Literacy through the Arts Summer Camp Re-imagined

Our Literacy through the Arts Program Director and movement instructors collaborated with Keeneyville District 20 teachers to reimagine the Literacy through the Arts Summer Camp this summer.

We knew we needed to adapt it to address the current challenging COVID situation, so we morphed our program into a virtual and experiential one. We were guided by the critical goal of first re-connecting and then re-engaging the children and families from our past programs.  This was accomplished via a tandem virtual and experiential program integrating arts, movement, gardening, and reading activities through Zoom, Seesaw, and outdoors on site at Greenbrook School each Friday morning. 

Our goals for this session also included improved reading comprehension through the feature text, Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table and the opportunity for teachers to shift and deepen their instructional practices through co-creating and collaborating on a new remote and experiential program. 

Some of the highlights from this session include:

• 41 Keeneyville District 20 children registered for the Literacy through the Arts summer camp. Some of these children were siblings, and our program ended up bringing together twenty seven families.

• 100% of the district's teachers from last year returned to teach in our program this summer. We were additionally fortunate to welcome two new teachers, an art and creative movement instructor, and thereby increase the children’s engagement in our programs. 

• 94% of all families came each Friday to pick up their weekly activity packets.

• 55% of LTA children and families participated each day, 4 days a week, in the Zoom classes. In addition, 9 district summer school children participated in a total of 24 classes. 

• Each family received the feature book, Farmer Will Allen and the Growing Table to read with family members as well as supplementary books about gardening and worm. 

• All registered children received dance scarves and ribbons for movement class.

• At Friday activity packet pick-up, families were encouraged to take advantage of free meals and most did. This was  coordinated to take place at the same time and site for families. 

Parent Testimonials from this summer’s session

“I am so glad for the Literacy through the Arts Summer Camp, this summer especially …  this has been a rough year.” - Michelle C.

“My daughter enjoyed doing the seesaw projects to learn about planting and composting. It has been a lot of fun as a family to do these with her. It means a lot to us as parents that she is learning something that she can use later on in life to be healthy. It's also been a great way to keep her busy this summer. The Zoom dance and yoga has been great keeping her physically active as well. We definitely recommend this program to anyone that has young children.”  - Shelley W.