A lifelong love of learning begins right here. Register now for one or both weeks of our creative learning summer enrichment program for 3rd - 12th grade.
Who:
AICL is designed for rising 3rd to 12th graders.
Campers can attend as a residential or a day camper.
What:
An academic summer camp with classes designed to both introduce the novice and challenge the advanced learner. The classes are small, and our innovative teachers create an environment in which learning is fun and curiosity is rewarded. We offer a wide variety of courses, hoping to encourage our campers to choose subjects that may be outside of their comfort zone. Campers have the opportunity to engage in outdoor activities in the afternoon, then after dinner go to clubs and evening activities, which can range from campus-wide alien hunts to the disco.
When:
Week 1: July 6 - July 12, 2025
Week 2: July 13 - 19, 2025
Where:
Mars Hill University, North of Asheville, NC.
For more information, check out Mars Hill’s website!
Tuition:
$590/week for day campers
$949/week for overnight campers
$300/week for Junior Counselors
$175 for weekend fee
Schedule:
For each week-long session, campers choose four classes (9:00, 10:30, 1:00 & 2:30)
7:45-9:00 ~ Breakfast & Morning Meeting
9:00-10:30 ~ 1st Period
10:30-12:00 ~ 2nd Period
12:00-1:00 ~ Lunch
1:00-2:30 ~ 3rd Period
2:30-4:00 ~ 4th Period
4:00-5:15 ~ Afternoon Activities
5:30-6:15 ~ Dinner
6:15-7:30 ~ Clubs
7:30-9:00 ~ Evening Activities
9:00-10:00 ~ Dorm Time
10:00 ~ Lights Out
Scholarships:
Our scholarship applications are NOW CLOSED. We hope to announce scholarship decisions in early June. As a nonprofit, our scholarship program is made possible by the generosity of our community, so thank you so much to our donors!
More Info:
New to our program? Learn more by reviewing our camp policies or our Frequently Asked Questions. Feel free to reach out to us with specific questions at operationsmanager@appalachianinstitute.org or 828-782-3299.
Classes
NOTE: We will send out our class registration form upon completion of your registration, beginning the week of April 21st. Remember that classes are first-come, first-serve based on the time of your registration.
Week 1
Period 1
Formal Logic and Fallacies (Dylan Bradley)
Learn the tools to dissect arguments, find the most common logical fallacies, and build your own with the competence of Aristotle.
Bird Watching (David Dykes)
Armed with field guides and binoculars, we'll go hunting in the fields and forests for local and migratory birds. Be ready to take a daily stroll and practice the patience and woodcraft it takes to catalogue a few feathered friends onto your life list.
Sign Language (David Kyser)
Learn the basics of American sign language.
Y'all (Graham Marema)
Where did the Southern accent come from? How do you know one when you hear one? Do you have an accent? Does your aunt? What does your accent mean to you, or to the world around you?
Pop Psychology (Tara Watson)
Why does TikTok think everyone has ADHD? What does it actually mean to gaslight someone? Have you tried ‘manifesting’ your way to success? We’ll take a look at wellness influencers and current trends, explore what’s backed-up by research, and put some fun trends to the test.
Old Dogs and Young Pups (Jeremy Williams)
Life skills from old dogs and maybe teaching some old dogs new tricks. (With special guest from other old dogs on life lessons they've learned).
Nomic (Helen Tynes)
Nomic or Administrators Game is a game in which the rules of the game include mechanisms for the players to change those rules, usually beginning through a system of democratic voting. Players take turns proposing new rules that change how the game is played and won.
Embroidery (Lane Demaske)
Practical and beautiful, learn how to create art with a needle and thread.
How Did We Get here? (Lamont Holley)
We will explore the history of America with a focus on race. We'll use historic facts to draw parallels of our founding shenanigans to present day shenanigans.
Period 2
Diorama Dynomite (David Kyser)
Recreate your favorite scene from film or literature. You will build a miniature replica with as much detail as you can pack in there!
AICL Literary Journal (Graham Marema)
Writers of flash fiction, poetry, creative personal essays, and advice columns - come together to write and produce AICL's annual literary journal.
Biz Whiz Kids (Jamie Turner)
Calling all inventors, artists, snack-makers, pet lovers, fashionistas, gamers, slime scientists, and future CEOs! In Biz Whiz Kids, we’ll dive headfirst into the wild and wonderful world of entrepreneurship. Campers will brainstorm bold ideas, hatch exciting plans, sketch logos, create brand names, and dream up products or services that solve real (or hilariously imagined) problems. Campers will learn how to build their business from the ground up—then pitch their brand-new biz to a panel of fellow campers at the end of the week. Think of it as Shark Tank meets summer camp, minus the sharks.
