Middlesex Community College’s College for Kids summer program is off to a strong start! Kids and teens ages 8 through 17 can explore interests, learn new skills, meet new friends, and boost self-confidence. Registration is still open for upcoming sessions, running through August 7.
“College for Kids offers fun, interactive and educational experiences for young students over the summer,” said Ellen Wright, MCC’s Assistant Director of Lifelong Learning and Workforce Development. “The variety of our programs allow kids to explore the arts and sciences, visit a college campus, and enjoy subjects they may not have the chance to do during the school year. We are thrilled by the success of this summer and look forward to ending the year with a line-up of exciting classes.”
Course topics include STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), improv and acting, arts and crafts, baking, fashion design, arts, fitness, and more. Starting July 28, class options include All About Science, Cakes and Cupcakes, Cartooning/Caricature, Intermediate Coding for Teens, Jewelry: Design/Build, and Science Experimentation Station.
In All About Science, students perform science experiments, while Science Experimentation Station lets them explore the “why” behind different science facts. Cakes and Cupcakes teaches students different cake decorating tips and Jewelry: Design/Build class lets them make their own earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Expanding on skills learned in the previous week’s intro course, Intermediate Coding for Teens goes over different coding style.
Spots are also still available in courses running from August 4 to 7, which include Fit Kids, Cookie Decorating, Introduction to Veterinary Science, Game Design, and more.
The Fit Kids class offers students a chance to exercise and stay active during the summer. In addition, the Cookie Decorating class allows students to learn from a local baker and get creative with their dessert. In Introduction to Veterinary Science, students will learn more about careers in veterinary and animal science, while Game Design teaches students about building a game using cards, dice, and board games.
During the first few weeks of College for Kids, students explored different art mediums in Exploration Art Studio, created short films in Film Production & Editing and learned Taylor Swift’s creative process in (Not So) Cruel Summer: The Songs & Sensation of Taylor Swift. Students also had the chance to build their performance skills in On the Spot Improv, which siblings Ellen and Nora DeGennaro enjoyed taking together.
While Ellen said, “I learned a lot playing the [improv games], and I loved being silly and funny,” Nora said, “The time flew by, and I would definitely do it again.”
This summer, students also had the opportunity to learn aviation skills in Ace Aviation & Simulation, study different levels of coding skills in Intro to Coding and Intermediate Coding, and get familiar with Dungeons & Dragons gameplay and character building.
“The instructor really knew his stuff,” said Connor Thompson, an MCC College for Kids student. “[The course] helped me grow my skills as a Dungeon Master."
MCC’s College for Kids programs are taught by public school teachers and expert professionals. Programs are offered in Bedford and Lowell, featuring five weeks of full- and half-day programs from July 7 to August 7, Monday through Thursday. Full-day programs run 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and half-day programs run 9 a.m. to noon or 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Students who take two half-day programs to make a full day can stay on campus for lunch in between the two sessions.