A wonderful way to channel their energy and creativity, the camp encourages self-expression and a sense of community between young acting peers.  The children are taught everything from acting, set design/building and sound/lighting to costume design and stage make-up.  The pièce de résistance of each camp is the final performance which family, friends and Village locals attend —and a fabulous time always is had by all!

Philip Coltoff Center

The Philip Coltoff Center at Greenwich Village plays a vital role in providing educational, recreational and service programs for Village families since 1892.  The Center, which proudly operates under the auspices of the The Children’s Aid Society, offers a wide range of social services that include early childhood education, after-school programs and summer camp, teen and adult classes, and children’s theatre and art programming.

The Center’s mission is to be a center of Village community life, to provide dynamic, high-caliber programs and sponsor events – all with the central aim of enriching the social, cultural, creative and intellectual lives of the children, families and the Greenwich Village community at large.

The neighborhood has evolved over the years, but Children’s Aid’s commitment to the community has remained the same.

In a ceremony held on June 15, Children’s Aid and the center’s director, Steve Wobido, were singled out for playing a vital role in the area, providing educational, recreational and service programs for Village families.

The center opened on Sullivan Street in 1892 to serve the immigrant and working class population. Children’s Aid offered instruction in cooking and the trades, in addition to reading, writing and arithmetic. Currently the center offers early childhood education, after-school programs and summer camp, with a special emphasis on the arts.

The Villager ran an article in its June 17-23 issue highlighting all of the Village Award winners.