Chillin' & Skillin: Much More Than Your Average Summer School

Although you may not have heard, for the last six weeks, children from Woonsocket have been busy around the city dancing; observing marine life; classifying animals; researching, writing, and performing their own skits; learning karate; going on field trips; discussing why turtles can never leave their shells; and even balancing their very own budgets.

The Chillin' & Skillin camp is presented by and funded by the 21st Century Learning Center grant at Kevin Coleman Elementary School. This program presents campers with a wealth of new and exciting experiences which cleverly incorporate literacy, math, history, science and health.

The camp served 100 students entering grades 3-6 in the Woonsocket school district this year. Students were divided into four groups by grade level, and each group was led by a classroom teacher, two counselors and two high school students, making the camper to adult ratio an impressive 1 to 5. In addition, part time counselors have also been on hand to help with breakfast, lunch, meeting time activities, transition times and most importantly, providing the kids with an opportunity to receive individualized attention in all areas of the camp experience.

Some of the exciting daily programing provided to campers included a theater program held at the. At Stage Right, children were exposed to several aspects of the theater including drama, art and dance. For one of their many projects over the six week program, children were asked to choose a subject matter that was important to them and that they could associate with the earth, the community, the camp and the environment. After choosing a theme the students then wrote their own script and will be performing their skits at an end of the year celebration on Friday, August 12.

One of the groups chose to write their script on the subject matter of "respect" and have been busy creating costumes, props and practicing  for what they hope will be a sucessful performance this Friday. Their play, titled "Museum," follows a group of disrespectful children on a museum field trip. When the statues in the museum hear the disrespectful way the students are speaking to their field trip guides, they come to life and give the students a pretty interesting lesson in what it means to be respectful.

The Stage Right theater program is just one of the many educational, fun and enriching programs offered to camp participants. The Chillin' & Skillin program has partnered with several other community organizations which provide the kids with programing every afternoon before and after lunch. Other programs provided are art, biking, environmental science, oceanography, walking club, financial literacy, swimming, martial arts, cooking, canoeing and assorted sports. These programs were made possible through community partnerships with organizations such as Save the Bay, , Audubon Society of RI, Hockomock YMCA of Franklin, and Safe Routes to School. In addition, each Friday the students attended field trips which provided additional opportunities which the kids may not have otherwise experienced. Some of these trips included the Schooner Aurora and Fort Adams in Newport, URI Narragansett Bay Classroom, Mystic Seaport, the Hockomock high rope and low rope courses, and trips to Spring Lake.

Although camp is coming to an end this week, children will be leaving with memories to last a lifetime. For some of these children, the view from a five block radius may be the extent of what they would have experienced this summer had it not been for Chillin' & Skillin. Thanks to CCF and their community partners, young minds and eyes have been opened to a whole new world, who knows what exciting direction it may lead them in.

This Friday, August 12, 2011, Connecting for Children & Families will be hosting a Showcase and cookout for the Chillin’ & Skillin’ Summer Learning Camp at Kevin K. Coleman Elementary. Tours of children’s classrooms will begin at 10:30 a.m. with a showcase at 11 a.m. followed by a cookout at noon. 

For information on how to enroll a student in next year's program or to learn more about becoming a community partner please contact Charlotte Boudreau at Connecting for Children & Families at (401) 766-3384 x204 or email cboudreau@ccfcenter.org.