Summer programs build connections with kids
It happens every year. At least one parent who drops off a child for a day at Carleton College’s Prairie & Wood (PAW) summer camp starts reminiscing about when they attended. Started in 1975 by two summer research interns, the program is still going strong.
Campers at Carleton College’s Prairie and Wood camp
This summer PAW held eight weeklong camps with titles like Fantastic Flying Friends, Wonders in the Water and Gross Nature. Four to seven-year olds attended in the morning and eight to twelve-year-olds in the afternoon; some kids attended multiple weeks. Activities ranged from exploring nearby ecosystems to planting a garden to conducting experiments and taking field trips.
Nearly all of Minnesota’s private colleges and universities offer summer programming for the younger set — many with unique offerings. In addition to their educational and revenue-producing benefit, these programs offer important outreach to someday college students. Although it’s tough to measure the impact on future enrollment, when campers have positive experiences it’s likely that they have positive feelings toward that institution.
PAW is student-run and gives Carleton student leaders a chance to develop skills, says Amber Cameron, the Carleton staff member who helps administer the program. “It also introduces Northfield kids to Carleton for a fun, interactive learning experience.”
This year, a field trip to the Rice County landfill and recycling center amazed campers and got them thinking about how their actions affect the amount of garbage there, Cameron said. The Gross Nature week was also a big hit for campers. “They love to get down and dirty,” she said.
The camp, while a good experience for the Carleton student leaders, also has a long-lasting impact on the kids. “By interacting with Carleton students, they see where they could be in 10 or 15 years,” Cameron said.
Connecting through art
Another long-running summer program is the Young Michelangelo Art Camp offered by Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato. Since 1988 Professor William Bukowski has been teaching drawing, painting, cartooning and art history. Over two weeks, he offers morning sessions for fifth through eighth-graders and afternoon sessions for high schoolers. “I want them to be curious about art; I designed a class that I would have liked when I was their age,” Bukowski said. “We get many repeat customers, so we must be doing something right.”
Campers work on a drawing project during the Young Michelangelo Camp at Bethany Lutheran College
Bukowski starts his classes every year with a talk about Michelangelo and the Renaissance, in deference to the camp’s name. Those who attend are expected to work hard. “I don’t pander to them,” he said. “When you put students in a situation where there are high expectations, they tend to meet them.”
Still, he keeps it fun. Campers did step-by-step pen and ink drawings of Kung Fu Panda and Ironman this year. Bukowski said he’s always gratified at the art show at the end of camp. “I can’t always tell if the kids liked the camp until I hear parents gush about how much they talked about everything they did.”
Community programs including the Michelangelo camp have been a staple of Bethany's summer activities for many years, according to Lance Schwartz, Bethany’s director of marketing and public relations. “When you touch the lives of future students, artists, athletes...whatever the case, it's gratifying and exciting,” he said.
Outreach as part of the mission
Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts students with visiting guest artists Allen Fields and Tony Smith
Another offering is the Minnesota Conservatory for the Arts at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in Winona. A variety of dance and theater camps and workshops serve children three and older throughout the summer (other programs are offered year-round). According to manager Christine Martin, the Conservatory helps fulfill Saint Mary’s Lasallian mission that stresses reaching out to the community as well as teaching and citizenship. “Kids feel part of something special here and learn so much,” she said.
One first-year student attended a theater camp early in the summer and then returned later for a dance workshop. He was amazed when his theater instructor made a point of coming to his dance performance. “I think it’s important for a university to be so supportive of a community and the students coming up,” Martin said.
Here are additional examples of the diverse programs for students that occurred on our campuses this summer:
- National Youth Sports Program and a Summer Speech Institute at Gustavus Adolphus College
- Girls in Engineering, Mathematics and Science (GEMS) and the Guys in Science and Engineering (GISE) at Augsburg College
- Hmong Culture and Language Program and Language Learner Academy at Concordia University, St. Paul
- McCarthy Gym Camp and Children’s Choral Camp at the University of St. Thomas
Note: The Minnesota Minority Education Partnership produces an Academic Enrichment Guide that connects students to programs that increase their chances of going to college — including many summer experiences at our institutions.