Monday, June 20, 2011

Making a subject like history interesting to kids ages 9-12 can be a tough task. Two new University of North Carolina Wilmington youth camps hope to break that barrier this summer by partnering with local historic sites to give kids memorable trips into the past.

Coastal Warriors, a camp geared towards elementary school boys, will be offered June 20-24, while Port Belles, geared towards female campers, will be offered June 27-July 1. Specific media opportunities including cannon firing, fabric dyeing and more are listed below.

Coastal Warriors will focus on the military history of the lower Cape Fear region. Campers will participate in hands-on activities that explore topics ranging from the pirates of the early 1700s to the battleships of WWII at locations like Moore's Creek National Battlefield and the USS North Carolina Battleship. Highlights include making pirate flags, a knots course, learning how to read a map and compass, swordplay and firing a dry cannon.

Port Belles will focus on how women have made a difference in history, specifically in North Carolina, and how their roles have changed over time. Bellamy Mansion, Oakdale Cemetery, the Hannah Block Community Arts Center and more will be visited. Campers will participate in fun activities like dyeing with indigo, investigating Civil War espionage, cooking Gullah-style, using signal codes onboard a WWII battleship and taking part in an air raid drill.

Both camps will be led by students of the UNC Wilmington history department. Jack Fryar, instructor for Coastal Warriors, has written or edited more than 22 books about the history of the lower Cape Fear and the N.C. coast. Fryar said, "My love of history started young, and I hope I can instill some of that in the kids who attend our camp.

Kimberly Sherman, instructor of Port Belles, said, "The normal, everyday people who have made an impact on history fascinate me, and I knew that sharing this with students would be a great way to empower them."

For more information on the camps, visit: http://uncw.edu/dpscs/YouthProgramsRegistration.htm .

Media Opportunities:

11 a.m. Wednesday, June 22, Moore's Creek National Battlefield

Revolutionary War swordplay activities

11 a.m. Thursday, June 23, Fort Fisher

Game of town ball, a variation of baseball that soldiers played during the Civil War

9:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 28, UNCW's Friday Annex room 180

Indigo fabric dyeing

12:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 28, Bellamy Mansion at 5^th and Market

African fabric weaving

Media Contact:

Joy Davis, media relations, 910.962.3616 or davisjc@uncw.edu

Emily Jones, media relations, 910.962.3171 or jonesel@uncw.edu