Skip to main content

Kids' College Summer Camp Inspires, Educates and Engages


Around the World with Sweets and Treats: (L-R): Vann Crosby,
Gray Griffen, Cameron Cox and Antonio Tarplin  
Wouldn’t it be fun to turn a basket of mystery ingredients into a winning dish and compete on “Chopped?”  How about investigating a mock digital crime scene, gathering evidence and bringing someone to trial for computer-related crimes?  Or how would you like to take a close-up look at an actual human brain and spinal cord? 

More than 1,500 kids ranging in age from 7 to 16 had those and many more opportunities at this year’s Kids’ College summer camps at Trident Technical College. Camps were scheduled not only at TTC’s Main Campus, but also at TTC sites and campuses in Mount Pleasant, St. George, Moncks Corner, St. Paul’s Parish and in downtown Charleston.

Model Airplane Class: front row seated (L-R) Oscar Sanchez, Calvin
Paulsen and Jack Wheeler. Back row (L-R) Teacher Larsen Tedder,
Teacher Asst. Allison Schwerin, Caleb Melkus, Gregory Drummond,
Ducky Steward, Caitlyn Tyson, Josh Balogh, Chase Robinson
and Atticus Finch.
This innovative series, now in its 17th year, inspires, educates and engages children by featuring fun and educational offerings in subject areas including 21st century life skills, computer technology, creative arts, culinary and pastry, math and science and online courses. 

"We started the program with computers and robotics," said Michele Shinn, the program director. "Those are still the most popular camps today. We try to incorporate as much STEM learning as possible.”

Many of the camps are led by faculty and staff of the college, like Ken Mihalik, Department Head of Speech, Foreign Language and Theatre, who taught a public speaking camp.

“The kids were a lot of fun and by the end of the week their speaking skills were quite impressive. It was also helpful for me to have their ‘fresh eyes’ on the material we covered, giving me new insights into my college-level classes,” said Mihalik. 

Others are led through community partnerships with organizations like the Preservation Society of Charleston and MUSC College of Health Professions and Department of Neurosciences, and some are even led by recent TTC graduates, who Shinn describes as her “stars”. 

Hannah O, Legal Eagles: Trial by Jury 


 “They are on the cutting edge of technology and the campers find it so easy to relate to them.” said Shinn. 

For the past several years, individuals and organizations have made donations to the Kids’ College Scholarship Fund, helping to offset the cost of the camps for low-income families, so that even more kids can attend the camps.

“This year, we received just over $4,000 in private donations, helping 58 kids attend the camps,” said Shinn. “We hope to continue to grow the scholarship program so that more kids can take advantage of this great learning opportunity.”


For more information about Kids' College Camps, which include Fall and Spring sessions as well, click here.

To make a contribution to the Kids’ College Scholarship Fund, click here.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

New Laptop is a Game-Changer

When life throws you one challenge after another, you start to appreciate the small wins.  For Trident Tech student Kristi Salvo, receiving a new laptop through the Student Urgent Needs (SUN) fund was a game-changer.  Like students across the country, Salvo’s in-person classes were abruptly switched to an online format this spring due to COVID-19. But she knew her older computer couldn’t keep up with the online demands and she couldn't afford to buy a new one. “I was already dealing with a lot and it felt like this was going to be the thing that would break me,” she said. Salvo, a veteran of the US Air Force, struggles with health issues, including a back injury and a severe autoimmune disorder. In March, she and her husband separated, leaving her to juggle the responsibility of being a student, while also being a teacher to their two young children. All this, while trying to stay healthy and safe during a global pandemic. After Salvo and her children moved into a smaller, more aff
Post a Comment
Read more

Loss of Former TTC Film Student Inspires Events

Sarah Jones, a 27-year old camera assistant, was tragically killed last February by a freight train while filming a movie in southeast Georgia.  Since then, many friends and colleagues of Jones, a former TTC student, have spoken out about the safety issues surrounding the film industry.  Film Veteran Presented Workshop in Honor of Sarah Jones Douglas C. Hart, a respected camera technician in the film industry, agrees that safety on film sets must be improved.   Hart presented a a free public workshop at Trident Tech last month. He literally wrote the book on working as a camera assistant. His textbook, “The Camera Assistant: A Complete Professional Handbook,” is used by film students at Trident Tech and at other colleges around the country. In a meeting with TTC film students and in the workshop, Hart focused on safety as well as many other aspects of working in the industry, including camera mechanics, on-set procedures, lenses and filters, and screen tests. To
1 comment
Read more

The Path to Success

As the 11th of 14 children, Kathy Simmons knows what it’s like to be a part of a close-knit family. Which is exactly why she has made her way back to Trident Technical College 33 years after graduating in 1985. Kathy’s path back to TTC began with her desire to fulfill two goals – advance her education and travel – and she figured the best way to accomplish both was through the military. So Kathy joined the Air Force in 1987, and did indeed accomplish both goals. She received her Bachelor of Arts while stationed in Minot, North Dakota, her Master of Arts from Erskine Theological Seminary and she has completed 60 hours toward a Doctor of Education from Walden University. She saw much of the country and spent time overseas in Korea. After the military, Kathy found herself back at TTC in the Admissions and Registrar’s office, and it was there she realized she really wanted to stay in education and help students find success. But a wise mentor once told her that in order to advance
6 comments
Read more