The Hattiesburg Arts Council is currently hosting a four-week virtual summer camp.
The virtual classes kicked off June 8 and continue through July 3.
They were developed to give children productive time during the COVID-19 pandemic while they are away from school, and they also provide unique learning experiences.
The classes are streamed at 9:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on the Facebook pages of the arts council and Hattiesburg Parks and Recreation.
The camp, which is free, had 79 campers signed up for the first week.
Campers can pick up a package of supplies needed for each week’s activities at the Hattiesburg Community Art Center at 825 Main Street.
“This is the first week of a month of programming,” said Abigail Allen, program coordinator, on Monday. “It is a partnership between City of Hattiesburg Parks and Recreation and the council. Through that partnership, we are able to get the funding for all the packages. Each week is a different theme, so we put together these great art packets that have a week’s worth of materials for art projects. The kids can follow along even though they are at home.”
Each week features a different theme, including Camping and Creating, Father’s Day Week, Outer Space and Safari Party.
Campers will build and create art projects while the streamed broadcast brings in a learning aspect.
Emily Gallapsy, director of the community art center, said making the camp “easily accessible for kids” was one of the main priorities.
“We try to create as few barriers as possible,” she said. “We just put everything online, and kids could sign up for as many weeks as they wanted to.”
Gallapsy explained that projects will have an educational component centered around each week’s theme.
“(We create) kaleidoscopes, nature collages, lanterns and things that are campy and things you would do at camp,” she said. “We are adding an educational component too, so when we have outer space week, we’ll be talking about constellations, the cycles and tides and things like that.
“The classes include music, art, science and movement components. It’s an abbreviated version of what they are missing from school and being around other kids all day."
For Allen, making learning fun is also an emphasis during the camp.
“Kids just don't want to do exercise stretches in a regimented routine at all,” she said. “If you turn those exercises into something fun, then they are so pumped to do it. That’s my whole thought on education: if you make it interesting for a child, then you are probably going to want to learn it. We try to find interesting and inventive creative ways to give information and joy to kids.”
For more information, email egallaspy@hattiesburgms.com.
