SUMMER FUN After 30 years, College for Kids and Teens still going strong
H
ow do you keep a summer program fresh and attract generations of kids year after year? For MCC’s College for Kids and Teens programs, which have been offering educational summer classes for youth ages 3–17 for more than 30 years, the recipe for success includes quality instructors and interesting, off-the-wall classes. Last summer’s Experiment with the Brain class — where kids dissected sheep brains and learned about protecting their noggins with helmets — is just one example. “Hands-on activities like these plus cooking, science experiments and art are perennially popular,” said Tina Morgan, MCC community education program planner. Last year, enrollment approached 3,000. Morgan said instructors keep the program fresh by coming up with new and exciting ideas each year that mix fun with education and are unlike anything kids get in school.
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“Some kids start with us when they are 3 years old and come back every summer. It’s a fun, affordable option,” Morgan said. Classes for kids are 9 a.m.–noon, Monday–Friday. Teen class times vary and offer youth 12–17 a chance to learn new skills such as sailing, acting, broadcasting, guitar and Webbased game design. Both programs give youth exposure to the lifelong educational opportunities offered at MCC. By connecting children at an early age to educational experiences, MCC hopes to become their natural choice for continuing their education into adulthood.