LA PLATA, Md. — The College of Southern Maryland’s (CSM) Kids & Teens College is underway, offering hands-on learning fun at four different campuses across Southern Maryland.
Kids & Teens is part of the Continuing Education program at CSM. The long-running program has been a staple of the Southern Maryland camp scene since it began in 1986 as a small summer youth camp at the La Plata campus with a handful of sports and science classes.
The program expanded to three campuses in 2005 and is now available at all four CSM campuses. This year, classes are also available at CSM’s new Velocity Center at Indian Head, a 13,000-square-foot “innovation hub” that boasts a large maker space with the latest in creative technology, like 3D printers.
Classes run from June 16 to Aug. 8, and there are options for kids ages 5 to 17. Part of the program’s goal is to offer rewarding, fun, STEAM-focused courses that get kids thinking and problem-solving. Class topics range from upcycling to drawing to LEGO engineering to how to create an escape room to SAT prep.
Program Manager Teyana Carroll says her team spends a lot of time planning classes throughout the year, and they try to listen to what the community wants — they hope to be able to get every kid excited to learn.
“The number one goal is to have fun while learning,” Carroll said. “We can’t offer everything for everyone, but we do our best to accommodate the feedback.”
The program also aims to expose kids to college classrooms and specialized interest areas. Carroll says that no matter a kid’s age, they can find that spark of something they’re passionate about — and learning in a college environment helps give them the confidence to continue pursuing the idea that first got their attention.
And if their attention span isn’t quite ready to settle on one field of interest just yet (because they’re kids), the program keeps things moving — each weeklong session has different offerings, and families can sign up for two, three or four weeks at a time.
Staying flexible and learning how to best accommodate the community is one of the things Carroll says is part of the program’s popularity. Kids & Teens has a before-care option, and this year, they’re offering signup packages to help families save on attendance costs. Carroll and her team also work tirelessly throughout the year to secure sponsorship and scholarship opportunities for students.
Summer care can be a challenge for families. When school is out and caregivers are at work, having an affordable, safe, enriching place for kids to go is vital to the well-being of the whole family — and the community.
Carroll says she can’t speak to the data on how many kids go on to college or pursue a trade they learned about from the program, but she sees the benefits with her own eyes. Kids who attend come back as counselors, or even instructors, and she personally knows kids who have enrolled at CSM after the program.
“The best is when a kid learns they like something they didn’t think they liked before,” Carroll said. “I had a girl say that her color chemistry class made her think of chemistry differently and she likes it now. It’s all about giving them those opportunities to grow. That’s what we love to see.”
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