Foundations of Video Creation (Jeremy Williams)
This is a crash course in making epic videos that grab attention and keep people watching! Using FOCA (Focus, Order, Clarity, Action) as our secret formula, you’ll learn how to plan, shoot, and edit like a pro—while stealing the best tricks from TikTok and other viral media. Whether you’re making content for fun, social media, or the next big trend, this class will level up your video skills and creativity.
Intro to Water Engineering (Helen Tynes)
How does water flow and move? What is pressure and velocity? We will explore the creek and build a miniature water tower to demonstrate water conveyance.
Unionize AILC! (Lane Demaske)
Come one! Come all! to the AICL union. Fight for better camp conditions, activities, staff and bargain your way to a better tomorrow.
Me 2.0 (Lamont Holley)
We are all trying to figure ourselves out on some level. In our class, we will explore the arts of mindfulness, self-expression, meditation, self/community awareness, and good old-fashioned loving ourselves to chart a path to do just that. Life is a journey of self exploration. Here are some tools for the ride.
Printmaking (Phil Blank)
The return of a classic! Learn classic one-color, two-color and multi-color lino-cut techniques while also exploring new innovations. We'll also explore the history of printmaking and how it changed the world.
Backyard Apothecary (Rachael Burton)
We will explore the area for local edible herbs, trees, and other plants for wildcrafting. Learn about the chemistry of plant medicine. Get your hands dirty and then clean, exploring essential oils, soaps, and herbal first aid goodies.
Period 3
Commas, Clauses, Word Soup (Dylan Bradley)
Why does grammar have so many rules? And so many seem completely useless! In this class, we will learn the rules to break them in pursuit of the ultimate anti-paragraphs.
Poetry (David Dykes)
Read and write poetry. We'll look at poetic form and technique, read some of my and your favorite poems, and spend some time composing and reading our own work.
Camp Staff Apprenticeship (David Kyser)
(CSAs ONLY): A foundational course offering hands-on experience shadowing AICL staff, leadership skills, childhood development, camper safety, and the hottest camp games. Formerly the Junior Counselor class.
Dancing Through the Ages (Graham Marema)
From the first moment someone beat a drum around a fire and began to tap their foot... to Elizabeth Bennett waltzing through a ballroom...to the cringiest TikTok dancers... humans have ALWAYS been dancing. Learn a new style of dance every day and the history and culture behind it.
Cut & Paste (Jamie Turner)
Explore the wildly expressive world of mixed media collage—where paint meets paper, pixels meet pastels, and imagination breaks all the rules. We'll start by diving into the roots of collage, from the political punch of Dada to modern mashups in zines. Through culture, history, and a few delightful detours, campers will see how mixed media has always been a playground for rebels, visionaries, and storytellers. Students will then get hands-on with everything from paint to glue and fabric to typewritten scraps and found objects. We'll experiment with layering, texture, color, and meaning—learning how to turn chaos into composition, randomness into resonance.
Know Thyself (Tara Watson)
What’s a more interesting subject than YOU? We’ll talk about personality tests, what they really say about us, the history of personality theory, and create our own AICL personality quiz!
Toothpick Bridge (Helen Tynes)
Which team can build the strongest bridge out of toothpicks and Elmer's glue? Bridges will be put to the test at the end of the week.
ENTERTAIN ME!!! (Lamont Holley)
There are countless board, video, arcade, athletic, etc. games. So let's make more! We'll play some games and see what we can come up with to improve it, make it more challenging, or more fun. Or we'll make our own from scratch. Let's take our creative minds, willingness to play, and tricks on a journey to wherever our minds take us.
Imagination: A Self Defense Manual (Phil Blank)
Forget unicorns and rainbows! Long before imagination was taken over by corporate sentimentality, it was the subject of lots of different types of ideas. We'll look at the good and the bad, and discover how imagination was considered and used, from antiquity to advertising.
The Science of Goo (Rachael Burton)
Dig into the wacky world of reuse and upcycling, where trash turns into treasure and gooey treats make everything sweeter! In this hands-on adventure, we'll scavenge for discarded gems-old junk, broken bits, and mystery objects-then transform them into creative works of art. Along the way, we'll explore the science behind waste, why upcycling matters, and how small changes can make a big impact on the planet. And because every great artist (and scientist!) needs fuel, we should eat warm, gooey chocolate chip cookies too. Come for the trash, stay for the goo!
