STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

There’s a new summer camp in town—a fantastical camp complete with a dungeon master.

Local storytellers and performers Matt Musgrove and Chris Carwithen are offering a D&D Summer Camp dubbed The Hero’s Legion at the Sun Valley Community School. The five-day camps will be held in June, July and August.

The immersive tabletop role-playing game is targeted toward students ages 11 through 16. It will combine the imaginative world of Dungeons & Dragons with hands-on learning in storytelling, improvisation, teamwork and creative problem solving.

Students will build communication and leadership skills, confidence and creativity through collaborative adventures and character-driven questions.

“I am absolutely thrilled to bring the magic of Dungeons & Dragons to Sun Valley Community School this year!” said Clay Warner, SVCS’s summer programs director. “D&D camp is more than just a game; it’s an incredible space for students to build collaborative storytelling skills, solve complex problems and unleash their creativity. I can't wait to see the legendary adventures our students create together!"

Participants will create heroes, forge alliances, solve mysteries in an evolving fantasy world.  Organizers say that the experience is as educational as it is entertaining.

“This is more than a game,” said Musgrove, the camp’s founder. “It is collaborative theatre, creative writing, leadership training and imaginative problem-solving brought to life through a heroic adventure."

Dungeons and Dragons has been extremely popular since it was created.

“As both a father and an artist, I’m quickly learning how vitally important it is to find new and exciting ways to engage young learners,” said Carwithen, the camp’s co-runner and co-founder of Hailey’s previously titled Liberty Theatre Company. “Our goal in this setting is no different than how we operate in the theatre; we work together, audiences and actors alike, to create a shared reality, and we come out the other side having learned something profound about ourselves and our world through storytelling.

“The ability to tap into our shared imagination is one of the most powerful educational tools we possess. This camp is built to foster that power.”

D&D Camp sessions will take place June 8-19, July 20-24, and August 10-14, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Students may enroll in any individual week-long session for $375 or participate in the discounted two-week “Full Odyssey” experience in June for $650.

Learn more at https://www.communityschool.org/summer-program. For questions, contact MattMusgrovia@gmail.com.