Welcome Voices from the Field
Classes
Comics and Zines- Danielle Fodor
Let's make comics and zines together! Comics are made when drawings and words come together to tell a story, share a feeling, or make a joke. Zines are small, handmade magazines, which can be made of comics, writing, or collage. Tiny but powerful, zines and comics are have been used around the world to share ideas, speak uncomfortable truths, and for the voiceless to gain power. In this class, we'll make comics and create zines to trade with each other.
Poetry As The Means We Need-Alejandro Jimenez
Our words, our stories; and the way we tell those stories, can lead to transformational change - collective and/or individually. It can also lead to a sense of power, a sense of belonging, and being enough, and that who we are, where we come from are not things that should confine us but rather can propel us forward. That is the intent of this class: to explore, examine, and elevate the power of our story through poetry.
Folklorico Dance – Garcia Luna & Olivas Frederico
Learn traditional Mexican folkloric dance in this class with Luna. This dance is high energy with lots of movement and footwork! Folklorico is a combination of Mexican culture and history translated into rhythm and body movement. Dancing as a group, we work on coordination and expression. You’ll learn dances from the Costa Chica Region of the state of Guerrero focused on the style known as Chilenas. To find the beginning of this style you have to go to South America and Chile. The dances were introduced to Guerrero during the California “gold rush” in which Chilean ships stopped in Costa Chica for supplies, allowing the sailors to share their lively dances with locals, who took the dances and made them their own.
Theater Creation – Marisol Rosa-Shapiro
Explore a variety of theatrical means for telling stories. Our emphasis will be on playful exploration that employs the poetic body, voice, and imagination to create brand new, collaborative works of theater. Participants will wear a variety of creative hats, including actor, director, and writer.
Music & Roots – Joe Seamons
Learn to hear and play instruments and songs that laid the foundation for American music as we know it! This class will give you experience playing music with others on an instrument of your choice. Guitar, banjo, fiddle and mandolin, singing, and percussion are all options for students, and beginners are welcome.
Giant Puppets – Margie McDonald
Bring Giants to life with you inside. Students will create large puppets using simple materials such as cardboard, wire, fabric, sticks and tape. You will learn to put cardboard together use a sewing awl and hot glue. The final product can be based on something that exists such as animals or is fabricated from your imagination. The Giants come to life on stage for Friday’s Student Showcase.
FAQ
Parents
The safety and comfort of your children is our highest priority. Meals at Fort Worden State Park are served on campus at the Fort Worden Commons. Students are housed in historic fort buildings renovated as dormitories.
What to Bring & What Not to Bring
Cell phones and electronic devices are not allowed at Centrum Youth Programs. In case of emergency, Centrum's program manager and staff carry phones and will notify you as soon as possible. You may leave a message for your student at any time with Program Manager Alyssa de Leon (360) 385-3102 x120. You will receive contact information in an email prior to the start of the program.
Please bring these items:
• An extra blanket (it can be cold)
• Warm clothes (including a warm jacket)
• Rain gear • Clothes you can get messy in (paint, etc.)
• Soap & shampoo
• Day Pack
• Water bottle or canteen
• Hat (such as a baseball cap)
• An alarm clock
• Flashlight
• Spiral notebook or journal
• Pens, pencils and erasers
• Clothes you can MOVE in for dance, theater, etc. (not jeans)
OPTIONAL
• Musical instruments
• Camera
• Quarters and soap (To do laundry)
• Healthy snacks (Centrum provides three meals a day, as well as light evening and afternoon snacks. Students are welcome to bring additional snacks, however we strongly discourage sending students to Centrum with large amounts of sugary snacks).
• Linens are provided in the dormitory, including pillows, sheets, blankets and towels, but an extra blanket can come in handy.
• Bathing suit, if you are bashful. You may want to bring a suit for when you take a shower, although there are individual shower stalls for privacy.
Please go through this list carefully, and call if you have any questions. Providing extra care in helping your student prepare for the week will enhance their experience greatly. Thank you for your help!
If you have any more questions about Voices from the Fields, please contact Alyssa de Leon at 360-385-3102, x120, or adeleon@centrum (dot) org.
