In 1996, a team of researchers led by Harris Cooper, concluded that achievement test scores for nearly every age group and demographic decline over summer vacation. His studies also found that test scores of children who participate in summer camps, especially educational ones, declined much less than others.
The J.L. King Center in Starkville is in the middle of hosting a week-long summer camp that is aiming to do more than simply entertain and distract summer- weary children.
Like other summer camps, The J.L. King Summer Learning Camp still gives kids the opportunity to play and run around, but every morning they are given a reading activity and in the afternoons are asked to journal the day’s events.
The camp, which was offered last year but only focused on reading, is part of the Even Start Family Literacy Program, but program Coordinator Deborah Shannon said for this week’s camp the children will also be doing activities involving math, music, social studies and science.
“I have always wanted to teach across the curriculum and so I tried to do things a little differently,” Shannon said. “We incorporated some other activities and community agencies to come in and help us this year. It has been a great week so far.”
Shannon, who was been with Even Start since last August, said the camp is for children 3 – 12.
“We split them up into ages 3 to 5 and 6 to 12. They are tackling the same subject matter, just through different activities,” she said.
This year, the camp has Mississippi State University’s Maroon Volunteer Center coming twice to speak to the kids about community engagement, and the different ways they can get involved to give back.
“We wrote letters to the troops yesterday,” Shannon said. “We were talking about service and different ways people can serve and that was one of them. We wanted them to write to some of those troops, and when care packages are sent, these will be included in the care packages.”
She said the MVC is coming again on Thursday do another activity with the children.
Shannon gave a lot of credit to a few high school juniors and seniors she said will be volunteering all week. Shyquell Spurell, who just finished his junior year at Starkville High School, seemed genuinely happy to be around the kids, and said he hopes he will be working different camps on and off all summer.
“Well unfortunately,” Spurell said jokingly, “Mrs. Deborah and my mother told me about it … but I really was just grateful I got the opportunity. I really enjoy helping out the kids, and even my co-workers too.”
Even Start is funded through the Mississippi Department of Education, and is part of Starkville School District’s Family Centered Programs but Shannon said the summer camp this week is actually funded through a donation from, “a wonderful community citizen and patron,” Walt Newsome.
The Even Start Family Literacy Program also works in conjunction with the Adult Basic Education/GED Program offered at the J. L. King Center and Emerson Family School. Shannon said the program helps GED and ABE parents by providing them with family literacy classes, parent enrichment workshops and childcare focused on developmentally appropriate teachings.
The Summer Learning Camp this week held registration prior due to space issues, but Shannon said some of the children are unable to come every day, so if there are parents interested in signing their children up for one of the remaining days, contact her at 662-324-6913. If there are parents looking to complete their GED or take an Adult Basic Education course she said they can call the same number.
Shannon will be stepping down in August to start teaching first grade at Sudduth Elementary. Funding for the J.L. King Center is scheduled to end September 30, but Shannon said, the way she understands it, the doors will remain open past this date. Either way, someone will step in to fill her position.
“I really have had some great opportunities to spearhead a lot projects here,” she said. “I’ll still be around though … Of course, I’ll have summers off so I will definitely try to get over here.”
Shannon said this is the last significant event scheduled at the J.L. King Center this summer, but they are planning to schedule an open house during July to show off some dramatic renovations that have occurred over the last six months.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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