#Summer Camps: A Creative Way to Connect Children, Parents, and Communities with Education

Summer Camps: A Creative Way to Connect Children, Parents, and Communities with Education

Recently, ASPIRE organized summer camps in its operational areas of Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal, with a total of 156,086 children participating. The role of these summer camps is significant in keeping children engaged with their studies during the summer vacation. At these camps, children not only engage in play and fun but also participate in various creative activities aimed at enhancing their personality and fostering creative learning. This year, a total of 4758 summer camps were organized, with 601 RBC and NRBC teachers and 3935 volunteers involved to ensure their smooth operation. All staff members received appropriate training for their roles. ASPIRE has been organizing these summer camps in remote areas of the country for the past few years. A unique aspect of these camps is the strong local support they receive from the community, with no age restrictions imposed. Residents often join the children in learning and recreational activities.

ASPIRE has a belief that simply providing access to schools is not enough to address the education problem. It is crucial to engage local communities, working collaboratively with the panchayat, parents, and teachers. ASPIRE focuses on three key aspects: creating a conducive study environment for children without deprivation, discrimination, or fear; improving the quality of teaching and learning methods for enhanced accessibility; and fostering accountability among the panchayat and community members to achieve self-reliance in education. Summer camps are one of the activities that bring together children, parents, and community members in this collective effort.

There are no boundaries to the classrooms of summer camp. Sometimes they are within four walls, sometimes under the open sky, sometimes under a tree, and sometimes in the courtyard of a house. It is the children who decide where the classrooms will be.

Identification of words and latter

Identification words and letters and object association.

Mathmetical Concepts- Left: Counting number system, addition and subtraction Right: Number names and Number association

Mathmetical Concepts: Understanding the shapes, area, squire and squire route

Teachers and Volunteers Training: To run the summer camp successfully, Aspire provides training to its teachers and volunteers at various levels. This training includes subjects like maths, science, English, sentence construction, etc. In order to make teaching children easy and simple, these teachers are not only trained to use TLM but also taught how to create them using local resources.

Digital learning: Left- Childrens are watching digital story book. Right: Teachers and volunteers are watching digital story during training session.

Science Activity: Understanding the concepts of light and image formation through a pinhole camera.

Science Activity: By observing the path of the sun and the formation of shadows, one can deepen their understanding of light and the passage of time.

Art and Craft Activity

Learning through singing and dancing: this is an activity that children greatly enjoy and find highly engaging. It combines fun and education, helping them to absorb information in a joyful and interactive manner.