Athens, Ga. – Retaining knowledge over the summer break can be difficult for some students, but nearly 100 Athens area students, ranging in grades from elementary through high school will have an opportunity to improve their writing skills and enhance their digital literacy at the 4th annual Camp Red Clay June 1-5 at Barrow Elementary School in Athens.
Camp Red Clay is sponsored and led by the Red Clay Writing Project, a professional development group of local teachers and University of Georgia professors based in the College of Education.
Camp Red Clay will offer two sessions: a morning writing session open to 3rd to 9th graders and an afternoon technology session open to 7th to 9th graders. In the writing session, students will participate in a variety of writing activities. For example, some teachers use marathon writing, which involves walking around the school and making random stops. At these stops, students are encouraged to write about whatever inspires them at the moment.
The afternoon technology session will allow students to develop their computer skills through programs such as Movie Maker or Photostory. Camp Red Clay provides the technology, but students are encouraged to bring in materials from home to share. The goal of this session is to enhance and improve students’ digital literacy.
“Camp Red Clay believes in the power of writing as a life skill,” said Linda Boza, Camp Red Clay director and instructional specialist at Clarke Central High School. “While acknowledging that standardized testing has increased the stakes for our students, we have created a camp that excites, enriches and empowers students in their writing. During this week, we balance writing that covers the Georgia Performance Standards with writing that builds on student interest, engagement and creativity.”
Registration for Camp Red Clay is $100 per session or $150 for both sessions. While no limit has been placed on the morning session, a cap of 25 students has been placed on the afternoon technology session due to computer availability. More information, including a registration form can be found at www.coe.uga.edu/rcwp/camp/camp.html.
