School Corps > Services & programs > Summer programs

2011 Summer programs

During the summer, the School Corps offers these fun, literacy-related programs to Multnomah County community agencies. We can also present the programs we offer during the school year.

Programs can be offered on a one-time or a regular basis, if your audience changes throughout the summer. In the past, we've found that these offerings work best when they are integrated into an established summer program, rather than as drop-in programs.

Please note:

There is no charge for any of our programs.
We have a minimum group size of 8 youth.

Camp Read (for students who just completed 1st grade)

School Corps staff lead students in art and literacy activities, games, and puzzles that are designed to strengthen students' reading and writing skills. 45 minutes-1 hour.

Multicultural Story Scouts series (grades K-2)

These classes can be offered individually or as a series. We have 10 different stories, so this class can be offered from one to ten times. School Corps staff introduce students to multicultural picture books, emphasizing literacy skills, crafts and activities related to that book. We'll read a different book aloud at each presentation, involving kids in discussion and questions. Then kids will participate in one or two activities related to the story. 45 minutes-1 hour.

Art Story Scouts series (grades K-2)

These classes can be offered individually or as a series. We have 10 different stories, so this class can be offered from one to ten times. School Corps staff introduce students to different art styles through picture books, emphasizing literacy skills, and crafts and activities related to that book and art. We'll read a different book aloud at each presentation, involving kids in discussion and questions. Then kids will participate in one or two activities related to the art. 45 minutes-1 hour.

Do-It-Yourself Multicultural Story Scouts

We always receive more requests for Multicultural Story Scouts than we can accommodate, so we have created kits for SUN schools to borrow from us. We now have two different series: Series #1 is the same one we've had for the past year, and Series #2 has 10 new stories. We'll send the kit to your closest Multnomah County Library branch for pickup, and you can keep it until the end of the fall session. Each kit provides: 10 of our favorite books from the Multicultural Story Scouts series and a teacher's guide with discussion and activity ideas to go with each book. You provide: a staff person to teach to the class and basic craft supplies. 45 minutes-1 hour per program.

Research Ranger series (grades 3-5)

These four classes can be offered individually or as a series. Students use books to research popular topics and earn a Research Ranger certificate. This summer we will not be offering the computer portion of Research Rangers.45-60 minutes.

Gross and Yucky Stuff:

Is it true that if you chop off the head of a cockroach it can live for up to a week? Do boogers really contain particles from outer space? Learn the answers to these questions and many more, and earn a certificate to show that you're an expert!

Pirates:

Arrgh! If you get captured by pirates, you won't have to walk the plank. After taking this class you'll be a pirate expert!

Space:

What do astronauts eat? What's a black hole? Find out more fascinating facts about space, and earn a certificate to show that you're an expert!

Pets:

Is a guinea pig really a pig? How can you tell if a parakeet is male or female? Learn the answers to these questions and many more, and earn a certificate to show that you're an expert!

Research Ranger series (grades 6-8)

Gross and Yucky Stuff:

The Mysterious and Unexplained:

Is Bigfoot real? Did a UFO really crash in Roswell? We can't guarantee you'll know for sure, but you'll be a mystery expert after taking this class!

Junk Food Junkies:

What's in your doughnut? Do kids in Japan really eat squid-flavored ice cream? Become a junk food expert and earn a certificate to show it!

Extreme Adventure:

Are you a fan of extreme sports or adventure racing? Complete the Extreme Adventure scavenger hunt and earn a certificate to show that you're an expert!

Top Secret (grades 4-8)

Students use reading, math, writing and logic skills to write and decipher codes. This class has 4 sessions, so it can be offered from one to four times. Here's a description to use with students: Have you ever needed to write a secret letter to a friend but were worried someone else would read it first? Learn how to write and read secret codes! 45 minutes-1 hour.

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (grades 4-8)

Learning to tell scary stories is a great way for students to build self-confidence, to improve their memories and to hone their storytelling skills. This class has 4 sessions, but could be paired with Top Secret to extend it to 5-8 sessions. Here's a description to use with students: Learn how to tell spooky, creepy-crawly stories about monsters, ghosts and other scary things in this class. Then next time you're at a slumber party or sitting around a campfire, you'll have a scary tale to share too. 45 minutes-1 hour.

Do-It-Yourself Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (grades 4-8)

This kit provides most of the supplies so you can teach the Scary Stories class (see above) at your site. We'll send the kit to your closest Multnomah County Library branch for pickup, and you can keep it until the end of the session. Each kit provides: 15 copies of scary stories books and a teacher's guide with reproducible handouts and instructions for teaching the class. You provide: a staff person to teach to the class and basic supplies.

Bucket of Books (grades K-12)

These tubs contain 24-30 books on a topic plus a teacher's guide. Visit the Bucket of Books website for a current list of the topics and instructions on how to request a bucket.

Customized Book Tubs (grades K-12)

We can help you build a crate of books around a fun subject. Maybe you have a theme you want to explore; some we've done in the past include "Outdoor Science," "Crafts that Recycle/Reuse," and "Math Activities." Or get really creative, with topics like "Creative Concoctions" (books about recipes and science formulas that teach how to follow step-by-step instructions) or - from another past program - "Tie Dye" (books on colors, rainbows, tie dying, and anything related!) We'd be glad to help you brainstorm topics. If we don't have a Bucket of Books (see above) on your subject, we'll create customized booklists like these and send one copy of each book on the list to a nearby library for you to check out. Requires a three-week lead time.