Duke Ellington- CAMP experience?

[Anonymous]

Can anyone share their child’s experience with the Duke Ellington CAMP (Cinema and Media) program? I’ve got a very bright rising 8th grader considering the program. He is very creative, very into movies, and a suprisingly astute cultural critic (I know that sounds weird to say about a 13 year old, and yes I am biased).

The feedback he gets from teachers is along the lines of “very smart, very funny, unique, deep thinker.” He’s not that into the production side of things but could learn, but that would probably never be his strength. His dream career would be something like SNL writer - more realistically I can see him in marketing or the business side of movies or TV. But all that said he is a typical 13 year old in terms of drive and focus and not a prodigy who stays up all night writing scripts …

Does CAMP sound like a good fit? What is an average day/week/year? What are the other kids like? Thanks!

[Anonymous]

He'll be fine in the program as long as he's willing to explore other forms of storytelling beyond writing, give and accept peer feedback, and be at school from 8:30AM - 5:00 PM every day. The kids in the program are like all the other kids in DC, and they also have an interest in storytelling in some form and are willing to commit to long school days.

You should attend some CAMP programs before you apply if you can. I think there's a showcase in the fall before applications are due.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He'll be fine in the program as long as he's willing to explore other forms of storytelling beyond writing, give and accept peer feedback, and be at school from 8:30AM - 5:00 PM every day. The kids in the program are like all the other kids in DC, and they also have an interest in storytelling in some form and are willing to commit to long school days.

You should attend some CAMP programs before you apply if you can. I think there's a showcase in the fall before applications are due.

Thanks! What are the CAMP kids doing after school? Working on productions?

[Anonymous]

OP - I was looking for info on summer camp at Ellington and can't find it on their website. Do you have a link? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP - I was looking for info on summer camp at Ellington and can't find it on their website. Do you have a link? Thanks.

CAMP is the abbreviation for the Cinema Arts and Media Production program! I’m not sure if they have a summer camp.

[Anonymous]

My daughter was just accepted to the vocals program, and we heard over and over again that the school wants to see prospective applicants at events introducing themselves to those in the departments, and showing they really are committed to spending the huge amounts of time after year to make themselves and DESA a success. What’s more, the application process is extremely daunting.

You may be prejudging your seventh grader, who knows where their strengths will lie in the future, and getting them around other creatives is the first step to any part of a creative future.

Has no one who graduated from your eighth grade class gone to DESA?

[Anonymous]

Thanks! What are the CAMP kids doing after school? Working on productions?

Have you explored their website at all? I encourage you to do that if you haven't. "Regular" classes (science, math, english, foreign language, etc) are from 8:30-2 PM. 2-5 PM is the arts block where they will be with their respective program cohort. For CAMP, it's lots of writing workshops and classes on media, cinema production, photography etc. Several times a year the program has film week where they watch and analyze films around a theme--horror, power, films from 1975 (when the school was founded), etc. The arts classes are classes with assignments and projects and grades. Twice a year there is a showcase performance/production and there is usually a freshman specific and a senior specific showcase in the spring as well. You are required to participate in a certain number to graduate.