Closing the school year under the circumstances of a global health crisis could be challenging. I am optimistic, however, that we are making it through this difficult time, and quality learning remains to be the pinnacle of our community. The efforts of everyone in ISM is both inspiring and unifying.
As we look forward and transition to a well-deserved summer break, we are also confronted with the reality of restrictions and limitations in observance of social distancing to be one with the world in flattening the curve.
I am delighted to share four noteworthy online summer activities that we can take advantage of in the event that we find our children and ourselves restricted within our homes.
Camp Google: An Online Camp for Kids
Kids ask all sorts of questions from what’s at the bottom of the ocean, to how far is space, where do volcanoes come from, and why does music make me move? We wanted to create an online program that encouraged all these questions so we worked with Google to create a month long camp for kids full of fun science projects and interactive adventures led by experts from Google, National Geographic, NASA, The National Parks Service and Zendaya.
There’s something about summer that sets the spirit soaring. Parents, join us this #SummerWithGoogle—an opportunity for your curious teenager to make new discoveries and to become a responsible explorer of the web.
For four consecutive Mondays, starting May 28, we will share exciting assignments that will involve you and your child teaming up to discover a new country, learn its language, explore its history and culture, and even try their hands at coding a mobile app through a range of Google products. And that’s not all—you could also get invited to a technology summer camp at a Google office!
Camp Wonderopolis® is the free online summer-learning destination that’s full of fun, interactive STEM and literacy-building topics boosted by Maker experiments! Keeping kids and their families learning together throughout the summer and out-of-school time, Camp Wonderopolis can help build vocabulary, background knowledge in science, reading comprehension, critical thinking, and other literacy skills along the way. When you register as a Camper (kids of all ages) or Counselor (parents, community and library program staff, teachers), you’ll enjoy learning through wonder—an approach honed by the award-winning Wonderopolis.org!
Maker Camp is a great way for communities large and small to engage kids this summer with cool projects and activities. Maker Camp is free for everyone online. Everyone can join, no matter where they live, because Maker Camp is online, and it’s free!
ISM Virtual Learning Activities were a collection of online resources that kept us together and occupied over the Thingyan holidays. The links to activities and resources remain active and worth visiting.
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT SUMMER RESOURCES
This was created with middle schoolers in mind, but some resources will absolutely work for high school and some even for elementary students. Whether you’re looking to sharpen your knowledge or you’re just plain bored and need something to do, this list has a little bit of everything.
Staying active and busy during the summer is vital for our physical, mental, social, and emotional health. Schedule zoom calls with your friends. Play a game with the family. Find a way to get outside! Then, when it’s just you and you can’t do those things, spend some time watching movies and playing video games but not all of it. Use these resources to hone a skill, read a book, or learn a new hobby.
