New Loyalist College day camps becoming popular for Quinte kids

By Shelden Rogers

Loyalist College has completed its first week of day camps for both kids and teens.

Loyalist has introduced some new and diverse camps over the past years. Kids can attend everything from digital photography to skills trade’s camps this summer.

Shawn Lowe, leader of the digital photography camp at Loyalist College, said it was a successful week.

“It was excellent. I think everything has gone really well. The kids seem to be learning quite a bit and I think they have enjoyed themselves,” said Lowe

This is Lowe’s first year running the digital photography camp at Loyalist. He came up with the camp idea and wanted to do something about it. Once the idea was approved, the camp became very popular, said Lowe.

The camp includes kids from the age of nine to 13. It focuses on hands-on photography activities.

“We focus a lot on the artistic elements of photography like the rule of thirds, composition, the right lighting, things that they can do inexpensively,” said Lowe.

He said the feedback has been nothing but positive.

“The parents are saying that their kids are enjoying it. It’s been very successful. I would do it again,” said Lowe.

Another new camp to Loyalist is the skills work day camp. The college has partnered with Skills Canada Ontario to bring a trade’s camp to Loyalist.

The camp is in its second year and like last year it is at the maximum amount of campers.

Karen Throupe of Skills Canada Ontario said the camp explores a variety of different trades.

“The kids are going to be going into half-day workshops led by instructors at the college. They are going to be going into a machining workshop, woodworking, automotive, welding, culinary and something in bioscience,” said Throupe.

Throupe said the camp also includes employability training.

“The other part of the camp is focused on teaching the campers about employability skills. Things like teamwork, problem solving communication skills. We have a whole bunch of different hands on activities that engage the kids about learning those types of skills,” she said.

The maximum amount of campers for the camp is 16. Throupe said the low number offers campers more hands-on training opportunities.

She said she has heard that kids are excited to get up in the morning and come to camp.

“I think what it is that we are really attracting kids that are hands on. It’s engaging that type of learning style and really getting them to explore what their interests are, what their passions are and give them that sense of accomplishment,” she said.

She said sees a bright future for the program at Loyalist and plans to continue the partnership for a long time.

Day camps at Loyalist will be running until August 16. The college offers a variety of art, tech and outdoors camps for kids of all ages.