Summer camps get 21st-century makeover

Organisers of summer camps are abandoning traditional activities like cooking and craft, offering in their place app building and entrepreneurship for students eager to learn the 21st century skills.

Parents, on the other hand, like to sign their wards up for courses on manners and etiquette, while a few also groom them on how to conduct themselves in public.

Many such courses are designed for children aged 5 to 10 and are offered for the first time. Not so surprisingly, parents queue up in large numbers to find a place for their wards.

“I was searching for a different summer camp and came across the Android app building,” said Chetan L, father of a nine-year-old boy passionate about technology and aerodynamics.

Poorvi M, who signed her daughter up in a course on manners, found the offering “different” from other programmes. “There’s no harm if children learn more,” she added.

Ashwin Yadiyala S, Managing Trustee, Sparrows Group of Education, introduced the course on manners and etiquette for the first time. “It’s important that they learn discipline. It’s also important that they recognize and respect other people, something that should be taught at an early age,” he said.

Since both their parents are busy working, they spend very little time with their wards, resulting in children learning less manners and etiquette from them. “We teach them how to greet and behave with others in social gathering,” Yadiyala said.

Narasimha Naidu, a STEM educator from EduTech Stem Studio, said courses are designed on 21st-century technology skills. Students are trained on engineering and science education platforms.

Besides, students between ages 8 and 14 show a greater level of interest in courses on mentorship, budget planning, marketing management, entrepreneurship and partnership firms. Some are fascinated about setting up farm-centric businesses like beekeeping and mushroom farming.