Camps provided valuable cultural experience for local student

As the recipient of two scholarships, Sacred Heart Academy sophomore Emilia D'Albero was given the opportunity to spend two weeks at both Concordia's Italian Language Village immersion program in Minnesota and Deborah Gibson's Camp Electric Youth in Hollywood. She was one of only 18 scholarship recipients selected to attend the Italian Language Village program and auditioned at the Howard Fine Acting Studio on Sunset Boulevard in order to be selected for the Camp Electric Youth scholarship.

The mission of Concordia Language Villages is to "prepare young people for responsible global citizenship," according to administrators in the program. To this end, participants - called villagers - increase cultural understanding as they learn about countries where Italian is spoken and about the global issues affecting these areas. Villagers study the Italian language and culture in a relaxed immersion environment where they learn by "living the language." They participate in authentic cultural activities, cook Italian dishes, play bocce ball and roverino, make masks and learn about Italian music and folk tales - all in Italian. "I thoroughly enjoyed Lago del Bosco and made many good friends with whom I have keep in contact. Being a part of Lago del Bosco has furthered my interest in my heritage and now inspires me to learn the Italian language and as much about the culture of Italy as I possibly can, " commented Emilia on her experience.

Deborah Gibson's Camp Electric Youth, or, as it will be called next year, Electric Youth Academy, "aims to provide a nurturing, creative, disciplined, and fun atmosphere for young people who are serious about embarking in a career in entertainment, and is committed to offering the highest level of performing arts camp for serious young performers available in the industry," according to camp administrators. "I attended many classes on vocal technique with Deborah herself, scene study and monologue lab with Howard Fine and Cynthia Bain, on-camera classes with Ted Brunetti, and other classes such as audition book, improvisation, choreography, and songwriting. This camp was a wonderful experience and I learned so much about my prospective career. I enjoyed working with the instructors and am looking forward to attending a second intensive in New York City this winter and also to going back to Los Angeles next summer for the second installment of Camp Electric Youth!"

D'Albero, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alfred D'Albero of North Haven, is a high honor student at the Academy where she was named a Sr. Antonine Scholar.