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Lycoming College for Kids and Teens will offer its one-week educational workshops this year from July 16 – 20 on the Lycoming College campus. Available to students entering grades 2-12, the courses consist of hands-on activities in a variety of subjects including art, photography, storytelling, science and more.
A new class aimed specifically at high school age students has been added to this year’s line-up, expanding the program’s offerings to a larger age group. “Self-Marketing & Social Media Management,” is a course designed to teach students in grades 9-12 how to create their own portfolio and digital resume, as well as how to manage multiple social media accounts in a professional manner. By continuing to add classes for teenagers, the program strives to welcome students back year after year, until they are ready to enroll in Lycoming College as undergraduates.
The concept for the new class was suggested by Crystal Vance ’17, a former College for Kids attendee and graduate of Lycoming College. As an undergraduate, Vance enrolled in a web communications class taught by Robin Van Auken, an adjunct faculty member at Lycoming College and director of College for Kids. Vance took the class to gain the computer and marketing skills that she wished she had been able to develop during high school, and ultimately enjoyed and benefited from the learning experience — creating a personal hobby blog for herself, as well as a professional website for her parents’ business.
Vance returned to College for Kids, last year as an assistant, and this year as the teacher of the new class she's created for local teenagers.
“With the advances in technology and the prevalence of social media, these skills have become a necessity for a majority of jobs today,” Vance said. “If you take a look at any brand, they are sure to have accounts on at least one, if not all, social media platforms in order to market themselves and connect with their consumers. Furthermore, marketing one’s self has become more important than ever because job markets have become highly competitive.”
She believes that the new class will offer students a set of skills that will help them plan for their future, in order to succeed both in and beyond the classroom.
“Having a degree is no longer enough to secure your dream job, and emphasis has been placed on how one presents oneself to the world,” Vance said. “Having these skills will help our students stand out among their peers when applying to colleges and jobs.”
Other examples of this year’s classes include: “Global Arts,” “Junior Rangers,” “Young Inventors,” “Detective Academy,” “Mythic Storytellers,” “Mobile Journalists,” “Picture This,” and “Wizards Workshop.”
College for Kids and Teens offers morning and afternoon workshops, as well as extended care offered at no cost to parents who need to drop off and pick up their children between 8 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Lunch is offered in the college cafeteria, as another convenience for busy parents.
College for Kids and Teens workshops are taught by dedicated and enthusiastic teachers, and are designed to enhance creativity and problem solving. For more information on the program, including a complete list of classes and descriptions, and to register, please visit: www.collegeforkids.org.