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Camps Are More Important Now Than Ever After Months of Isolation by Amanda Snead
Falls Church News-Press
March 2020 marked many changes, particularly for youth as schools began to operate virtually and extracurricular activities came to a halt. However, things appear to slowly be returning to “normal” in the Falls Church area and camps will be back in full swing this spring and summer. Camps are more important now than ever after months of isolation. Camps can offer a variety of benefits from fostering friendships and promoting independence to providing time outdoors and away from screens. Falls Church and the surrounding areas offer a wide variety of camps for any interest and any age. From arts and theater to science and technology or out-
door recreation, there is something for every child. “Camps have been a big part of children’s summer experiences for generations,” said Alex Harris, President and Founder of Evolution Basketball Training. “With their lives getting turned upside down over the past two years, attending camp and having life be normal again is critical for us to turn the corner and allowing kids to again be kids. Whether it’s basketball or any other camp, I think every child should have the chance for social interaction again like we all knew growing up.” “Our students have told us over and over that returning to in person camps and educational programs is a ‘lifeline’ for them,” said Laura Connors Hull, Founder and Producing Director of Creative Cauldron. “Theater and the arts provide
critical opportunities for young people to build self-confidence, and test new skills. For many who participate in the arts, they find a home...an accepting and welcoming place where they are free to express ideas and opinions, and create. Creative Cauldron has provided arts enrichment experiences after school and in the summer months for 20 years, but the past two years, we have realized just how important our work is, and how great an impact we can have on a young person’s life.” Some camps were able to stay open and operate virtually during the pandemic, but going back in person has proved helpful. “We were fortunate enough to run peak pandemic, we did a virtual session of our camp,” said
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FROM “UNIQUE SWEETS” camps (pictured here) to puzzles, photography and more, Summer Cove offers a wide variety of camps for any interest. (Photo Courtesy of Summer Cove)
Youth & Teen Art Camps at The Art League
ages 5+
fine arts
Register online at w w w.theartleague.org /classes
The region’s longest-running art camp!
The Art League | 105 N Union St & 305 Madison St | Alexandria, VA 22314 | 703 683 2323 | school@theartleague.org
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
STEM Summer Camps in No. Va. Provide Strong Math/Science Foundation for Kids by Alex Russell
With the weather getting warmer, there is a growing abundance of options for families looking to enroll their kids in fun, group-based, and educational summer camps and activities right here in the Northern Virginia area. Besides the typical, year-round athletic and nature-based summer programs, STEM-focused camps have grown in both variety and prominence both in Falls Church and in an ever-widening radius around the Little City. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the “actual and projected growth in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)” field has created “an emphasis on STEM education.” The NCES report also addresses the fact that “the supply of students interested in” STEM has spurred “educators and policymakers” to work on “increasing student
interest and engagement in K — 12 STEM education.” Findings published by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) underscore this emphasis on STEM, with “technological competence” and “problem solving and creative thinking” being some of the biggest components in education today. Tim Newton, STEM Program Manager at Baroody Camps in Falls Church, shares this perspective, saying that “over the past two years, it has become extremely noticeable how impactful important the virtual world currently is.” The demand for these camps is increasing, and as a result, Baroody Camps strives to “provide those necessary building blocks for young learners to follow their passions.” Regarding their methodology, Newton explains that “the programs that we run are not just fun and games, although that is what it may look like at first to a student.” The
various STEM classes available at Baroody Camps — from Lego Robotics to Minecraft 101, as well as Scratch Coding and Kodu Game Design — “build upon critical thinking, social emotional skills, problem solving, computer literacy, and much more.” Acknowledging that not every school has the needed means at its disposal to fully engage in technology education, Baroody Camps works to “bring the majority of what is needed, such as devices, laptops, Lego kits” among other items, “so that students normally need only to bring their imagination and learning spirit.” The general timeframe for camps and events at Baroody spans a 6 — 10 week course, running once a week for an hour before or after school. “We run classes like this during the fall, winter, and spring as we work with the PTA.” During the
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BAROODY CAMPS offer a wide variety of STEM-related camps from robotics to Minecraft, science and chemistry. (Photo Courtesy of Baroody Camps).
CITY OF FALLS CHURCH RECREATION & PARKS
Summer Camps 2022 fallschurchva.gov/Camps
Big Fun, Little City
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Spring Camp:
Summer Camp:
April • 9 am - 4 pm
June through August • 9 am - 4 pm
Afterschool and school closure camp also provided!
Ages 5-12 Contact: camps@goscramble.com Find us online at: goscramble.com/camps We want to emphasize the Scramble logo.
