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Day camp investigates summer learning

Youngsters mix core skills, fun at CSI (no, not that CSI)

By: Nick Martin

Posted: 08/9/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Moon Klee (bottom centre) and her classmates sing at the graduation of the Community School Investigators program at Dufferin School. (KEN GIGLIOTTI / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

Alenah Bradburn has been in school for five weeks in each of the last four summers -- without missing a single day.

And loving it.

"I never missed a day in four years!" proclaimed the about-to-start Grade 5 student Wednesday, as she celebrated the end of the annual CSI summer enrichment learning program at Dufferin School.

There were 860 kids from grades 1 to 6 in CSI at 14 schools this summer -- no, not that CSI, this is Community School Investigators -- the largest group since the Boys and Girls Club of Winnipeg took the program over in 2005.

It's designed to help kids in inner-city schools strengthen their math, reading and other education skills over the summer, while having fun.

For Alenah, the best part this year was going swimming at Cindy Klassen Pool.

"We go places we never did before, like Graffiti Gallery," said Tia Dunn, entering Grade 4. "There's challenges, we play a lot of games, cool new things."

Trevor Creeley, heading into Grade 7, liked the science experiments with lights and dry ice. "Every week we do something different," he said. Weeks have themes such as mystery, comedy and science.

"We try to have a mix of learning and fun," said Melissa Foidart, the manager of education for the Boys and Girls Club.

The provincial Bright Futures program and SEED Winnipeg also provide financial support.

Foidart said CSI, the University of Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Aboriginal Sports Achievement Centre run the largest camps for inner-city kids, though several churches also run camps, and the University of Manitoba hosts mini-U at its Fort Garry campus.

This was the first year at CSI for Richard Jensen, a 28-year-old father of three and education student at the University of Winnipeg, who gave up a career in insurance to return to school.

"They came and recruited at the university. A couple of my professors really pushed me," Jensen said.

Jensen worked with some of the kids to produce Wavin' Flag Remix -- their own version of a popular K'naan song.

"This is why I went back to school in the first place, programs like this," said the Shaftesbury High School grad. "It's like a mixture of summer school and science camp."

Numerous studies have cited the impact two months away from school can have on students retaining what they've learned in the school year.

"It's great that kids have the opportunity to be involved in programming over the summer that will prevent learning loss," said Manitoba Teachers' Society president Paul Olson.

"Kids should enjoy a broad range of experiences over the summer, such as time with family, cultural experiences, outings, and of course time to read. The CSI program is one way that kids can have those experiences and is especially important as it helps a lot of kids who might not otherwise have those opportunities," Olson said.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca

When I get older

HERE'S where you can hear Wavin' Flag Remix, the Community School Investigators at Dufferin School kids' version of a K'naan song:

soundcloud.com/langsidestudios/wavin-flag-csi

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 9, 2012 B2

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