With the end of the school year fast approaching, children eagerly await the annual tradition of a summer break filled with outdoor games, popsicles, and excessive television.

Parents, perhaps not as enthusiastic about hours of unscheduled free time, often turn to another long-standing tradition.

Summer camps.

Summer camps are popular and tend to fill up fast. This year, Montgomery County parents have a new source of camp opportunities – Manor College in Jenkintown.

In the past, Manor has only hosted academically oriented camps for high school students. This year, though, it has expanded its offerings to include a wide variety of camps for children ranging from preschoolers to high school seniors.

The founders of Manor, the Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great, have long dedicated themselves to caring for and educating children.

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The sisters asked the college about offering classes for children, and last August, the new Chair of Adult and Continuing Education, Nick Rudnytzky, got to work. He shared their passion for working with children, and made it a priority to expand Manor’s camp offerings.

To get started, Rudnytzky reached out to McKinley Elementary School, located just around the corner from Manor, and invited it to get involved. Several teachers met with him and brainstormed camp ideas.

“The teachers had loads of great ideas,” said Rudnytzky. “They are supervising the bulk of the camps throughout the summer.”

The camps cater to all interests, including sports, science, arts and crafts, books, and math.

The Movie Maker Camp will teach students how to produce and edit films and video using iPads. Book Arts for Book Worms teaches simple bookbinding and altered book techniques. Under the Sea Camp features games, crafts, and learning about underwater animals.

Manor is also offering several varieties of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) camps with engaging themes like LEGO, Harry Potter, and Star Wars.

The college’s offerings for high school students have not changed. The Introduction to Veterinary Medicine camp takes advantage of Manor’s stellar Vet Tech program and features hands-on training and access to large animals like horses.

Introduction to the Culinary Arts teaches students basic kitchen and meal preparation skills and culminates in a cooking contest and samples for parents.

The Forensic Camp is taught by a forensic biology specialist and gives students the chance to spend time in a science lab, use microscopes, and take a field trip to a forensic lab.

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When it came time to price the camps, Rudnytzky wanted to keep them affordable.

“Summer camps have a huge range in pricing,” said Rudnytzky. “We just wanted to break even and provide value to the community. We want our neighbors to know that we are not just an academic ivory tower – we are part of a collective. We are trying to enhance the sense of community in the town.”

The hope is that the camps will be a service to parents.

“Our goal is to make the whole process frustration-free,” said Rudnytzky.

Registration is entirely paperless. All forms can be filled out, uploaded, and processed online.

“We want the camps to be stress-free and fun,” said Rudnytzky.

This first year of expanded offerings is a test, and depending on the results, Rudnytzky hopes they will become a fixture at Manor in the years to come.

“If all goes well and we get good feedback, we want to make this a regular feature every summer,” said Rudnytzky.

Manor’s expanded range of summer camps is likely to be the highlight of any child’s summer vacation.

Click here for more information on the camps or to register.

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