and create empathetic out of the box thinkers," explains the project's coordinator, Aileen Lynch-McCulloch, a long time educator who has been brought in to share her expertise as the company's new Education Director. "The Bubble offers students the opportunity to spend the morning doing remote schooling with physically distanced creative activity breaks including outside gardening, yoga and arts art projects. In addition students can stay for small pod after school fine and performing arts projects in a socially distanced and supportive atmosphere."

"To ensure a great experience for students, we are upgrading our internet for high speed access to remote lessons, improving our outside gardening areas, and developing work areas for students to engage in socially distanced interaction with other students and adult activity coordinators," explains Cooper. "In addition we are acquiring cutting edge equipment for start of day and mid day temperature checks."

The Bubble Camp is being offered to help make the fall as enriching and safe as possible, while giving campers the focused adult attention they need to help get their remote home school assignments completed. Developed around the model of a one room school house - the Bubble welcomes students of all ages for remote learning with the goal of partnering older students with younger ones in mentorship roles.

Participation rates vary, with discounts offered to encourage reduction of exposure groupings. Full week campers and families with several children willing to school consistently in the same pod will allow us to welcome more students to our camp. Neighborhood groups (students who live near each other and already have a social bubble) are encouraged to reach out to discuss special options.

Due to the need for social distancing, camp spots are limited. For more information visit the website at Theatre Non Conforming, https://www.theatrenon.com/

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