How would you like to get your 4 to 14-year-old child involved this summer with a place where learning never stops — but neither does the fun? Scholars Collective at 236 E 3rd St., Ste 100C, with its combination of expert staff, old-school activities, and state-of-the art technology, is perfectly qualified to be that place for your child!
The Scholars Collective High Tech Summer STEAM Day Camp will open when local school districts wrap up their academic year and will run throughout the summer from 7 AM to 7 PM. Parents can purchase the entire summer, a block of a few weeks, or even arrange for just one day or half day for their kids to partake in the camp’s variety of fun and educational offerings.
“We hope kids feel inspired and excited when they come in here,” said Dr. Angela Macias, who created Scholars Collective after being a classroom teacher for 12 years. She worked with a couple of artist friends — including Downtown artist and resident LaJon Miller, who teaches art at Scholars Collective — to design and set up the space in a way that’s interesting and inspiring without pandering.
“We don’t want it to feel like it’s a daycare center for little kids,” Macias said. “Adults like hanging out here too! We were intentional about that; We wanted it to feel like a grown-up space where you could do a science experiment and feel like a scientist, or do an art project and feel like an artist.”
Dr. Macias, who is from the San Bernardino area and holds an Ed.D. in Leadership for Educational Justice from the University of Redlands, has put together a staff composed mainly of undergrad and grad students who are on their way to being teachers. She and three other veteran teachers — including artist Miller — train and mentor the younger staff. Macias has also recruited two aerospace engineers (“Literally rocket scientists!” laughed Macias) to help run the Scholars Collective 3-D printing lab.
Kids also love the tech lab, and can visit it throughout the day. They’re required to take a class in the tech lab, such as typing, coding, or video editing, and they can get some video gaming in as well. “The video game atmosphere is supervised and positive,” said Macias. “Our staff is well-versed in gaming. They know which games are appropriate for each age group, and they make sure the kids only communicate with people in the room, and not with people online.”
All kinds of art and science activities are available to young scholars throughout the day, and they switch activities approximately every hour — but they won’t be forced to do anything. “One of our mottoes is ‘Learning should be fun,'” said Macias. “We don’t make kids do things. They can choose independently. We want them to do things they’re engaged in, rather than feeling like they’re in trouble for not doing something.”
Click here to get all the details about the Scholars Collective Summer Day Camp, make bookings, and learn about how Scholars Collective functions as a drop-in and after-school center during the school year. Flexibility for parents is a key operating principle! Scholars Collective will work with you on the most convenient ways for you to get your child involved.
“This is my passion project,” said Macias. “I was a classroom teacher for many years: This place is what a classroom teacher wishes for. It’s fun for kids, and it’s also ‘teacher heaven,’ with all the books, supplies, and tech you could ever want.”
Scholars Collective is located at 236 E 3rd St., Ste 100C. For more information, visit the website here.