What should be on the docket this summer?
Remake your kids’ summer!
The birds are chirping and the flowers are blooming! On this side of the United States, we’ve already kicked off Remake Learning Days 2024! Remake Learning Days is an innovative learning festival for families and youth! Taking root in regions across the world, thousands of hands-on and engaging events are designed for kids of all ages at libraries, schools, tech centers, museums, play spaces, community centers, and more. If you’re in the Pittsburgh region, or popping by Christchurch, New Zealand, see what all the buzz is about! 🙂 But what is there after end of the year events like this one? That’s right, it’s not too early – the Summer Camp season is upon us!
Why are summer camps important? Well, we know that learning happens in several spaces – usually home (1st space) and school (2nd space). There is an ongoing exploration into the importance of other spaces (3rd Spaces) like museums, libraries, and your friendly neighborhood Digital Dragon. In summer, however, these spaces are all mixed up. Summer camps / programming can reinforce and fill in for school and also promote the mentality to embrace that learning can happen anywhere and it’s expected to!
Whether the intent is to keep things more casual and “fun” during the summer, we have to remember that learning is inherently enjoyable and that environments and experiences like summer camps allow for different metrics of success to be embraced.
Often bite-sized explorations or themes of summer excursions allow for a guided tour for the mind. Perhaps there’s an opportunity to try something new – or go hard at something you’re already passionate about with a new friend who is just as devoted.
While you’re thinking over what might be best for your kiddo or friend’s kiddo (as a gift), here are a few pointers to make the most of the sweet summer:
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- Be curious about whether the camp is boutique/local or big business.
- Who are the teaching artists / facilitators and why are they passionate about the work?
- How might the experience transfer in between other spaces to further promote the joy of learning?
DLDR; If you’ve made it this far, it’s too late! All the spaces in all the summer camps have gobbled up! Just kidding – if you’ve made it this far, enjoy the peace of mind that Digital Dragon has camps for everyone and registration is open!
About the Author:
John Balash was instrumental in Digital Dragon’s launch in 2013 as its first Curriculum Director and is now back in the fold as a consultant on all the latest and greatest in tech education.This is John’s latest contribution to a monthly blog series we’ve launched, Tech News from the Frontier. John is the Director of Educational Engagement at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center. John has worked on educationally-focused initiatives with clients ranging from D.A.R.P.A. to Disney. Working from both sides of the desk, you can find John in classrooms and conferences around the world exploring new uses for technologies in learning environments.