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

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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."

Kiesha Collins is the KCDML Youth Services Librarian for the Kansas City Public Library. Kiesha takes pleasure in helping young people explore their creativity through reading and learning. Ms. Collins also serves as mentor for The Kansas City Digital Media Lab students. She developed and spearheaded the KCDML Tween Camp.

Marcus Brown is the Lead Facilitator for the Kansas City Public Library’s Digital Media Lab (KCDML). He facilitates a wide range of hands-on activities such as 3D printing, photography/video production, and RC Technology such as drones, cars and airplanes. The Staff relies heavily on Connected Learning practices when engaging youth in the maker space.

This event will be hosted in Zoom. Automatic captions will be enabled for this event. This event will be recorded, and registrants will receive access to the recording within 3-5 business days after the event ends.

If you have questions or requests regarding accessibility, contact us at ce@ala.org or at 312-280-5100.

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