Staff Report

DELRAY BEACH, FLA. – To borrow a phrase from Ella Fitzgerald, “It’s summertime, and the livin’ is easy.” When you’re a youth in the summer programs at the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum, the living and learning are exciting, as well.

From mid-June to early August, the young women of the Spady Museum’s youth program will continue to attend monthly life skills session meetings, both virtually and in-person, led by Jeaneen West.

The participants will also have a half-day retreat in-person, outside at the Spady Museum, where they will take part in exercise, art activities, social development and cooking.

Additionally, the young women will have their first sleep-over retreat at a local hotel, while learning, sharing and enjoying an inspirational workshop.

LEARNING ABOUT LIFE

The life-enrichment sessions allow the youth to bond and increase their capabilities in a safe, nurturing setting.

To support this effort, the Spady Museum welcomes sponsorships at several levels: – $25: Pays for one participant to attend a life skills session – $100: Pays for one participant to attend the half-day retreat at the Spady Museum – $250: Pays for one participant to attend the sleep-over retreat

CAREERS IN TECH

In collaboration with its partner, Nerd Alert, the Spady Museum will offer tech ride-alongs and shadowing, beginning the end of April. Julius McGee, president and founder of Nerd Alert, is preparing to have his participants shadow him on tech support appointments, where they will tackle issues such as cyber security, general tech help, networking and smarthome setups. McGee will also allow them to join in virtually or in person for client web design meetings.

The goal is to continue move his sessions from virtual to in-person, as most of the students requested this, and to provide hands-on learning opportunities in a growing field.

In June, McGee will begin preparing participants for internships and job opportunities, by showing them how to fill out applications, create resumes and master the interview process. By mid-June, he hopes to have some participants ready for job placement.

BOOK PUBLISHING

At the end of most summer camp experiences, kids can say they had a good time – visiting local attractions, playing at the pool and making new friends. But at the end of SEEDS of Creativity summer camp, kids will also be able to say that they are published authors and produce a book that illustrates their creativity.

Camp leaders will weave into the daily camp fun a publishing journey for each camper. They will work individually and collaboratively on an anthology book, which will be printed and distributed to each child. The camp curriculum will teach writing, art, and production with activities that build creativity and critical thinking.

Camp dates: June 21 – Aug. 6, Monday Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m., ages 10-17.

Location: Williams Cottage, adjacent to the Spady Museum, 170 NW 5th Ave., Delray Beach.

Details: Cost is $175 per student per week. A one-time, non-refundable $25 production fee is required at registration. Extended care is available.

Discounts are available for multiple children in one family; available if entire fee is paid at registration.

The Spady Cultural Heritage Museum is the only museum in Palm Beach County dedicated to sharing the African, Haitian-and Caribbean-American cultural contributions to Florida and the U.S.

Registration is open, and scholarships are available. Call 561-376-3130 or 561-8093834, email info@seedsofcreativity.org or visit spadymuseum.com.