Thinking Beyond the Stacks: Creating a Summer Camp for Tweens!

eLearning
Presenters will share their experiences in developing a tween summer camp, from planning, resourcing, and reaching the target audience and documentation of the process.

After attending the 2022 ALSC Conference session “Black Kids Camp Too; Don’t They?”, the Kansas City Public Library’s Southeast Branch Children's Librarian started reflecting on her own childhood spent outdoors camping, swimming, biking, and hiking nature trails—and just having a great “wildness” experience. She wanted to bring those same kinds of experiences to the youth in her branch’s neighborhood, and this led her to create the library’s first Tween Camp. The camp facilitated not only adventures into nature for neighborhood youth ages 8-11, but also introduced them to the branch’s Digital Media Lab (KCDML). KCDML is a hands-on learning environment that uses storytelling, robotics, digital media, and other maker activities to engage youth ages 12-18.

This 3-week STEAM camp, the first of its kind in the KCPL system, was designed to eliminate barriers to participation for youth and their families, including personal cost and the need to have their children engaged for the full day while parents worked. The Camp moved from inspiration to execution in nine months. In this program, the Camp creators will share their experiences in developing the camp, from planning, resourcing, and reaching the target audience and documentation of the process. They will share information about the fundamental principles with which they approach their work with teens and how they adapted that work to create a bridge to serve the younger demographic. Support materials that will enable participants to develop their own plans will be provided.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Creating your own summer camp experience utilizing resources in your community
  2. Sparking a new interest in maker and nature activities.
  3. Applying Connected Learning principles to your summer programs.
  4. Adapting teen programming to serve tweens

Anonymous feedback from the 2024 ALSC National Institute session of this presentation:

  • "This was the most inspiring, gear turning session I’ve attended."
  • "My favorite program so far! Practical tips as well as centering goals and meeting the needs of kids/community. Exiting to think about the possibilities and ways to adapt to my local system."

Presented By:

Event tags:
Advocacy
Online
Programs & Services
Public Library
School Library
eLearning
March 18, 2025
1:00 - 2:00pm CDT
$39.50 ALSC Member | $71.10 ALA Member | $79 Non-ALA Member
Upcoming Events
11
Feb
eLearning

February 2025 Learning Live

13
Feb
eLearning
Webinar

Learn how to create a culture of empathy and action by developing micro-communities to combat loneliness.

18
Feb
eLearning
Forum

Join this e-Forum to discuss your successes, your not-so-successful endeavors, and to learn how to incorporate project

18
Feb
eLearning

This study aims to investigate the alignment between a university (UW-Madison) library’s resources and the research

18
Feb
eLearning

A presentation on using book kits in libraries to promote conversations about racial equity and inclusion with children

19
Feb
eLearning
Forum

Join this e-Forum to discuss your successes, your not-so-successful endeavors, and to learn how to incorporate project

19
Feb
eLearning
Webinar

Learn to create engaging spaces for library patrons of all ages from real-life examples and outcomes.

25
Feb
eLearning

This webinar takes the US Army's Troop Leading Procedures and adapts them to a library setting, showing how they were

26
Feb
eLearning

This 90 minute webinar will discuss the different paths to employement as a federal or military librarian.

26
Feb
eLearning

Move beyond “autism acceptance” and let your library become a place of autistic joy.

27
Feb
eLearning
Webinar

Learn best practices for cardholder registration that reduces barriers and increase access for all.

28
Feb
Celebration

Resources to share with your learners in recognition of Welcoming Schools National Day of Reading

01
Mar
31
Mar
Celebration

Resources to share with your learners in celebration of Women's History Month.

03
Mar
eLearning
Webinar

Learn how you can be a part of PLA’s renowned conference programming.

04
Mar
eLearning

Learn how to support your patrons who struggle with reading!