A snow-themed class put a new spin on Penn State Behrend’s College for Kids, a six-week summer-enrichment program. Students stitched their own winter hats.
ERIE, Pa. — It snowed in Erie a few weeks ago.
The flakes had an odd texture — a mix of hair conditioner, baking soda and glitter — but the group in “Exploring Snowy Adventures,” a College for Kids course at Penn State Behrend, didn’t mind. They pushed and piled the fake snow. Then they brushed it off their still-warm palms.
The instructor, Kelly Cass, designed the class — one of more than 100 offered this summer through College for Kids, a six-week summer enrichment program at Behrend — as a celebration of winter fun.
“I thought it would be fun to go outside the box and do winter activities,” she said.
The class was a hit.
“It’s funny,” said Grace Peng, 7. “You know, it’s summer, and you usually do summery stuff, but I like winter, because it’s my birthday month.”
She and others in the class picked fleece fabrics and stitched their own winter hats.
“Sewing takes patience,” said Cass, who earned a degree in elementary and early childhood education in May. She will begin her teaching career this fall.
“I liked the sewing,” Peng said. “It reminds me of when I was a little child, because I used to sew with my mom. I learned how to use the machine.”
“I like that I’m going to have a hat that I got to sew myself,” said James Osatuyi, 6.
“I am going to wear mine to sleep tonight,” said Theodore Bailey, 7. “Mine is so cool. It looks like a galaxy.”
Other winter-themed activities Cass developed for the class included a snowstorm in a jar, snowflakes built with beads and igloos made from marshmallows. The students also made their own ice cream.
“I like to make lots of stuff,” said Dylan Ji, 6. “I really liked the ice painting with Popsicle sticks and ice cubes.”
The projects combined learning and creativity with fun. That’s a hallmark of the College for Kids program, Cass said.
“Summer enrichment is important because when teachers are in class, they tend to focus on curriculum and standards,” she said. “This is an opportunity for kids to experiment and learn new skills and create in ways they might not in a classroom.”
As the class ended, the reality of the 80-degree day set in again.
“I feel hot in this now,” Peng said as she took off her hat and returned to her summer.
Penn State Behrend's College for Kids is a six-week summer-enrichment program for youth ages 6 to 14. This year's schedule included more than 100 classes.
Robb Frederick
Assistant director, news and information, Penn State Behrend
