For generations, summer camp has been a cornerstone of childhood and an unforgettable opportunity to explore new interests, extend learning into non-classroom settings, make new friends and experience personal growth and development. In the summer of 2020, many summer camps have cancelled or severely restricted their offerings as a result of the pandemic. With many camps and recreation centers across the country remaining closed for the foreseeable future an unprecedented number of children will remain at home in the coming months, and potentially into the 2020-21 school year. WPBS-TV, working with the education sector partners across our region, has stepped up to offer preschool and elementary children a number of “virtual” camp experiences including:
- Camp TV, a new broadcast series for elementary school children which will blend day camp and learning into a daily hour of playful fun to address the “COVID slide.” Camp TV airs on WPBS-TV each weekday from 11:30 am – 12:30 p.m., beginning Monday July 13thand continuing through Friday, August 7th. Each episode of CAMP TV will be comprised of 6-8 segments featuring content from the nation’s leading educational, arts, and cultural organizations including: the NY Public Library, the New Victory Theater, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Bedtime Math, Wildlife Conservation Society, the Memphis Zoo, and our very own Camp Wabasso! Campers will have fun while bolstering their literacy, math, science and arts knowledge. CAMP TV will bridge a number of divides by providing a virtual summer camp experience to elementary school students nationwide.
- Peg + Cat Summer Camp collection to support STEM and socioemotional learning for children ages 3 – 5. Virtual instructional videos and supporting resources from the Peg+Cat collection on PBS LearningMedia will guide campers and families to solve Really Big Problems! with 12.5 hours of hands-on learning.
- Promoting and supporting Camp-in-a-Box, an initiative of Camp Wabasso, designed to allow campers to have a modified summer camp experience at home. Two weeks’ worth of activities, along with materials and directions in each box, with three boxes being offered over the summer months. Virtual instructional sessions will also be held by Camp Wabasso staff to complement each Camp-in-a-Box. For more information, please go to https://ccejefferson.org/4-h-youth/4-h-summer-programming .
- Extensive distribution of summer learning materials and resources – including tangible, hands-on learning activities – to libraries throughout St. Lawrence, Jefferson, Lewis, and Oswego counties. This partnership between WPBS and the North Country Library System has already brought STEM, literacy, and other learning opportunities to hundreds of children.
Local education partners – including Jefferson/Lewis BOCES, Cornell Cooperative Extension, the North Country Library System, and Fort Drum Child & Youth Services – have been working with WPBS to ensure that there are diversified and high-quality educational and experiential opportunities available this summer for children in our region.
Make this a summer of learning, fun, and family with WPBS through our broadcast camp experiences, virtual activities, and hands-on learning with community partners. WPBS-TV is proud to be working with our local community partners and other PBS stations to provide our youngest learners with quality, trusted programming to help them grow and develop this summer.
For further information, please contact:
Celeste Oppito, Education & Lifelong Learning Partnership and Services Manager
coppito@wpbstv.org | 315-782-3142 ext 320