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FALLS CHURCH NEWS-PRESS | FCNP.COM
Falls Church | Troop1996
Explore the Outdoors with Troop 1996
Summer 2021 at Camp Shenandoah Learn what Scouting is all about on Monday, March 7, 2022, at 7:30pm! Scouts BSA Troop 1996 will be holding an informational “Introduction to Scouting” meeting at Mary Ellen Henderson MS, and we welcome all young men and women (current 5th graders and up) to attend. We are an active local troop, with monthly outings, campouts, hikes, Eagle projects, and summer camp and High Adventure crews – come find out more! Troop 1996 meets weekly at Mary Ellen Henderson Middle school on Monday nights at 7:30pm except when FCCPS schools are closed. www.facebook.com/ScoutsBSATroop1996
www.troop1996.com
scoutmaster@troop1996.com
LET YOUR CREATIVITY run wild with camps that incorporate drama, music, movement and visual art at Creative Cauldron. (Photo Courtesy of Creative Cauldron) Continued from Page 11
Megan Zinn, Camp Director for Summer Cove. “We were able to still provide some sort of activity for campers and I know that parents really enjoyed that. Even just being able to give kids the opportunity to have something different to do was a nice change of pace for them. Last year, we were able to run in person again. The kids had so much energy and they were just excited to be out of the house, be somewhere else and get to be around other people their age doing things that they don’t normally get to do at home. Camps are such a wonderful place for kids.” Emily Minter, Camp Director at Terrapin Adventures, agrees with Zinn. “Children have missed out on a lot of social emotional learning due to isolation. During a time when children couldn’t attend school or regular activities in person, summer camps were able to step in to provide safe spaces for kids to do that. The most important work that camp professionals have done over the last three years has been building a space for kids to interact and learn how to empathize with
each other. We are an Adventure Camp that’s entirely outdoors based. We’ve been providing a safe space for kids to try new things, get a little out of their comfort zone, and really build confidence in themselves—things that isolation has made harder. We get to teach kids how to be brave and resilient during a time when things have been so uncertain and worrying for them. Whether a child has spent their first night away from home in a tent for the first time or has finally conquered their fear of heights by jumping off of the zip line, we have been incredibly grateful to watch campers find their strength and resilience at camp,” she said. According to Laurence Smallman, owner of Scramble, it is also important to focus on both physical and cognitive play— one of the main focuses of his European-style play center. He also expressed the importance of providing a way for children not to be affected by the drama of the world around them. “Scramble offers play all year. We also have amazing camps that combine
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summer months, Newton says that “scheduling takes a bit of a shift as” Baroody Camps hosts full and “half day, week-long camps,” helping children “develop their math, reading, fine motor, and typing skills as they learn new concepts in engineering and computer science.” Vera Lichtenberg, Founding Director of Mason Game and Technology Academy (MGTA) in Fairfax, VA — which is in turn part of the Virginia Serious Game Institute (VSGI) and the Mason Computer Game Design Program — shed light on MGTA and the chance it offers to those students wishing to explore core STEM concepts with university professors as well as advanced-level students. MGTA, founded in 2013, offers classes and programs that are assembled using the efforts and expertise of Mason’s Game Design and Computer Science program. Lichtenberg explained that MGTA’s courses are “modeled after the university’s Computer Game Design” curriculum, “infusing aspects of entrepreneurship, team dynamics, and project-based learning into every class.” “MGTA classes bridge edu-
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cation and technology through experiential learning activities,” making for a program that teaches students “long-lasting skill sets that help them adapt to the rapid changes and advancements in technology.” Regarding the way classes operate, she added that “each class concludes with a final project and presentation, to enhance participants’ college application portfolios.” MGTA offers on-site programs and events, as well as virtual options that, according to Lichtenberg, capture “the energy and magic of a live classroom.” “All of our online courses include a mix of live-streamed interactive learning experiences combined with team and/or virtual classroom research, design, and creation time, as well as help sessions from TA’s (teaching assistants).” Students can expect to learn a variety of topics, such as coding and game design through programming languages like Unity and Python, 3D art modeling, 2D digital game art, and Roblox game development, among other related spheres. Brian Moran, co-founder of Boolean Girl — an Arlingtonbased non-profit organization founded in 2014 that works to teach coding and engineering
to girls in girls-only and co-ed camps and virtual classes — spoke about the organization’s mission to “improve gender diversity in STEM.” In addition to camps held during the summer, Boolean Girl offers “after school classes” and “in-person events,” many of them free, in order to “reach as many girls as possible,” with a focus on “girls in grades 3 — 8.” Moran pointed out that studies have displayed how “in elementary school, girls are just as interested in STEM, but that changes rapidly through middle school.” At Boolean Girl, the educational staff tries to “prepare the girls to enter these programs on equal footing with the boys who have frequently been coding for years.” Expanding on the camps, he outlined that the curriculum begins with “coding in Scratch, a block-based language developed by MIT to teach kids to code.” Other camps in the program expand upon those initial coding lessons, teaching “electronics where kids build circuits.” Eventually, students can participate in camps that offer instruction in “Python and Artificial Intelligence,” which are geared towards middle school-age girls. Creativity — which is under-
scored through storytelling in the level-one coding camp — as well as “cross-subject areas,” like animation, are some of the added benefits that round-out the program. Students get to “animate the stories that they create,” learning to code as well as how to “build a story with a beginning, middle, and end.” Moran clarified that while Boolean Girl advertises “camps as all girls, over time” they have seen an “increasing demand from” boys, as well. “Each summer some boys register and attend” and get to “experience what the girls in STEM camps typically experience,” i.e., being “the only boy in the room.” Reflecting on the teaching staff, Moran shared that “99 percent of the teaching is done by…female college students getting STEM degrees at top tier schools like UVA, Cornell, Penn, VA Tech.” Boolean Girl also hires local high school students to assist with instructional duties. “More and more of the [high school] students are girls that participated in our programs when they were younger…these women are great mentors and role models to the younger girls,” with some of them having gone to “the same elementary school or middle school the campers are going to.”