Faculty
Danielle Fodor
FacultyDanielle Fodor is a visual artist who works with the communities and individuals to create vibrant visions of today and tomorrow. She has worked with hundreds of volunteers to paint murals and public plazas, designed giant puppets and banners, and written and illustrated indie comics and zines. Her work transforms people and places by celebrating common ground, expressing unspoken emotions, and nourishing the connections between people, place, and the natural world.…
Luna Garcia
Faculty
Luna Garcia started dancing Folklorico at age seven with the dance group Joyas Mestizas. In 2007, she started teaching with Joyas Mestizas, and she started dancing with Bailadores de Bronce. Dancing and teaching with both organizations, she has been able to promote and present the beauty of Folklorico throughout the Seattle area. She has taken classes and workshops with renowned Folklorico teachers such as Jose Tena from New Mexico State University and Samuel Cortez from Los Lupeños, San Jose.
Alejandro Jimenez
Faculty
ALEJANDRO JIMENEZ is a nationally and internationally recognized poet from Colima, Mexico. He was featured in TIME Magazine as one of 80 Mexican artists shaping contemporary Mexican culture. His work, and story, are the subject of a short documentary for the PBS series, American Masters: In The Making, which highlights emerging cultural icons.…
Margie McDonald
Faculty
Margie McDonald is the artistic director for the Port Townsend Wearable Art Show now heading into its sixth year.
Margie’s work in Wearable art and sculpture has been exhibited in the New Zealand World of Wearable Art Exhibition, Bainbridge Island Art Museum, Museum of Northwest Art, Northwind Arts Center and Simon Mace Gallery.
Marisol Rosa-Shapiro
Faculty
Marisol Rosa-Shapiro is a New York and Seattle-based performer, director, teaching artist, and creator of original works of theater. She is a graduate of Princeton University and of Giovanni Fusetti’s Lecoq-based Helikos School of Theatre Creation in Florence, Italy. Her specialties include mask theater, mime, clown, commedia dell’arte, improvisation, physical comedy, movement-and ensemble-based creation and more.…
Classes
Students work in small groups that rotate through activities in the field as well as in performance studios, museum and aquarium exhibits. Each day offers a mix of both scientific and artistic workshops. The group size is small to allow for maximum personal attention and minimum impact on fragile environments.
Evening programs include storytelling, activities at the Marine Science Center, and a student presentation on the final night, showcasing new learning about marine ecosystems and sharing artistic creations.
2024 Class Descriptions Coming Soon!
Past Schedule for Reference:
Environmental Learning Through Song and Dance:
This class, led by longtime performer Billy B, give students an opportunity to integrate environmental facts and concepts through movement. Students will sing along and rock out to Billy’s original environmental education music hits!
Drift: Investigating Our Shoreline Through Visual Art
During this class, students make their own accordion sketchbooks and use them to collect and display their work as we investigate and record what washes up along the waters edge (both natural and man-made). Along the way, we experiment with a wide range of media, such as line drawing, watercolor, and alternative printmaking techniques to help us capture our observations and tell the stories behind what we find and the forces that brought them to our shoreline.
Experiments Writing in the Field
Inspired by marine science—its methods, creatures, plants, and stories—the Vis-à-Vis Society uses observation, games, and improv theater to generate creative writing in many forms. We explore the landscape of Fort Worden to find words and characters and use our scientific discoveries to fuel our imaginations. Founder and charter members of the Cephalopod Appreciation Society, Sierra and Rachel have been collaborating as writers and performers for over 15 years and are excited to share some of their playful and unusual techniques that bring writing to another level! Ask them about becoming members of the Cephalopod Society!
Gray Whale Articulation
Students work together to articulate the skeleton of a gray whale and learn the story of its stranding, how marine mammals are specially adapted to survive and thrive in the ocean, and how human activities have impacted gray whale populations in the past as well as current efforts to protect them and other marine mammal species.
Introduction to Invertebrates
Marine invertebrates make up some of the most interesting and colorful members of marine life in the Salish Sea. Students explore aquarium tidepool tanks filled with local invertebrates, observing the adaptations these organisms have for feeding, movement and protection. From their observations, students define the basic characteristics of four major invertebrate groups. Finally, students use their invertebrate knowledge and artistic skills to invent an invertebrate that could thrive in a Salish Sea habitat of their choosing.
Plankton Lab
During this inquiry lab, students become scientists working together to collect a sample from the Marine Science Center’s pier and then use microscopes to discover, identify and draw the life teaming in a drop of water. Much of what they will discover in the sample is plankton, which is the basis of the marine food web in the Salish Sea and oceans worldwide. Discussions touch on the role of plankton in marine food webs, plankton adaptation, local factors affecting the abundance of plankton, including how human activities in and near the water both affect and are affected by plankton in the Salish Sea.
