Did you go to summer camp as a kid? There’s a whole culture of sleepaway camps that I know very little about (and that I associate with the East Coast).
I went to a day camp, the 49er sports camp at Cal State Long Beach one summer—where I learned that I did not have a future in basketball. (I’m a terrible dribbler!) Can you spot me in the photo above?
And then, when I was older and thought I wanted to write, direct, and star in movies (I said “like Eddie Murphy” in a monologue once–how weird is that?), I went to a summer theatre production camp. Nevermind that speaking in public is one of my least favorite things to do.
Eventually I got a summer job as a camp counselor for a couple of years with the Long Beach Parks & Rec department (just like my dad), and did crazy things like coach soccer (which I don’t play) and co-chaperone 20 four-year-olds at Disneyland.
I was intrigued to hear about Camp Galileo. They have 38 locations throughout the Bay area with the mission is to create a world of fearless innovators through imagination-sparking programs for kids from pre-K through 8th grade (while making sure they have a lot of fun). Fearless, joyful innovators? Sounds awesome.
Plus, if Hudson were to go, he’d be called a Nebula. How cute is that?!
Interestingly, I think it was around fourth or fifth grade when I decided I wanted to do it all (um, just like Eddie Murphy), which is the age that Camp Galileo says kids are ready to pick a passion and go deep exploring it. So at that point they introduce “weekly majors”: in pre-K, campers may build a crude xylophone or design a lion mask. By 8th grade, they may program their own video game, design their own fashion line, tell a story through digital filmmaking, or breathe life into some creation entirely of their own invention. Can someone please hit rewind and sign me up for one of those digital media courses? For all ages, the curriculum partners are Klutz, The de Young Museum, The Tech Museum of Innovation and The Chabot Space & Science Center.
If you or someone you know is looking into summer camps, check out Camp Galileo.
Thanks to Galileo for sponsoring today’s discussion and for supporting Hither & Thither.
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