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School Corps > Services & programs > SUN School services

Services to SUN Schools and Other After-School and Summer Programs

The School Corps offers these fun, literacy-related programs to SUN Schools and other after-school and summer programs. We can also present the programs we offer during the school year. Programs can be offered on a one-time or a regular or series basis.

The minimum length of the presentations is noted in the descriptions but may be adjustable to meet your needs. Some presentations require special equipment (that School Corps brings).

Please note:

Camp Read (for 1st grade students)

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 maximum.

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 maximum.

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.

Leap into Science (grades 2-3)

Monster bugs, magnets, mirrors and measuring! School Corps staff will lead students in hands-on science activities while incorporating picture books to encourage literacy. We use a curriculum developed by the Franklin Institute Science Museum and the Free Library of Philadelphia. This class can be 1-10 sessions in length.45-60 minutes.

Do-It-Yourself Cooking Up Concoctions (grades 2-4)

Step into the kitchen and mix up some tasty treats and goopy messes, guaranteed to make you say “Yum!” or “Yuck!” Each unit includes a story and related recipes to make foods such as ice cream, Banana Trees and Martian-Mallows or concoctions like fake blood, edible snot, and Oobleck. We try to include healthy options for most edible projects. Group participation encourages students to prepare ingredients, follow instructions and measure, mix and create a concoction. Each kit provides: 18 books to read aloud and a teacher's guide with recipes to go with each book. You provide: a staff person to teach to the class and ingredients.

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.

To schedule a School Corps presentation at your site, contact the School Corps Lead Worker at 503.988.6004 or lib.school.corps@multcolib.org.