During my orientation in June, camp director Greg Hardison explained all of the fun plans he had for all five weeks of camp this summer. During the “Weapons and Destruction” camp, I was to work with students who were inspired by the KHS weapon collections to design their own weapons out of recyclables and plaster. The “Don’t Try This at Home” instructor had planned some very messy activities – students would be creating paintings using only their feet! I knew this was going to be so much fun!
Camp ArtyFact has given me some amazing experiences, and I've learned so much along the way. The main focus was keeping things educational, but still fun. More specifically, we focus on the 21st Century Learning Skills: Communication, Creativity, Collaboration, and Critical Thinking. These are said to be the four critical skills that young people must learn in order to become successful adults. I loved being able to see these skills applied in an exciting classroom setting and watching how well children responded to this technique.
Throughout the summer, I have been recording video interviews with students and parents to track our progress as we work on those learning skills. I’ve seen friendships form, watched as the more shy kids came out of their shell, and shared in the activities that allowed so much creativity to flow from these young ones. Camp ArtyFact is a truly amazing program for both its campers and employees. Every Monday, I look forward to starting a new week of camp, and every Friday I feel sad that another week has ended.
I can definitely say that I will be sad to end my internship. I am very thankful for the chance to intern with KHS and can’t express how meaningful this has been to my own education!
---Darlene Rawlins is a Frankfort native, currently pursuing a double major in history and technical theatre & design from Northern Kentucky University.
Visit www.history.ky.gov/camp for more about Camp ArtyFact!
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