ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Those looking for some more activities for their children will have just that chance later this summer thanks to Seward County Community College.
SCCC's annual Kids College will take place Monday, July 14 through Thursday, July 17, and each day has three sessions – 8 to 9:15 a.m., 9:30 to 10:45 a.m., and then 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Kids College is for children entering first grade through eighth grade and is $25 for each session and for the whole four days. Enrollment begins June 2, and those interested in signing their children up must have a notarized form, and they also need to have their ID and a copy of their insurance card. Coordinator Sarah Thompson said there is a lot to be excited about for this year.
“We'll have classes for arts and crafts, including pipe cleaner crafts, face painting and body painting, and messy art, among others. We also have some culinary classes, and some job skills classes, including automotive maintenance, Drones in Real Life and Fire Academy, among others,” Thompson said. “We also have some computer classes, science classes, sports classes, and recreation classes, so there will be something for everyone who signs up. The last day is always super fun because that's our pizza and swim party, and that will be from 12:15 to 2 p.m. For anyone who wants to see the full slate of classes, the brochure is on sccc.edu, as is the registration form, which can be filled out and brought to us, or parents can come in and fill everything out in person. I'm really looking forward to this year's Kids College and I hope we have a lot of great turnout for each class.”
Thompson said the variety of classes should draw a big enrollment.
“If you're looking for something for your child to do so they won't be bored this summer, Kids College is definitely the way to go. We've got such a variety of classes, and the instructors are all absolutely great. Kids College has been going on for more than 20 years already, and it's really popular in the community,” Thompson said. “This is also a great chance for us to get local children on the SCCC campus and give them an idea of what a college campus is like and help them get around. They'll also have the chance to meet other children they might otherwise not know. Kids College also helps the parents not only get a bit of a break, but it also helps the children learn something new while they're out for the summer as opposed to just sending them to the water park or one of the local parks every day. This is much more hands-on and creative, and again, the children will have just so, so much fun. We've continued to grow since coming back after the COVID-19 pandemic, so I expect we'll see that trend continue. I know parents are always looking for activities for their children throughout the summer to help keep them learning and keep them both physically and mentally active, especially with the more recreation-geared classes. We've got some great teachers again this year, and I think the students will have a great time with everything they participate in.”
Thompson added she hopes the students learn a lot in their classes.
“I've been with the SCCC Foundation for the past few years and recently came back to the Business and Industry office, so I'm excited to be part of Kids College again and see all the students who come through and get to know them,” Thompson said. “It's always exciting seeing the children having fun and hearing them tell their parents about their day when they come and get picked up. I love seeing all that excitement and enthusiasm for learning, and I love seeing all the fun and new friendships that form. There are multiple children who come every year and are able to catch up with others they met last year, and there are also newbies who come and are able to make a bunch of new friends as the week goes on.”
Thompson also encouraged parents to sign their children up sooner rather than later.
“As we say every year, these classes are first come, first serve, so if you want your child to have a guaranteed spot in the class(es) they want, get in soon and get them signed up, because there are some of our classes that fill up particularly quickly,” Thompson said. “It's always sad when we get someone who comes in late and is disappointed when they're not able to get into the class(es) they want and we ultimately have to just put them in whatever's open. The registration form is available online, so parents can look at it with their children and pick out the class(es) they're most interested in and then they can bring everything in ready to go when they come and enroll, and that again starts June 2. We hate seeing anyone disappointed, so if your child has their heart set on a certain class, get everything ready to go quickly so they don't miss out.”
Thompson said the community’s support has helped keep Kids College popular as time has gone on.
“We always have a great group of people willing to be instructors for classes, and we even have former Kids College alumni who are now teaching classes themselves, so that speaks to just how impactful Kids College can be and is a full circle moment,” Thompson said. “We also have a lot of USD 480 teachers who come and teach, so there's just a lot of community involvement, which we always love. The people are what makes this community great, and that definitely includes Kids College. I know there will also be activities and programs available from the Liberal Recreation Center and Baker Arts Center and a few other entities, and I think we all actually work really well together to give children multiple opportunities for fun and enrichment throughout the summer so they're not just sitting at home bored.”
Overall, Thompson said, she hopes to have another successful summer.
“Anyone with any questions can call us at (620) 417-1170 or email
