The a cappella group Black to Gold opened our summer season with a Festival celebrating the possibilities of individual and collective VOICES. In their rendition of a song from the Broadway musical "Hamilton," they sang the lyrics, "Look around, look around / at how lucky we are to be alive right now." Hearing those words captured exactly what it feels like to be at Usdan right now. 

Keep reading for a slice of the first week of summer camp. 

Lauren Brandt Schloss 
Executive Director

The theme of the summer is VOICE; the element of the summer is EARTH; and the insect of the summer is ANT. In every summer newsletter, we will provide an update on how these inspirations showed up on campus that week. To start, here's an update on EARTH! 

EARTH on campus 

This week, we celebrated EARTH by noticing the ability of Usdan's trees and landscape to help our community stay cool during the heat wave.

The hundred of trees that make up Usdan's rolling campus provide generous shade while helping cool the air through a natural process called evapotranspiration, where water released from the leaves helps lower its surrounding temperature. Combined with the gentle slopes of the campus that encourage cooler air to circulate, Usdan's landscape creates a naturally cooler environment, even on the hottest summer days.

EARTH at Festival 

At Festival on Wednesday, July 1, Usdan Artist in Residence Lisa Schonberg, accompanied by her bandmate Sara Wentworth, shared a meandering composition of sounds recorded while climbing a mountain in the Adirondacks, encouraging students to listen more closely to the noises of the EARTH around them.  

Lisa is also inviting students and staff to participate in creating audio for the Usdan Sound Walk, which will premiere on Community Day on Wednesday, July 23. If your student is interest in contributing, encourage them to speak to their teacher. No music experience necessary! 

WHAT'S COMING UP AT USDAN

• Save the Date for 2026 Community Gatherings
  • July Community Day: Wed, Jul 22 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:05 p.m.
  • Hip-Hop Pool Party: Sat, Aug 8 from 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
  • August Community Day: Wed, Aug 19 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:05 p.m.
• Check out the 2026 Summer Calendar for a full list of Festival performances, Theater shows, in-studio performances, open studios, and more. Check out the last page of the calendar for details on how to visit for any show this summer. 
• Register for the My Style Camp Usdan Merch Workshop on Saturday, July 11 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at My Style Camp in Port Washington. This fun, hands-on event is open to all members of the Usdan community and 10% of the proceeds go back to supporting Usdan. Make sure to RSVP! 
• Enrollment for our second session (4-week B) running from July 27 – August 21 is still open. Enroll today! 
• Text 631-646-1677 with any enrollment questions or to schedule a one-on-one phone call. You may also reach us Mon – Fri, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at enrollment@usdan.org or by calling 631-643-7900.

Did you know about these tuition discounts? 

If you believe Summer Arts Camp at Usdan is a valuable place for children to experience the transformative power of the arts, we hope you will take a few minutes today to think of a child in your life who would thrive at camp and share our program with them.

Friend Referral Discount: For every new family who enrolls and was referred by your family, you will receive a $150 tuition discount.

Alumni Referral Discount: Any new student referred by a Usdan alum—a former Usdan student who has completed a summer at Usdan and has graduated grade 12—will receive a 10% tuition discount. This includes children of alumni, extended family members, and friends.

Sibling Discount: Two children: $500 off the second 8-week child enrolled; $250 off the second 4-week child enrolled. Three or more children: $1,200 off each additional 8-week child enrolled; $600 off each additional 4-week child enrolled.

Scholarships and discounts cannot be combined to total 25% or more of the original tuition and are not available for our 1-week Recreational Camp Program. Learn more.

NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

ANNOUNCING THE NEW "U" 

Yesterday we announced our latest "U" graphic, inspired by student submissions by Anjelina, Jacob, Mattheos, Raquel, Takoda, Zack, and Zoe. Bravo to these young artists! 

When asked why he submitted a microphone for the new "U," Takoda shared that the microphone is a great representation of the values of Usdan. "Speak up and your voice will be heard!" 

To celebrate the new "U", there are keychains and t-shirts available in the Campus Store. Additionally, all 2026 students should have received a patch with the latest U design at Family Orientation or in the mail along with the 2026 Calendar. 

2027 “U” designs 

Encourage your student to submit a design for Summer 2027! They can pick up a submission sheets at the Green Sign and drop off finished designs in the boxes drop off the sheet at the designated boxes at the Green Sign, Welcome Center, and Amphitheater! Submissions are accepted throughout the summer. 

PARTNERS IN THE ARTS CORNER

In the spirit of July 4th, the Partners in the Arts (and sometimes the leaders) were challenged to think critically about their upcoming barbecues. 

While Sam and I were making our rounds during lunch, we stopped by to chat with the stduents about the food they brought from home. However, one of these little chats had more of an impact than we thought. Thus, the question of the day was born: “Is a hot dog a sandwich?”

Conversations spread like wildfire among the lunch tables as our young friends made their cases about whether a hot dog is, or is not, a sandwich. Not only were they thinking about food in a way they never had before, but they were practicing how to respectfully disagree while bringing our little communities together in ways campers never saw coming.

This conversation sparked other ideas, like how pizza (upon being folded) is not a sandwich and how cereal with milk is "kinda like a soup." However, the most important things that our campers found were the new friends they met while having a silly conversation about food.

Happy 4th of July! 

– Jack Soldano
Supervision Assistant with Partners in the Arts (grades 2-3) 

Interested in volunteering at Usdan this summer? 

Email volunteers@usdan.org if you are interested in contributing to the transformative power of the arts on campus this summer! 

SAVE THE DATE: RETURN2U

Mark your calendars! Return2U for 2027 enrollment opens Wednesday, July 22. 

Return2U is an early enrollment program for returning students and their siblings that locks in the best possible tuition rate. It’s an opportunity to promise your child another inspiring summer full of boundless creativity, play, and friendship amidst the wonder of 140-acres of natural beauty. 

Do you have any Usdan news we should know about? Write to us at media@usdan.org or tag us on Instagram @usdanarts, and we may feature it in our next newsletter or on our social channels!