“Wonderful arts program! My son loved his piano lessons last summer, and I was amazed to see how much he learned in a short period of time. His teacher was very patient, encouraging and fun. He can’t wait for summer camp again this year!”

– Carola from Glen Ridge

Glen Ridge Summer Arts Academy is a program of the New Jersey Arts Collective and has been in residency at Glen Ridge High School, Linden Avenue School and The Women’s Club of Glen Ridge, with satellite locations at the historical Freeman Gardens and Second River Glen – all in beautiful Glen Ridge, NJ.

Music at GRSAA seeks to provide all students an opportunity to learn a new instrument in a creative and non-competitive environment, as well as to offer intermediate and advanced students group lessons on their instrument. We are dedicated to assisting in the development of the students’ appreciation of beauty and sensitivity in playing their instrument.

Visual Arts at GRSAA seek to recognize and explore the students’ emerging individuality while developing sensitivity to line, value, shape, color, texture, and movement in their chosen medium.

Theatre Arts at GRSAA seek to offer the student an understanding of various acting techniques, as well as to expand their repertoire for expression. Our classes focus on different aspects of acting in the hopes of widening the student’s abilities.

Nature Study at GRSAA seeks to excite a child’s natural curiosity of the natural world.  Students take a creative approach to learning about their local ecosystem by focusing on plants, animals, soil and water.

Mentorship Program at GRSAA seeks to provide high school students (current Freshman and Sophomores) with access to our Teaching staff’s knowledge and experience as teachers and artists in their given fields. GRSAA teaching staff will mentor these young Artists, help them build their own portfolio of work, and give them opportunities to share their skills with younger students. Mentorships are unpaid, but set students up to enter the Internship program in their later high school and/or college years. Interested students should visit the CONTACT US page and send an introductory email to start the process of applying.

Internship Program at GRSAA seeks to provide older high school (current junior and seniors) as well as college students, with the opportunity to assist the teaching staff is preparing lessons, leading classes and developing curriculum of their own. Internships are paid positions. Interested students should visit the CONTACT US page and send an introductory email to start the process of applying.

Parent are invited in each Friday for our weekly open house. At the end of the last week of camp, GRSAA Teaching Artists and students will present a culminating performance and Art Show.

Dr. Kimberly Burja, GRSAA Director, is a percussionist, composer and educator, whose strength lies within the diversity of her experience. As a performer and composer, Dr. Burja has performed in a wide variety of venues and ensembles such as the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Royal Ballet of London, Wide Open Arts, the International Fringe Festival and American Dance Festival. Dr. Burja has also studied many non-Western musical cultures – a summer residency in Ghana, AFRICA with master drummer and dance, Godwin Agbeli, studies with Zimbabwean mbira with Erica Kumdidazora-Azim and Newari music with Buddhalal Manandhar at the University of Katmandu, NEPAL. Dr. Burja has been a music educator for over 25 years, teaching in Florida, Texas and New Jersey. She has served as percussion instructor at West Winsor-Plainsboro South High School, Band Director at Passaic Valley High School and is currently the Band Director at Tenafly Middle School. In addition, she currently serves as the K-12 Lead Teacher for Fine and Performing Arts in the Tenafly Public Schools and was a longtime summer percussion faculty member of the Interlochen Arts Camps (Interlochen, MI). She is a co-founder and current Executive Director of the New Jersey Arts Collective. She has degrees from the University of North Texas (BA), University of Miami (MM) and Rutgers University (DMA). Dr. Burja has been the Director for the Glen Ridge Summer Arts Academy since 2019.