Summer Radio Camp

Camp Information

Important: Space is limited to a maximum of 15 youths per day. Reserve now!

Location

2025: This year’s camp will be located at CHLY 101.7FM’s downtown studio. Participants will also have escorted access to Nanaimo’s downtown for parts of the camp to record audio.

Food

Participants should come with snacks, lunch, and a bottle to drink water from. On Fridays, pizza will be provided by Mambo Pizza. If your youth has allergies or food sensitivities, please note this in your registration. There may also be an opportunity to get cold Cold Front Gelato, which is a short walk from the station.

Supervision

All participants will be supervised by station staff whether in the studio, recording audio downtown, or on a walk to or from the park. All station staff have passed background checks for working with vulnerable people.

Ages

This camp is ideal for youths ages 10 to 14, but we do accept mature 9-year-olds, and youthful 15-year-olds.

Three weeks of the camp!

Historically, the camp has run in the first three weeks of August. In order to avoid a “short week” due to BC Day, our camp dates have been tentatively shifted into the last three full weeks of July from the 7th to the 25th.

• July 7th– 11th (FULL WEEK)

• July 14th–18th (FULL WEEK)

• July 21st–25th (FULL WEEK)

The day camp will operate

• Weekdays, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

• Earliest drop-off time: 8:45 AM.

• Latest pick-up time: 4:00 PM (for co-hosts of the day).

Camp cost per youth

We try to keep the camp affordable for participants and offer discounts for longer commitments.

• $40 per day (Please email summercamp@chly.ca for which dates you are registering for, and use the custom price field to pay).

• $200 for one week (No Discount).

• $360 for two weeks (10% Discount, save $40).

• $450 for all three weeks (20% Discount, save $150).

The camp involves:

• Introduction to radio broadcasting. A brief history of radio, and the different types of radio stations around the world.

• Introduction to podcasting. A brief history, what makes it different from radio? We’ll make some real and fake ads for air on the station!

• Introduction to advertising. A brief history. How do you write a good ad for radio?

• News reporting & journalism. What are the 5Ws? What are media ethics?

• Media Literacy. What is information? How do you figure out what’s true? What is misinformation and disinformation and how do you avoid spreading it?

• From production to broadcast or podcast.

  • Production. Participants will learn how to record their content in studio, and in the field.

    • Field Recording via regular escorted excursions downtown to local businesses, and locations to record natural sounds, local events and interviews. We’ll teach participants how to edit this audio and use it in their productions.

  • Post Production. How to edit and mix what we record.

• Basics of Voice Training. Youths will learn how to use their voices effectively for radio.

• Voice Acting. Youths can put their voice to work creating voice overs for station IDs, advertisements, public service announcements (PSAs), program promos, and other audio works.

  Mini Radio dramas. An introduction to the medium, and an option for creative youths! Youths can voice and record characters in mini radio dramas.

• Radio documentary. How do we tell an interesting story?

• Over the phone and in the field interviews with members of the community. Last year we had CHEK’s award winning indigenous journalist Tchadas Leo interviewed by our youths. In the past we’ve interviewed Mayor Leonard Krog, local musicians, and more! These show interviews will be featured on the VIU Meter.

• Musical guests. Local beatboxer Kyle Shepherd hosted a talk on how to beat box in 2023.

• On-air experience. Youths can sit in to co-host The VIU Meter from 3PM to 4PM with our hosts!

• Fun media-related daily activities. Games related to the above!

• And more! Sometimes we just come up with new ideas for the camp!

Diversabilities? Social Anxiety?

• Please connect with station staff to address any special needs that your youth may have, and our ability to accommodate these needs. We work to provide an inclusive environment, but also need to ensure adequate support for all participants.

• Some youth have benefited from having a friend attend with them. Consider this with your registration!

Returning youth?

• We work to improve the camp every year to include new materials so that returning youths have something new to try!

Questions?

Please email at summercamp@chly.ca or call (250) 716-3410 (Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM) if you have any questions. Leave a message if we don’t pick up, we check our messages regularly.

Waiver

Once registered, parents or guardians will need to sign a waiver, which can be signed digitally or on the morning of the first day of the camp. This will need to be completed by a parent and or guardian to complete registration.

Photos: CHLY takes photos of camp participants to promote the program. If you are not comfortable with your youth being photographed, please note this in your registration.

Refunds & Cancellations:

Refunds will only be given if requested on or before the registration deadline. No refunds will be issued after the deadline. CHLY cannot issue refunds due to illness.

History of the Camp

This camp started in the summer of 2019 and was supported in part with funding from the Community Radio Fund of Canada, and the Government of Canada through it’s Canada Summer Jobs Program. Funding through the Province of British Columbia’s Community Gaming Grant program started in 2023.

Registration

Please call 250.716.3410 or email summercamp@chly.ca before registering to ensure seats are available.

Audio Content

Here is a sample of some of the content produced by youth at our camps over the years!

Summer Radio Camp Podcast

You can listen to individual episodes created by our summer radio camp below, or by subscribing to the feed on your favourite podcast app.

Reminder form