Junior Players

Ages 5-8

Junior Players explore unique weekly themes through the creative components of arts and crafts, music, and performing arts!

In this integrated arts program, participants rotate daily through the creative components as they collaborate on a creative showcase that combines all of their artistic experiences. The schedule balances indoor and outdoor activities and engages kids in an immersive and age-appropriate way.

Designed specifically for children ages 5-8, participants will rotate daily through creative components emphasizing arts & crafts, music, and performing arts. Outdoor activities complement and balance the creative focus to provide a well-rounded, immersive, and fun experience. Each activity is led by a dedicated team of counselors whose background and passion are in youth development. The bonus of having the opportunity to work with a choreographer, art director, and music director, in the creative components brings an invaluable depth of knowledge and years of experience to this program.

This full-day program operates from 9:00-4:00 daily. Bus transportation is available.

2023 Themed Weeks

Time Travelers: This week, children explore decades past and present! There’s no limit to their explorations and time-traveling inventions! See the daily schedule.

On Safari: Lions, Tigers, and Giraffes, oh my! Campers are in for a real adventure this week as they access every ounce of their creativity to bring the savannah (and more!) to life through art and performance. See the daily schedule.

Art-lympics: What do sports and art have in common? Let’s find out! The Junior Players celebrate art and athletics this week as they stretch their creative minds. See the daily schedule.

Around the World: We can’t wait to learn more about art and culture from around the world this week! The campers will learn from each other as they share art and performance from their own cultures and explore a new art form each day! See the daily schedule.

Fairytale Directives: What really happened to the Wolf after encountering the 3 Little Pigs? Did Goldilocks really eat Baby Bear’s porridge? What was the motivation behind that Witch’s poison apple? Get ready to unpack these fairytale mysteries and more through art, song, and dance! See the daily schedule.

About the Space

The Brooks Studios and Stages Program provides participants with a variety of activities and spaces that no other local camp can equal. There is plenty of room to run and play, from tennis courts and fields to an archery range and gymnastics center. New for 2023, swimming is now part of this program. In addition to taking full advantage of our 270-acre campus on the shore of Lake Cochichewick, our newly constructed Center for the Arts building will house the creative components.

Group of kids sitting in a circle on top of a parachute

A Typical Day

Campers rotate through a schedule that changes daily and will ensure your child looks forward to camp every day. In these time blocks, students collaborate with one another, professional instructors, and counselors. There are outdoor breaks built into the day to allow students to expand their minds and stretch their bodies. Outdoor activities complement and balance the creative components to provide a well-rounded, immersive, and fun experience.

8:30-9:00	Drop-Off
9:00-9:10	Morning Meeting
9:10-9:50	Creative Block 1
10:00-10:40	Free Swim
10:40-10:50	Snack
10:50-12:20	Creative Blocks 2 & 3
12:20-12:45	Lunch
12:55-2:25	Creative Blocks 4 & 5
2:25-2:35	Snack
2:25-3:15	Gymnastics
3:20-3:50	Soccer
3:50-4:00	Afternoon Meeting
4:00-4:30	Pick-Up

Program Team

Meghan Hill

Producing Artistic Director

Megan grew up training horses on a farm in southern Mississippi before graduating magna cum laude with her BA in Theatre Studies and Dance from Wheaton College in Norton, MA where she was recognized for Excellence in Acting and awarded a Fulbright Scholarship. Hill also received a Certificate in Performance Studies and Movement from the Moscow Art Theatre School in Moscow, Russia. As a freelance director, actress and coach, she spent several years teaching communication and performance skills to young artists across America and then traveled to Istanbul, Turkey for five summers where she created and managed the performance arts portion of the Robert College Summer Program. Prior to joining Brooks School, Hill served as the producing artistic director of Watertown Children’s Theatre and the Mosesian Center for the Arts youth programs, where she developed educational theater programming and high-quality productions. When she’s not in the theater, Hill enjoys spending time with her family, giving new life to old furniture, and learning about holistic healing modalities.

Sarah Spollett

Art Technical Director

Sarah Spollett grew up in the neighboring town of Andover, doing hobby carpentry with her dad and community theater with her mom. She combined her love of both when she attended Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in Fine and Performing Arts, Music, and Theatre. Sarah then spent numerous years doing freelance carpentry for many regional theaters, including stints at the Weston Playhouse, Barnstormers Theatre, Tufts University, and the Watertown Children’s Theatre. She was a carpenter and then shop foreperson at the Tony Award-winning Huntington Theatre Company in Boston, before turning to education. Most recently, Sarah taught technical theatre and carpentry at Emerson College. When she’s not in the theater, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children in Cambridge, Mass., where they live, and working on their service project: making meals for people experiencing homelessness.

Kenya Jones

Community Engagement Supervisor

Kenya helps to create and foster a strong sense of teamwork, cooperation, and morale among all staff, campers, and families, as well as provides direct assistance to all program supervisors. For over twenty years, Kenya has been actively involved with the Brooks School Summer Programs as an activity counselor and LIT 1st and 2nd-year Coordinator. Kenya has been part of the Brooks School faculty since 2007, where he has held several roles, including form dean, psychology teacher, and coach, and now serves as the Director of Multicultural Affairs and Assistant Director of Admission. Kenya holds a B.S. from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell with a concentration in Psychology and a minor in Legal Studies. When not on campus, Kenya enjoys traveling, cooking, playing trivia, and rooting for all New York teams.

Nicole Belisle

Logistics Supervisor

Nicole has a passion for the food service industry. As part of the Brooks School Summer Programs, Nicole supervises the logistics team to ensure all programs remain in compliance with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and North Andover Board of Health. For almost twenty years, Nicole has been involved in school-based nutritional services. She holds industry certifications in ServSafe, Allergy Awareness, CPR, and First Aid. During the academic year, Nicole leads a team of youth development professionals in North Andover’s after-school program. Her hobbies include softball, tennis, and gamming. Nicole lives in North Andover with her husband, two dogs, and a cat.

Alison Cambridge

Health Services Supervisor

Alison directs all aspects of the health center’s operation in accordance with state and local regulations and collaborates with our Health Care Consultant. Alsion strives to ensure that all participants have a healthy and safe experience. She is committed to community health and health care equity. Alison has worked as a pediatric nurse for 17 years and has been a member of the Brooks School Summer Programs since 2018. During the school year, she works with local pediatrician’s offices and as a school nurse. Alison is the mother of three children who enjoy the outdoors. Her family is passionate about camping and boating in the summer and skiing and snowboarding in the winter.

Core Programs