Science in the Field
During one full day outdoors, students explore three different aquatic environments—a freshwater pond, a brackish lagoon, and the shore of the Salish Sea. Through observation of plants and animals, water quality measurements, and group discussion, students learn to recognize the characteristics of each habitat. In the process, they also develop a deeper awareness of the importance of wild, undisturbed habitats, and the best ways to live in harmony with nature. Other class content will integrate current issues, sustainability, and scientific research of the Salish Sea.
Tuition
Costs
Tuition, room and board, per student: $600
Chaperones: free
Scholarships are available for those who are not able to otherwise attend. If the full tuition is a significant financial burden to you, please select the scholarship/work-trade registration type. Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served; and as-needed basis. Apply online as you register.For this program, students sign up in groups of 4 to 6 with an adult chaperone. Tuition plus room and board are free for chaperones, but each chaperone needs to be registered. Meals are served at Fort Worden Commons.
Don’t wait until the deadline to register – Water World fills up quickly!
FAQ
Parents
The safety and comfort of your children is our highest priority. Meals at Fort Worden State Park are served on campus at the Fort Worden Commons. Students are housed in historic fort buildings renovated as dormitories.
Scholarships
Scholarships are available for those who are not able to otherwise attend. If the full tuition is a significant financial burden to you, please select the scholarship/work-trade registration type. Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served; and as-needed basis. Apply online as you register.
What to Bring & What Not to Bring
Cell phones and electronic devices are not allowed at Centrum Youth Programs. In case of emergency, Centrum's program manager and staff carry phones and will notify you as soon as possible. You may leave a message for your student at any time with Program Manager Alyssa de Leon (360) 385-3102 x120. You will receive contact information in an email prior to the start of the program.
Please bring these items:
• An extra blanket (it can be cold)
• Warm clothes (including a warm jacket)
• Rain gear
• Clothes you can get messy in (paint, etc.)
• Soap & shampoo
• Day Pack
• Water bottle or canteen
• Hat (such as a baseball cap)
• An alarm clock
• Flashlight
• Spiral notebook or journal
• Pens, pencils and erasers
• Clothes you can MOVE in for dance, theater, etc. (not jeans)
OPTIONAL
• Musical instruments
• Camera
• Quarters and soap (to do laundry)
• Healthy snacks (Centrum provides three meals a day, as well as light evening and afternoon snacks. Students are welcome to bring additional snacks, however we strongly discourage sending students to Centrum with large amounts of sugary snacks).
• Linens are provided in the dormitory, including pillows, sheets, blankets and towels, but an extra blanket can come in handy.
• Bathing suit, if you are bashful. You may want to bring a suit for when you take a shower, although there are individual shower stalls for privacy.
Please go through this list carefully, and call if you have any questions. Providing extra care in helping your student prepare for the week will enhance their experience greatly. Thank you for your help!
If you have any more questions about Water World, please contact Alyssa de Leon at 360-385-3102, x120, or adeleon@centrum (dot) org.
Faculty
Bill Brennan
FacultyBilly is a dynamic songwriter and performer who has been commissioned to create stage shows, produce albums of original music, and star in video projects for prominent environmental organizations such as the National Geographic Society, The World Wildlife Fund, Project Learning Tree, The Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Baltimore Woods Nature Center and the France and Merrick Foundations.…
Sierra Nelson
Poet and essayist Sierra Nelson has taught creative writing at University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Marine Labs. has been writing, performing, and creating installations for over 15 years as co-founder of the literary performance groups “The Typing Explosion” and “Vis-à-Vis Society.”
Rachel Kessler
Rachel Kessler has been writing, performing, and creating installations for over 15 years as co-founder of the literary performance groups “The Typing Explosion” and “Vis-à-Vis Society.” She is also a poet, essayist, and comics artist.
Sadie LeDonna and Shawn Kellogg
Sadie LeDonna and Shawn Kellogg have been teaching and performing together for over 7 years. They have organized festivals, summer camps, and workshops together and have created and performed in several independent full-length shows as well as with their own acts for a variety of events.
Sadie and Shawn founded Pop-Up Movement in 2019. Throughout the pandemic, they designed and built their gym in the Port Townsend area.…
Hannah Viano
Faculty
Hannah Viano is an adventurous artist, educator, and mother living and creating in the Pacific Northwest. Her artwork is done in a variety of media, all starting from sketch studies in the field and then moving to the studio, using simple tools to create graphic images and capture the essential lines of a place or subject.…
Carolyn Woods
Faculty
Carolyn Woods is the Education Coordinator at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center. In her many different roles at the Marine Science Center she has led education programs on a variety of Salish Sea marine biology topics from plankton to sea birds, in addition to responding to the occasional stranded seal pup or diving deep into dissecting a beached gray whale.…
