SMC Community Education is offering an exciting new collection of ‘camps’ and classes this summer specifically for kids and teens. Topics range from public speaking to creative writing to coding for games and creating special effects.
“We’re always looking for ways to broaden our offerings to the younger members of our community,” said Dr. Scott Silverman, SMC Dean of Noncredit and External Programs, “so we’re always open to trying out new concepts in classes and camps. After a very long year, these new programs for youth in our community will be a great experience for everyone who enrolls. Of course, we have a variety of new summer classes for adults, too, that are worth checking out!”
All classes and camps are offered online this summer. They are designed for students to have fun as they learn, and organized into small groups by age.
“I’m especially excited about the public speaking classes for kids and teens,” said SMC Coordinator of Community Education Alice Meyering. “As we return to in-person social interactions and classes, it is more important than ever that key communication skills — such as public speaking — get the proper attention. And summer is a great time to focus on this particular area while having fun doing it!”
The public speaking classes and camps are generally offered one day a week over a three week period. They include “Building Confidence through Public Speaking for Ages 8-11,” “Summer Public Speaking Bootcamp for Ages 12-17,” and “Public Speaking Contest for Ages 12-17.” All are led by Dr. Silverman, who is an accomplished member of Toastmasters.
SMC Community Education has also partnered with Black Rocket — experts in designing classes in the areas of STEM and the Digital Arts — to offer more than a dozen weeklong, half-day camps. “Young Authors” shows youngsters and teens how to use creative thinking to develop and publish their own story. The STEM camps include “Minecraft Modders,” “ROBLOX® Makers,” “YouTube FX Masters,” “eSports Apprentice Streamers and Gamers,” and more.
SMC Community Education summer classes for kids and teens also include many longtime favorites, such as “One-On-One Piano.” A complete list of Community Education classes is available online at commed.smc.edu.
Summer classes and camps are popular and expected to fill quickly. Early registration is strongly recommended. Registration for summer is available now at commed.smc.edu.
Submitted by Grace Smith