WANTED: Children in Grades 1-8 to Attend College

Release Date: 1/1/2001. Expired: 5/30/2001

Kids College Spring Session Begins

It’s true...The Renaissance Center in Dickson, Tenn. has something for everyone. And now, Saturdays are a lot more fun with Kids College, a series of themed programs open to children in grades 1-8. The Spring Session of Kids College will take place on selected Saturdays from Jan. 27-May 12 with fun and educational activities from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost is only $5 per child which includes lunch.

On January 27, 1-4th grade students will create their own “Big Book” with illustrations. After hearing examples of good literature and seeing different genres of artwork, the children will use various materials to create illustrations for their book. Students in grades 5-8 will create a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book in which the reader can direct the action and make choices. They will learn about plot and conflict and will use computer software in the Learning Lab to write a 12 to 15 page book. Both groups will learn about educational Web sites that include games and activities that anyone can enjoy. There is a limit of 12 students for each age group.

On Feb. 3, Kids College participants will enjoy a day at the Dickson Municipal Airport. The day’s theme, “Introduction to Avionics,” will include a tour of the airport and an introduction to flight safety. Students will construct small model planes to demonstrate the basic principals of aerodynamics. A cookout will add to the fun of the day.

Start the count down to Feb. 10 when students will get ready to “Blast Off” inside the Project Dream Mission Space Shuttle. The Dream Mission Shuttle is one half the size of the actual Space Shuttle, but has over 100 times the computing power. Students will view NASA video footage and learn how the Dream Mission Shuttle really works.

Feb. 24 is “Kids College Mardi Gras” Day. Students will have a great time preparing for the celebration by making their own Mardi Gras mask and tie-dyed t-shirt.

Is spring fever settling in on your kids? March 3 is the day for them when they will travel to Ruskin Cave, the site for Camp Renaissance. Armed with a picnic lunch and high energy, Kids College students will run off that spring fever restlessness with a day of soccer, Frisbee golf, ultimate Frisbee, softball, hiking and maybe a little fishing or cave exploration.

On March 10, participants will enjoy an “Introduction to 3-Dimensional Art” as they create a sculpted project with emphasis on shape, form and positive/negative space.

Kids will get technical on March 24 when 1-4th graders learn “Computers inside and out.” They will get hands-on experience in dismantling and reassembling a computer. The 5-8th graders will receive a more in depth study of the world of computers, computing and the Internet.

The next Kids College session will be on March 31 when students can join in for a day of merry music making. Musical activities will include getting to explore guitar, piano, percussion, violin, Orff instruments, singing games, folk dance, and music recording and sequencing.

Get animated on April 7 with “Introduction to Computer Animation.” 5-8th graders will participate in a hands-on lab assignment for a professional animation lab including working with animation software. 1-4th graders will explore various techniques used in today’s movie industry through discussion, demonstration and study of basic animation techniques.

April 21 will be a fun day of drama. All students will view a private performance of The Jungle Book. Then dividing into small groups, there will be workshops in improvisation, creating characters and mask-making. A demonstration for parents and classmates will take place at the end of the day.

“Introduction to the Multimedia Television Studio” is slated for May 5. Students can really get behind the scenes when they learn the inner workings of a real television recording studio from camera operation and editing to script writing and running teleprompter. Students will work on a real production shoot both in front of and behind the camera.

Saturday, May 12, wraps up the Spring Session of Kids College with students making rockets and seeing stars. 5-8th graders will explore rocketry construction and launching while the 1-4th graders will participate in interactive astronomy activities in the CyberSphere including an introduction to our Solar System, finding stars, and learning to identify constellations.

There are a limited number of openings for each session and advance registration is required. Children interested in participating in a Kids College program must be registered and the $5 tuition paid by 5 p.m. on the Thursday before each session. Due to the limited number of openings for each session, advanced ticket purchases for future Kids College sessions is not permitted. To register for a Kids College session, call (615)740-5600 or come by the center at 855 Hwy. 46 S. in Dickson.

For additional information on Kids College, call Brad Diamond, director of program development, at (615)740-5559.