For some, school breaks are an opportunity to rest, relax and vacation, and for others it’s a chance to pursue a new skill or spend time focused on a passion. That's why our holiday camps have been reimagined to further support students' natural curiosity and their love of learning.
Both the Richmond Road and Junior School campuses were a thriving hub of activity over this Spring Break with skill-based camps that were wildly successful and incredibly fun for the young campers from SMUS and the Greater Victoria community.
"These camps are a service for both our families and our local community, and a great way to focus that spring energy,” says Craig Kelley, Director of External Programs. “Given the opportunity, students want to follow their passions and dive into them. Our camps are skill-based, so every day they can go home and say, 'I learned this skill today,' or 'I learned something I didn't know today.’”
The SMUS Mission of "outstanding preparation for life" rings true through all camps, no matter the age of the participants. More than 330 children ages 5-17 participated in 18 camps ranging from fashion design, textiles and cooking, to our sports-focused camps in basketball, squash and volleyball. Our youngest students explored the city with an 'under the sea' theme, and students as young as 8 were even learning quantum physics.
“I really like it. I'm learning about fields and electrons and protons and neutrons and gluons and atoms and quarks," says eight-year-old Lauren J., who participated in the Be Quantum Smart Jr. physics camp. "Sometimes we watch videos or demonstrate things and there are activities when we learn. ... I recommend you take it because you learn so much!"
The quantum camp is unique to SMUS and taught by Dr. Goksenin Sen, or “Dr. Quantum” to the students, who learned in middle and junior cohorts. Dr. Sen also teaches after-school programs at SMUS and the camps will be offered again this summer.
With our Spring Break camps now over, our focus shifts fully to summer camps, when we will again welcome youth from Victoria and around the world to continue learning from great educators in niche areas of interest.
“Our camps are designed to balance learning with the fun, relationship-building experience of going to summer camp,” Craig says. “The shared experience of having fun, getting to know new people and playing games is what many of them will remember most. When people are having fun and laughing, that’s when they’re more open to learning.”
From our new Applied Skills for Teens series to nature camps and overnight sports and engineering camps, there are plenty of great opportunities for kids and teens to continue their love of learning in fun ways this summer.
To learn more and to register, please visit our External Programs website.
Kyle Slavin
