|
June 8, 2010
 It’s a question that every parent should ask — will my babysitter know how to handle an emergency? Do they know whom to call in the event of a fire? Do they know how to care for a toddler? Do they know first aid?
At the Babysitting Training Camp offered by Temple University Fort Washington and the American Red Cross, teens ages 11 to 15 will learn all of the ins and outs of being successful babysitters. The program will be held at the Fort Washington campus on Friday, June 25, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration is required.
Angela Simpson of the American Red Cross likens the program to a comprehensive boot camp for babysitters.
“It’s truly a confidence builder, whether the girl or boy is babysitting as a job or simply taking care of their siblings or a neighbor. It effectively teaches all of the basics of babysitting,” she said. “We’ll teach our participants how to recognize an emergency and demonstrate first aid. They’ll also learn about the proper emergency actions steps — Check, Call, Care.”
During the training program, campers will use the Babysitter’s Training Handbook to help identify ways to recognize and use safety principals to solve problems in the home; learn the importance of play for a child’s growth and development; learn how to pick up and hold an infant or toddler in addition to learning how to bottle-feed and diaper an infant. Campers will learn how to cope with a choking incident and how to identify types of wounds. Participants will also utilize a “Family Interview Form” to gain valuable information for a safe and responsible babysitting experience.
The Babysitting Training Camp is just one of more than a dozen camps designed with teens in mind that will be offered as part of the Temple University Ambler and Fort Washington’s Summer Education Camps held in June, July, and August.
“The camps are a fun-filled approach to academic subjects in a small-group setting,” said Rhonda Geyer, Director of Non-Credit programs at Temple University Ambler and Temple University Fort Washington. “They provide a wonderful opportunity for teens to learn about a specific area of interest, experience a college campus, and have a lot of fun at the same time.”
 Is your teen interested in robotics? Temple University Fort Washington offers Lego® Mindstorms™ NXT Robotics camps at beginner and intermediate levels! There are scholarships available for campers who are in financial need and would like to attend the Lego® Mindstorms™ camps this summer. The scholarships are being funded by the Dow Chemical Company in Spring House, Pennsylvania — contact 267-468-8500 for information on the scholarships.
Temple University Engineering Professor Dr. Dennis Silage, who will be teaching Advanced Lego Robotics, is also offering a new camp for the first time this year — Explore Engineering — which will provide students the hands-on opportunity to invent, design, and build creations while developing skills in problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership.
“What do engineers do? They use technology and imagination to solve real-world problems right in our own communities and work to improve people’s lives,” said Dr. Silage. “We’ll look at civil engineering, mechanical engineering, and, finally, electrical engineering, the magic behind the electrical, electronic, and computer revolution. We’ll investigate how wireless communication works with the Marconi Challenge using infrared (IR) signals, the same technology as a remote control.”
From wireless communication to verbal communication. There is no question that the idea of public speaking sends many people — mo matter what their edge — running for the door. Upper Dublin Township Commissioner and Upper Dublin School District teacher Jules Mermelstein hopes to change that with The Power of Public Speaking and Debate for Teens: The Art of Arguing, programs designed for students ages 13 to 17. In The Power of Public Speaking, students will focus on learning and perfecting their speaking skills while students in Debate for Teens will explore “arguing in a civilized way. Students will learn how to research and create a well-thought out argument.
“Speech and debate skills, I believe, are important not only to elected officials but to everyone — these are part of our communication skills. I have read that 90 percent of problems between people are due to a lack of communication; you need to learn to speak up (whether in agreement or disagreement),” said Mermelstein, a Temple University graduate himself and coach the Upper Dublin Speech and Debate Team. “If you disagree, you need to know how to disagree without being disagreeable. And if it is important, you need to know how to convince someone that what you are saying is correct — this could involve persuasive speaking and/or debate skills. It is also very important that when you speak, speak so that you are not misunderstood.”
Part of speaking and debating, Mermelstein said, is being able to understand what the people you are speaking with or debating against are saying. Listening skills, he said, are an essential part of speech and debate.
It is important for teens to be able to speak up in class and feel confident enough to take a chance by speaking in class — classrooms are great places for teens to test their ideas. Additionally, if they do not understand something, it is important for them to know the proper way to speak up and ask the teacher to explain things differently,” he said. “Socially, it is important for teens to have the speaking skills to be able to not fall for peer pressure and avoid negative behavior. The goal for both camps is similar — to give teens the communication skills they need in their personal lives.”
 Beyond the art of argument, additional camps offer experiences in designing new living spaces, understanding the intricacies of performance, and unlocking your creative talents through photography, computer creations, and art in new and returning camps such as Figure Drawing and Portraiture.
Try your hand at sleight of hand in Experience the Magic! or master your camera skills and photo presentations with Photoshop “Phun” for Photographers and Digital Scrapbooking. Unlock your inner Broadway or film star with the two-week camps Acting for Teens or experience the art of filmmaking in front of the camera and behind the scenes with the always popular Film and TV Camp and Digital Video Editing, which is returning for a second year.
Teens can create their own corner of the Internet with Webmasters — Beginners and Beyond! or their own computer games with Create Computer Games in Flash, which will show students how to create interactive computer games with Adobe Flash.
Teens will also learn how to take their rooms from ordinary to extraordinary with Interior Design with Teens in Mind and the newly offered camp Interior Design Star, camps designed for 13 to 17-years olds that will teach teens to creatively express themselves through professional interior design techniques that highlight furniture, art, fabrics, lighting, and accessories.
Now in its 21st year, the Summer Education Camp program is offered in June, July, and August as a series of primarily one-week camps.
“With the one-week camp sessions, families can try several different camp programs throughout the summer,” Geyer said. “Teens today are interested in so many things that we wanted to offer them the widest variety of fun, educational experiences possible.”
This summer, a variety of full day and half day camp programs will be offered each week. Full day camps will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Half day camps will run from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. This allows campers the opportunity to stay for the entire day or just come for a part of the day. It also provides flexibility for parents who may need their child in a camp program all day, or just a half-day.
For more information on Temple University Ambler Summer Education Camp program, or to register for camps, call 267-468-8500. Or, visit us online at www.ambler.temple.edu/camps.
|