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Moran sees great value in the act of “teaching a subject” one is studying, explaining that this helps the high school and college students increase their “mastery” of the particular STEM branch they are involved in. The Boolean Girl Clubhouse, a weekend program set up for girls and non-binary individuals who are interested in learning coding and electronics, “is a great way for girls thinking about our camps to get a feel” for the sorts of events and activities offered at Boolean Girl. The Club, sponsored by Amazon, meets for three hours on Saturdays from 9 a.m. — 12 p.m. Topics like “digital wellness,” which focuses on making smart, responsible choices online, are also incorporated into the Club. Baroody Camps, the Mason Game and Technology Academy, and Boolean Girl follow Covid19 health protocols to ensure the safety of all involved. For more information about Baroody Camps, visit baroodycamps.com or email info@baroodycamps. com; for more information on the MGTA, visit mgta.gmu.edu or email mgta@gmu.edu; for more information on Boolean Girl, visit booleangirl.org or email info@ booleangirl.org.
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• LUNCH AND SNACKS PROVIDED • 40 ACRE CAMPUS • SWIMMING, HORSEBACK RIDING, ARCHERY AND MORE FOR THE ARTISTIC CHILD, Creative Cauldron camps offer a way to express creativity and live performance experience. (Photo Courtesy of Creative Cauldron). Continued from Page 14
JUSTIN WALKER SOFTBALL CAMP 2022
Register at: https://www.justinwalkersoftballcamp.com June 20-22, 2022 Youth (grades 1st-8th)
$300 Sample Daily Schedule
9:00am: Check in 9:15am: Stations/Skill instruction 11:30am: LUNCH 12:15pm: Warm up 12:30pm: Position play/Skill instruction 1:00pm: Scrimmages 2:00pm: Pick up
• George Mason Head Coach Justin Walker welcomes you to register for this summer’s Softball Camps! Camps will focus on the fundamentals of all aspects of the game including proper throwing mechanics, increasing arm strength, defensive fundamentals (IF, OF, pitching & catching), swing mechanics & base running. • Players of all ability levels are welcome. Campers are divided by age & ability level. • We have assembled a veteran group of coaches experienced in camp instruction & dedicated to helping each camper become a better softball player. Location: George Mason University Softball Field
Camps are open to any and all participants within the specified age range. For questions about Justin Walker Softball Camp Please contact: Justin Walker 703-993-5630 (O) • 419-569-1853 (C) • jrosswal@gmu.edu George Mason University Attn: Justin Walker— Softball MS 3A5 4400 University Drive Fairfax, VA 22030
thoughtful activities and the all-important play in our amazing play areas,” explained Smallman. “As a quick reminder, physical play is gross motor, or large movements, and fine motor, or small movements. This type of play is important for physical health, including bone density, muscle strength and functioning, and our flexibility. Cognitive play provides a workout for our brains. It allows us to create, imagine, and socialize. At the higher levels of play, all these are brought together in what is called narrative play. The play systems at Scramble excel at providing children of all ages and all abilities the time, space, and opportunity to ‘do’ these types of play in an incredibly clean and safe environment. This is one of many reasons why our high quality camps are so popular with children and parents alike.” STEM camps are also a great way to help kids nurture their problem solving
skills, foster creativity and teach them new skills, as well as developing new ones. Camps like Code Ninjas offer a variety of activities for kids to improve their technology skills. “We understand that kids have the advantage of technology in today’s environment, in which we strive to utilize that knowledge in a fun and educational way,” said Cassidy Olimpo, the Director of Marketing and Events for Code Ninjas. “Roblox is a very popular platform for kids to play on. In our Roblox camps, kids go behind the scenes of the Roblox games they love and learn how to make their own 3D animated games through the Roblox Studio. Not only are they learning about Roblox, but they are also creating longlasting friendships with other campers who enjoy the same things they do.” After months of isolation, now is the time to get back out and enjoy camps again.