LCL Summer Teen Program-A Great Success!
This summer the Lancaster Community Library teen program hosted four brand new programs for the teens in our community. We had three programs in the month of July, and one program in the month of August.
During the week of July 8th-11th we held our Drones Camp, in coordination with the instructors from EURUdyne, at the Dreamfields Community Center. The campers learned the rules and regulations of drone flight safety, built their own drones and learned how to fly them, and competed in fun drone flight challenges.
On July 22nd-23rd our Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Camp was held at the library. At this camp the teens learned the differences between VR and AR, how they are used in education, business and leisure activities, and the coding for basic experience design. Using the MetaVerse app and software, they created and participated in Augmented Reality maze experiences and scavenger hunts. We also used the Google Tours/Expeditions app and software to create a Virtual Reality tour of the Northern Neck area using 360 photos.
On July 29th-30th we held our Video Blogging Camp at the library. Here, the teens learned the basics of video blogging, including the types of vlogs that are popular, what equipment is used in vlogging, do’s and don’ts of vlogging, and the basics of social media influencing with vlogs. They created their own vlogs from start to finish, including editing with music, titles, text and images. Using the PocketVideo app, we also created several educational vlogs about the library, and fun and informative vlogs highlighting Town Center Park.
On August 5th-6th our Sportscasters/Broadcast Journalist Conference was held at the library. The conference had five presenters who bring a lot of experience within their field of broadcasting. Robert Fish, a veteran with over 30 years of play by play experience taught on the basic insight on how to become a play by play announcer on TV and radio. Zach Hamilton, assistant broadcast director at George Mason university taught teens about editing, production and producing sports. Mike McCormick with over eleven years as an educator and broadcast Journalist taught the teens on to present news and current affairs content for television, radio and the internet. Candace Burns, Anchor with WTVR CBS 6 anchors the 6 & 11pm newscast taught on anchoring, setting up a news stories, editing, interviewing and how to get the correct information when out in the field gathering information. Demetrius Means, Sports commentator/talk show host with 23 years of broadcasting experience taught on how to work with your play by play partner as a sports analyst and becoming a talk show host.
All nine of our participants expressed an interest in pursuing an education and career in broadcast journalism or sportscasting, and left the camp with a great starter kit. They received a professional tape recorder, microphone, and headset.
These summer programs, headed up by our Teen Director, Demetrius Means, were a great success and all the programs were made possible through a grant from The River Counties Community Foundation for the Lancaster community library teen program. We are looking forward to next year. The planning has already started!
