Monday, April 29, 2024

Fond du Lac School District students who will be in third, fourth, and fifth grade for the 2024-2025 school year may sign up for a fun, free summer camp that will nurture creativity and critical-thinking skills.

The Design Lab at the Fond du Lac Public Library’s Idea Studio is now accepting applications for each of its summer camps. Five week-long camps are planned:

  • June 24 - June 28
  • July 8 - July 12
  • July 22 - July 26
  • August 5 - August 9
  • August 19 - August 23

Sessions run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with drop-off beginning at 8:45 a.m. at the library’s south entrance. Breakfast, lunch,and snacks will be provided. Activities take place at the Fond du Lac Public Library in a variety of rooms and the Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts, located adjacent to the library.

This year’s session focuses on “Claiming Your Place at the Table,” which will help students find a welcoming place in the library where they can explore, learn, and grow in a safe environment. Youth will explore the art and science of food by making solar ovens, trying new foods, and using Idea Studio equipment to personalize items for students and their families.

Caregivers will find their children coming home with new skills, including a strengthened ability to be mindful in the activities that they do. 

Children who joined the program last year had fun and discovered they can do more than they ever imagined:

  • “I learned that it may go quicker when you help other people. It reaches our goals faster.” Fifth-grade participant
  • “I learned how to make things I couldn’t do before.” Third-grade participant
  • “I learned that I’m very creative and others are too!” Fifth-grade participant

Design Lab is part of a nationwide collaboration, funded by a grant, and is closing the opportunity gap with arts-integrated, project based,  STEAM Programming for traditionally marginalized communities. Preference will be given to students who receive free and reduced lunch in the Fond du Lac School District who are entering third, fourth, and fifth grade, but anyone can apply.

To apply, visit bit.ly/designlabapplication, with acceptance notifications typically sent out in early June. The program is free, making it accessible to students from low-income households.