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Camp ASPIRE returns to empower students with essential life skills

ASU’s Department of Psychology teaches elementary, middle school students how to manage stress and grow in social settings


June 5, 2023

Camp ASPIRE, a virtual summer program at Arizona State University that combines strength-based skills training and engaging activities to empower students and foster the development of essential life skills, is returning for its fourth year. 

Led by clinical psychology graduate students, Camp ASPIRE (ASU’s Skills Program Inspiring and Reinforcing Excellence) aims to equip children and adolescents with the tools needed to navigate life’s challenges and embrace their full potential. Through interactive sessions full of activities, collaboration and reflection, participants learn to manage emotions, build social skills and develop problem-solving abilities, all in a virtual setting accessible to anyone with an internet connection.  Young women looking at an open laptop screen Led by clinical psychology graduate students at ASU, Camp ASPIRE returns for its fourth year, offering a virtual summer program that equips children and adolescents with the tools they need to navigate life’s challenges. Sessions begin on June 12 and July 10. Photo courtesy Unsplash Download Full Image

“You won’t find a summer camp that has more qualified camp counselors,” said Matt Meier, clinical associate professor and co-director of clinical training. “On top of their expertise, our graduate students are just a bunch of good people. They’re counselors that are excited to be interacting with kids, and they have the skills needed to do so effectively.” 

Camp ASPIRE provides students with the tools they need to respond and participate fully in their lives, so that they can show up as the best versions of themselves. It’s not therapy — instead, it’s a program designed to help students from all backgrounds learn to positively approach life experiences and challenges. Programming and activities look different for various ages, and students are grouped accordingly. 

Rising third- through sixth-graders make up the younger age group and benefit from research and activities adapted from Associate Professor Armando Pina’s Courage Lab and offshoot programs like COMPASS for Courage. A game-based environment helps children to socialize, better understand their emotions and learn how to handle uncomfortable or stressful situations.

“Think of things like the movie 'Inside Out.' That did a lot of really great work giving personalities to different emotions and helping us see that we all have these emotions inside of us,” said Rana Uhlman, a doctoral student and Camp ASPIRE facilitator. “We build off this idea of characters with the younger group, and we play games that identify the different ways unpleasant emotions like anxiety, anger, worry or fear show up. One of the fun games we play is Simon Says Emotion, where we have campers display what that emotion looks like so they have awareness of the different feelings that pass through their bodies.”

Students are given vocabulary to help describe what they are feeling, and they’re equipped with the skills needed to process emotions like worry. A game called Worry Head is used to teach students how to identify and investigate things that might be causing them concern. Instead of feeling anxious, counselors help students consider alternative possibilities to what a worry might be telling them.

Similar, approachable methods are applied to the older age group, too. Rising sixth- through eighth-graders are encouraged to envision their future and taught problem-solving skills so they can start building the lives they want to live. They learn to be independent and step into their individuality. 

“As students get older and are more engaged in social media, they often lose out on social skills like talking directly to people, learning to cope with their emotions and being able to pay attention to what other kids are going through. This program helps them focus on interacting with each other,” Meier said.

Programming is based on Provost Nancy Gonzales’ Bridges Program, an initiative designed to increase grades and confidence among teens while decreasing depressive and anxiety symptoms. Participants learn to create small, achievable goals that contribute to larger aspirations. They are connecting with people their age, finding similarities and working with adults.

Constructed out of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic, Camp ASPIRE continues in a virtual setting for the benefit of its participants and is not limited to Arizona residents. Campers meet three times per week for shorter bursts of structured time, helping them stay engaged with activities so they stick long after the program ends.

“They’re not spending an entire day zoned into a screen. The bite-sized programming gives students a chance to practice new skills in between us seeing them,” Uhlman said. “We’re able to check in and reinforce these skills as campers build them into their daily lives. We see so much growth.”

Camp runs for two weeks, meeting online from 1 to 3 p.m. Arizona time Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The program is $100 per child and contains activities akin to previous camp years. Scholarships are available based on financial need. Sessions begin on June 12 and July 10. To sign up, fill out the interest form online.

Solutions Online Tempe campus Department of Psychology The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Psychology Parent Community
Laura Fields
Laura Fields

Marketing and communication manager, Department of Psychology

Laura.fields@asu.edu

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ASU Gammage hosts annual High School Musical Theatre Awards A group of high school students all dressed in black posing for a photo with production signs surrounding them.

ASU Gammage hosted the annual High School Musical Theatre Awards, an opportunity for young Valley artists to be celebrated and showcase their skills, on May 27. The ceremony is the predecessor for the Jimmy Awards, a national event held annually in New York City at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre.  “It’s a night of recognition, praise and celebration for all of the talented, skilled and crafte...

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ASU Gammage hosts annual High School Musical Theatre Awards


June 5, 2023

ASU Gammage hosted the annual High School Musical Theatre Awards, an opportunity for young Valley artists to be celebrated and showcase their skills, on May 27. The ceremony is the predecessor for the Jimmy Awards, a national event held annually in New York City at Broadway’s Minskoff Theatre.  

“It’s a night of recognition, praise and celebration for all of the talented, skilled and crafted performances put on by our high school students — and year after year, we happen to have a lot of talent in front of the stage curtain and behind it,” said Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, executive director of ASU Gammage. “These students are the future professional actors, actresses, stage managers, tech directors and creatives who will continue to keep this signature American art form alive.”  A group of high school students all dressed in black posing for a photo with production signs surrounding them. Chandler High School won Best Musical this year for its production of "Anastasia." This was the school’s third time winning Best Musical in the four years it’s participated. Download Full Image

This year, 400 performers from 25 high schools walked the red carpet, performed a number from their school production, and learned which finalists ultimately became the winners of 14 performance and technical categories.   

Award categories range from Excellence in Stage Management to Best Vocalist, and nominees performed highlights of their performances on a world-class stage.  

Chandler High School won Best Musical for its second year in a row for its production of "Anastasia." This was the school’s third time winning Best Musical in the four years it’s participated.   

Alyse Negroni from Hamilton High School is this year’s Best Lead Female winner, and Denver Dickenson from Casteel High School is this year’s Best Lead Male. Negroni and Dickenson are nominees for the Jimmy Awards and will head to the Big Apple for a week of intensive training before performing and competing in the national ceremony on June 26.  

You can watch the Arizona nominees compete via the livestream.

Three people stand behind a podium, one with a microphone.

Alyse Negroni from Hamilton High School and Denver Dickenson from Casteel High School are this year's Best Lead Female and Best Lead Male, respectively, as well as nominees for the Jimmy Awards on June 26.

Photo courtesy ASU Gammage
A group of performers stand together on stage with arms and fists raised.

Schools in central and northern Arizona sent 400 performers to this year's High School Musical Theatre Awards.

Photo courtesy ASU Gammage
A group of performers in formal wear stand on a stage for a photo.

This year marks Chandler High School's second win in a row for Best Musical.

Photo courtesy ASU Gammage
Person with a multicolor cloth surrounding them while other performers dance around them.

The High School Musical Theatre Awards allows Valley students to showcase their skills and perform on the ASU Gammage stage.

Photo courtesy ASU Gammage
Woman stands behind a podium smiling.

Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, the executive director of ASU Gammage, attended the ceremony, praising the students as the future of theater.

Photo courtesy ASU Gammage
Creativity Tempe campus ASU Gammage Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts Arts Arts and Entertainment Education Grants / Awards Theater Alumni ASU Affiliate Community Campus student Faculty Student
Jillian Cote
Jillian Cote

Marketing & Communications Assistant, ASU Gammage

jecote@asu.edu

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