MISD Camp Promotes Creativity and Collaboration

Mansfield ISD students entering grades 5-8 spent the week letting their imaginations run wild while building a spirit of teamwork. Create Camp is taking place July 24-28 at Legacy High School.

The summer camp is designed to allow the children to work with the four C’s—creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking. Camp coordinator Hope Hutchison said she decided to start the camp after working at the district’s science camp and seeing how excited the kids were to learn.

“I saw everyone’s enthusiasm, and I started thinking, ‘Maybe I should expand this idea to kids who like other subjects as well,’” said Hutchison. “Create Camp focuses more on STEAM, which incorporates the arts, as well as science, technology, engineering, and math. I’ve been doing Destination Imagination for more than 20 years, so this gives them a taste of that as well.”

MISD's Create Camp is in its second year. There are daily individual challenges and one comprehensive group challenge given to the children to teach them how to problem solve and think on their feet.

Students worked on their radio broadcast daily.

This year’s group project was a radio show. Students worked all week to create a comprehensive radio show, equipped with a story, live sound effects, cliffhanger and a breaking news bulletin. At the end of the week, the campers will perform the radio show for their parents.

“My favorite part is seeing the creative processes from the kids,” Hutchison continued. “These children didn’t know each other on the first day, but now they’re interacting and really working together to get this project done.”

Aaron Pradith was a radio announcer in his group. He noted that the camp helped him improve his social skills.

“This helped me break out of my shell more,” said the incoming fifth-grader at Della Icenhower Intermediate School. “It made me talk to my teammates more and make decisions together.”

More than 120 students participated in this year’s camp. Hutchison said she hopes her camp will inspire the students and teachers to start similar imagination clubs at their campuses.

“I know the district’s Vision 2020 plan states that students will participate in extracurricular or co-curricular activities, and this is another option they can choose,” she said.