TADW students rehearse a dance for last summer’s production of ‘Disney’s Aladdin Jr.’ under the direction of choreographer Candy Sherwin (front). Photo by Melissa Filbeck.

The students on California State University, Northridge’s campus will look a little younger this summer as CSUN offers a series of youth enrichment programs and camps for elementary, middle and high schoolers.

Among the university’s summer youth offerings is a new theater program, “Joining the Spectrum: A Collaborative Play About Inclusion,” as part of CSUN’s award-winning Teenage Drama Workshop (TADW).

Staged in collaboration with artists from The Miracle Project — a socialization program that enables children and teens with autism and other special needs to express themselves through music, dance, acting, storytelling and writing — the play will be created by students with and without special needs, using theater games, exercise and storytelling techniques.

“This groundbreaking arts education event continues the university’s commitment to expanding programming for special needs populations and heightening awareness among the community-at-large with regard to issues of inclusion,” said TADW Executive Director Doug Kabeck, a CSUN theatre lecturer. “Not only will this be a fun and memorable experience for the actors and the audience, but we’re going to learn so much about each other.”

Teenage Drama Workshop, entering its 57th year at CSUN, provides students entering grades 7 to 12 a six-week, intensive summer workshop for youth interested in theater. Students receive training in the areas of acting, dance, voice, playwriting or technical theater arts such as costume design, stagecraft, lighting and sound. In addition to “Joining the Spectrum,” Teenage Drama Workshop will present performances of “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast” and “Cirque des Pirates.”

The workshop will run from June 16 to July 27. Spaces are still available and are handled on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about the program, costs or to register, visit the TADW website at www.csun.edu/tadw or call (818) 677-5811.

Registration is also open for the University Student Union’s Sunny Days Camp, which is offered to students in grades K-7 from June 9 to Aug. 15. Sunny Days Camp provides 10 weekly sessions, either half- or full-day programs, where campers can participate in sports, games, arts and crafts, rock climbing, swimming and field trips.

The camp also offers a Skills of Leadership program for students ages 12 to 14, and a Junior Counselor Program for high school students ages 15 to 18. Both programs provide leadership development and communication skills training.

“Summer for kids is about fun, but there are always opportunities to learn and grow,” said Sunny Days Director Jeremy Hamlett.

For more information about Sunny Days’ programs, costs or to register, visit the camp’s website at usu.csun.edu/sunnydays/ or call (818) 677-3617. Discounts are available for CSUN faculty, staff and students.

The university also offers academic enrichment programs for elementary, middle and high school students.

The Summer Academic Program for Elementary School Students (SAPESS) runs from June 16 to July 25. The program offers small class sizes in order to foster the social and emotional growth of students, as well as to promote the academic success of each child. The classes are planned collaboratively by all of the program’s teachers to motivate and challenge students.

For more information about the program, costs or to register, visit the SAPESS website at www.csun.edu/education/sapess/ or call (818) 677-4886.

The Summer Academic Enrichment Program (SAEP), which runs from June 23 to July 25, offers classes to middle and high school students designed to reinforce and enhance the curriculum of their regular schools. The program also offers courses to high school students seeking to earn high school credit during the summer.

For more information about the program, costs or to register, visit the SAEP website at www.csun.edu/eisner-education/summer-academic-enrichment-program?from or call (818) 677-6300.

CSUN also offers a variety of sports camps — including soccer, tennis, basketball, volleyball, softball and baseball — during the summer. For more information, visit the website www.gomatadors.com/information/camps/index.

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