The Leadership Lab (Will German, Chad Watson)
Rising high school (13+) campers can take a specific Collaborative Leadership course,called the Leadership Lab, where youth explore the practical application of the Collaborative Leadership Skills across various camp spaces and activities. Through engaging discussions and hands-on exercises, campers will discover how leadership skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving can enhance their impact in group settings. Each week campers select the way in which they demonstrate their knowledge as well as how they’ve observed camp staff leveraging and implementing collaborative leadership skills.
Period 4
Guerilla Filmmaking (Dylan Bradley)
We will make a movie in five days, a great movie!
NOIR (David Dykes)
Dive deeply into the depths of Noir fiction and film. We will define and discuss the genre then enjoy exemplars. We might even practice some writing and film-making, time and dispositions allowing.
Worn to Be Wild (Jamie Turner)
Take a journey through the evolution of fashion—from Egyptian linen dreams to Victorian drama, from 90s grunge to futuristic glam. We’ll peek at the pioneers, rebels, and icons who turned fabric into movement, mood, and message. Then, it’s time to turn trash into trend. Using upcycled materials (think old t-shirts, jeans, curtains, candy wrappers—yes, really), students will design and create their own original fashion piece that expresses who they are or what they believe in. We’ll end the session with a camp-wide Fashion Show Finale that is completely curated by the designers. Warning: side effects may include spontaneous strutting, radical self-expression, and an urge to sew everything in sight.
Compassionate Leadership (Tara Watson)
Whether you’re an aspiring leader or already in a leadership role, this skill-building workshop could be for you. We’ll focus on strengths-based coaching, effective communication, problem solving through critical thinking, and tools for cultivating trust within your community.
Welcome to the Dark Side 101 (Jeremy Williams)
Embrace the dark side of the force for fame, fortune, and power.
Tai Chi (Lane Demaske)
Relax and learn the basics of Tai Chi and Qui gong. Improve your mental state, well-being, and movement abilities.
The Art of the View (Lamont Holley)
There are so many interesting topics that can be explored. We're going to open those conversations by listening to poetry, songs, monologue, parts of books, etc and discussing our thoughts, emotions, concerns, and whatever else bubbles up, while doing a collective art piece. (As age appropriate varies widely, please be aware that mature topics will be discussed.)
Songwriting (Phil Blank)
Let's write songs. Silly songs, serious songs, weird songs, normal songs. 5 days and 5 techniques! We'll work together and we'll work solo. Don't need to be able to sing or play an instrument, but if you do play an instrument- bring it!
Backyard Apothecary (Rachael Burton)
We will explore the area for local edible herbs, trees, and other plants for wildcrafting. Learn about the chemistry of plant medicine. Get your hands dirty and then clean, exploring essential oils, soaps, and herbal first aid goodies.
LIT: Ignite the Night, formerly CIT Class (Will German, Chad Watson)
Rising juniors and seniors can enroll in a special project-based course offered once per week. Participants will plan and implement a Friday night activity, gaining hands-on experience in event planning, teamwork, and facilitation. Campers can sign up for one or two weeks.
Week 2
Period 1
Commas, Clauses, Word Soup (Dylan Bradley)
Why does grammar have so many rules? And so many seem completely useless! In this class, we will learn the rules to break them in pursuit of the ultimate anti-paragraphs.
Art of the Prank (David Dykes)
We'll look at some of the greatest pranks and pranksters of all time, pull a prank or two, and figure out what the point of pranking is anyway. How are pranks art? What elevates a prank from a mere joke to a consciousness raising act of subversion? Why is the history of Helen Prank, the original prank purveyor, omitted from history books and even from Wikipedia? We'll struggle to answer these and many more questions.
Sign Language (David Kyser)
Learn the basics of American sign language.
Wanderlust (Graham Marema)
Do you have an explorer's heart? Not sure where the winds of the universe will take you? We'll plan for the unplannable life, draw inspiration from stories of real-life adventure, and explore the far reaches of the world from the classroom.
Pop Psychology (Tara Watson)
Why does TikTok think everyone has ADHD? What does it actually mean to gaslight someone? Have you tried ‘manifesting’ your way to success? We’ll take a look at wellness influencers and current trends, explore what’s backed-up by research, and put some fun trends to the test.
Unionize AICL! (Lane Demaske)
Come one! Come all! to the AICL union. Fight for better camp conditions, activities, staff and bargain your way to a better tomorrow.
Me 2.0 (Lamont Holley)
We are all trying to figure ourselves out on some level. In our class, we will explore the arts of mindfulness, self-expression, meditation, self/community awareness, and good old-fashioned loving ourselves to chart a path to do just that. Life is a journey of self exploration. Here are some tools for the ride.
Period 2
Reading the Short Story (Dylan Bradley)
Read great stories and discuss why (or why not) we like them.
