Atchison church to host affordable summer musical camp for students

Atchison families will have a low-cost summer music option close to home, with Atchison United Methodist Church offering the Atchison Area Choral Camp for two age groups and a $30 registration fee that will benefit the Atchison Community Chorus.

Students in grades 3 through 8 are scheduled for July 13-17, while high school students will attend June 15-19. Zac Clemens is serving as co-director, and enrollment is being handled through 913-364-7108 or zac.clemens@gmail.com. For parents looking for an affordable structured activity during summer break, the price point stands out: $30 for a week of music instruction is far below what many families pay for outside-the-area camps or private lessons.

The camp will be hosted at Atchison United Methodist Church, 501 Kansas Avenue, a congregation that says it has been part of Atchison since the 1840s and has operated from its current location since 1916. The church describes itself as a multigenerational family engaged in community outreach, and this camp fits that role by bringing students into a familiar local setting rather than sending them out of town for arts programming.

The church’s music connections already run deep in Atchison. The Atchison Choir works with more than 40 young people from the surrounding area and students from Benedictine College, showing that there is already a strong choral base in town. Atchison United Methodist Church has also said it raised more than $1,500 for the Atchison Community Choir, another sign that the camp is part of a broader effort to keep local singing programs active and supported.

That matters for a community where summer months can leave families piecing together childcare, enrichment and transportation. A camp at 501 Kansas Avenue gives students a chance to stay engaged, build performance confidence and work with peers in their own town. With separate sessions for younger students and high schoolers, the program is set up to match instruction to age and experience while keeping the entire effort rooted in Atchison.