Dioramas are Dynamite (David Kyser)
Recreate your favorite scene from film or literature. You will build a miniature replica with as much detail as you can pack in there!
AICL Literary Journal (Graham Marema)
Writers of flash fiction, poetry, creative personal essays, and advice columns - come together to write and produce AICL's annual literary journal.
Compassionate Leadership (Tara Watson)
Whether you’re an aspiring leader or already in a leadership role, this skill-building workshop could be for you. We’ll focus on strengths-based coaching, effective communication, problem solving through critical thinking, and tools for cultivating trust within your community.
Foundations of Video Creation (Jeremy Williams)
This is a crash course in making epic videos that grab attention and keep people watching! Using FOCA (Focus, Order, Clarity, Action) as our secret formula, you’ll learn how to plan, shoot, and edit like a pro—while stealing the best tricks from TikTok and other viral media. Whether you’re making content for fun, social media, or the next big trend, this class will level up your video skills and creativity.
Upcycle and Repair Textiles (Lane Demaske)
Bring your favorite broken or too small/big clothing items and learn how to repair and make new things from them.
How Did We Get Here? (Lamont Holley)
We will explore the history of America with a focus on race. We'll use historic facts to draw parallels of our founding shenanigans to present day shenanigans.
Printmaking (Phil Blank)
The return of a classic! Learn classic one-color, two-color and multi-color lino-cut techniques while also exploring new innovations. We'll also explore the history of printmaking and how it changed the world.
Period 3
Weird, a History of the Strange (David Dykes)
We'll weird out to weird music, art, science, optical illusions, weird characters in real life, weird history, weird trivia, weird etymology and feelings. A deep dive into a weird well, this class will help you realize that the winning team is Team Weird.
Hands-on Environmentalist (Graham Marema)
Build a solar-powered oven. Prep your own zero waste kit. Turn trash into treasures. Use your hands and your brains to save the planet.
Salsa (Jeremy Williams)
Learn how to make your salsa. Spicy, sweet, smooth, chunky. However you like it.
The Art of the View (Lamont Holley)
There are so many interesting topics that can be explored. We're going to open those conversations by listening to poetry, songs, monologue, parts of books, etc and discussing our thoughts, emotions, concerns, and whatever else bubbles up, while doing a collective art piece. (As age appropriate varies widely, please be aware that mature topics will be discussed.)
Songwriting (Phil Blank)
Let's write songs. Silly songs, serious songs, weird songs, normal songs. 5 days and 5 techniques! We'll work together and we'll work solo. Don't need to be able to sing or play an instrument, but if you do play an instrument- bring it!
The Leadership Lab (Will German, Chad Watson)
Rising high school (13+) campers can take a specific Collaborative Leadership course,called the Leadership Lab, where youth explore the practical application of the Collaborative Leadership Skills across various camp spaces and activities. Through engaging discussions and hands-on exercises, campers will discover how leadership skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving can enhance their impact in group settings. Each week campers select the way in which they demonstrate their knowledge as well as how they’ve observed camp staff leveraging and implementing collaborative leadership skills.
Period 4
Guerilla Filmmaking (Dylan Bradley)
We will make a movie in five days, a great movie!
Job Fair (David Dykes)
Every day we will speak with different professionals and find out what it takes to make it in their field. Likely we will talk to at least one artist, a musician or two, a scientist, a teacher, and with luck the actual Commissioner of Fun.
Know Thyself (Tara Watson)
What’s a more interesting subject than YOU? We’ll talk about personality tests, what they really say about us, the history of personality theory, and create our own AICL personality quiz!
How to Win at Stuff (Jeremy Williams)
Competition is natural. Here's how to win and do it with grace.
Tai Chi (Lane Demaske)
Relax and learn the basics of Tai Chi and Qui gong. Improve your mental state, well-being, and movement abilities.
ENTERTAIN ME!!! (Lamont Holley)
There are countless board, video, arcade, athletic, etc. games. So let's make more! We'll play some games and see what we can come up with to improve it, make it more challenging, or more fun. Or we'll make our own from scratch. Let's take our creative minds, willingness to play, and tricks on a journey to wherever our minds take us.
Watercolor (Phil Blank)
We will take a deep dive into a loose style perfect for portraits, landscapes, or capturing the images in your imagination. No experience necessary.
LIT: Ignite the Night, formerly CIT Class (Will German, Chad Watson)
Rising juniors and seniors can enroll in a special project-based course offered once per week. Participants will plan and implement a Friday night activity, gaining hands-on experience in event planning, teamwork, and facilitation. Campers can sign up for one or two weeks.
