By Jamie Burke

Move over friendship bracelets, its time to write a song and rock it out live on stage! While it may not be what you think of when it comes to summer camps, Girls Rock! Rhode Island (GRR!) is transforming our perception of what camp CAN be for today’s girls.  GRR! was formed in 2009 by a group of women involved in the local music scene and local non-profits to help local women and girls to empower themselves and foster self esteem and self confidence through the development of musical skills.

There have been two Ladies Camps to raise funds for the weeklong Girls Rock Camp. As a graduate of the Ladies Rock Camp, I can attest to the amazing experience rock camp can be.  Where else can you form a band, learn an instrument, write a song, and perform on stage surrounded by the most supportive and encouraging women in a matter of days?  All the instruction was led by female musicians and the entire experience was life-changing.

Girls Rock Camps have popped up all over the US and all follow a similar model – empowerment through rock!   Now your daughter, or other young girl in your life, can have this opportunity too. From July 12 – 16, girls ages 11-18 will converge at JamStage in Pawtucket for the first ever Girls Rock Camp in Rhode Island.

Participants choose one instrument to focus on for the week.  The choices are drums, bass, guitar, or vocals.  Like the Ladies Camp, all instruction is led by experienced and enthusiastic women musicians, and happens in small group lessons.  All levels of experience are welcome, from “never played music before” to “I’ve been playing for a few years” to “I play guitar in my band but I’ve always wanted to play drums”. NO MUSICAL EXPERIENCE IS NECESSARY!!

Throughout the week, workshops are held on a variety of topics, from Screenprinting/Making Band Art to Songwriting (it’s not as hard as you might think!).  Every camp day is interspersed with fun stuff, from warm-up games to making buttons with your band name.

If you know of a young girl who could benefit from the power of rock, definitely check out http://girlsrockri.org for more information about this amazing camp experience.

Details:
Camp Dates: July 12th – 16th, 2010
For girls, age 11-18.  NO MUSICAL EXPERIENCE NECESSARY.
Where: JamStage – 25 Esten Ave. in Pawtucket, RI,
Application deadline is May 14th.
Full and partial scholarships are available.
Website: http://girlsrockri.org

Photo Credit: Nicole (left) and Jamie (left).

Are you thinking about camp, a planned vacation, long lazy days at the beach, day-trips or are you not even thinking of summer yet? To get you in the mood here are some helpful links from Kidoinfo:

• Summer camp and childcare

• Camp Guide

• You Really Can Do-it-Yourself: Forming Camps and Clubs

• Helping Kids Help Others

• 100 things to do with your kids in Rhode Island

By Michelle Meek

Remember when there were only three television channels (four if you counted Fox, although back then no one did), no cable, no DVD, no Internet?  When I talk to kids now, they think I grew up in the Dark Ages.

But seriously, if your kids are fascinated by film, television, or animation, why not turn that into constructive action? This February, the first-ever Providence Children’s Film Festival will offer a selection of independent and international children’s films, making our city one of the few to present a film festival targeted specifically to children. This and the Rhode Island International Film Festival’s KidsEye program give families an opportunity to watch unusual films made by and for children and often provide the chance to meet and talk with directors.

For even more behind-the-scenes action, encourage your child to sign up for one of the area’s hands-on filmmaking classes, which range from a one-day workshop to a semester-long course. These educate kids on the power of images and empower them to create their own media messages. And who knows, maybe next year instead of just watching, your child will be presenting his or her film in a festival.

Local Children’s Film Festivals

Providence Children’s Film Festival
February 12-15, 2010
In its inaugural year, this festival plans to bring independent and international children’s films, animation, and documentaries over Presidents’ Day Weekend to the Cable Car Cinema and RISD Museum.
website: http://www.providencechildrensfilmfestival.org/

Rhode Island International Film Festival
August 10-15, 2010
The annual KidsEye International Film Festival, under the umbrella of RIIFF, features films made by and for children.
website: http://www.film-festival.org/

Apparently, rumor has it that the Newport International Film Festival, a longtime festival including programs for both kids and film students, has collapsed.

Hands-On Filmmaking Workshops

SHOOT Teen Film Program
Starts February 10, 2010, Wednesdays at 4PM (runs for 8 weeks)
Ages: 12-19
Newport, RI
Cost: Free for Boys & Girls Club Members ($25/year to become a member)
The SHOOT Teen Film Program guides teens through the collaborative process of making a film from scriptwriting, location scouting, and casting through shooting and editing. Watch some of the former students’ films on their website.
website: http://www.shootnewport.com/

Kid Filmmakers
In April, check website for details
Ages: 8-15
Providence, RI
Cost: $15 (last year’s cost)
Kid Filmmakers, a traveling year-round filmmaking academy for children, returns to Rhode Island for the SENE Film, Music, and Arts Festival in April to present a special one-day children’s film workshop.
website:
http://www.senefilm.org
http://www.kidfilmmakers.com/

KidsEye Camp
1 week in July
Ages: 8-16
North Kingstown, RI
Cost: $345
Presented by the Rhode Island International Film Festival, KidsEye offers an intensive five-day filmmaking camp where children ages 8 to 16 step into the roles of screenwriters, actors, directors, and crew.
website: http://www.film-festival.org/kidseye.php

Rhode Island School of Design
Ongoing
Ages: Teens, as well as programs for 12 and under
Providence, RI
Cost: $300-$465
The RISD Young Artist Prgram has a unique roster of classes for children and teens. They recently ran a VideoLab: Experimenting With the Camera for ages 12 and under where kids learn experimental video techniques. They also have a series of Movie Masterworks courses that help teens learn to analyze films as well as create them, in addition to several courses in cartooning and computer animation.  A few of their upcoming courses include Lights, Camera Action (Vacation Camp) over the February break in which students ages 10 to 13 make their own short films, and Cartoon Carousel: Computer Animation Camp on April 19-23 in which students ages 9 to 13 combine traditional hand-drawing techniques with digital image processing to collaborate on an original short animated film.
website: http://www.risd.edu/kids_teens.cfm

Big Hope Films
Ongoing
Ages: under 18
Throughout Rhode Island
Cost: none
This unique organization aims to fulfill creative visions made by children and young adults under age 18 who have been diagnosed with a chronic illness.
website: http://www.bighopefilms.org

Michele Meek is a writer and filmmaker. For more information, visit her site at www.michelemeek.com or her blog at www.therhodelesstraveled.com.

Do you embarrass your kids with your killer air guitar riffs? Channel your inner Janis Joplin in the shower? Sneak downstairs for one more round of Rock Band after the kids go to bed?

Well, this summer you have the chance to make all your Rock dreams come true!

Girls Rock! Rhode Island recently announced the opening of registration for its inaugural Ladies Rock Camp. The camp will be held at JamStage music complex in Pawtucket, RI on August 21st-23rd, 2009. In three short days, women 18 and up can learn guitar, bass, drums, or vocals, as well as form bands, write original songs, and perform at a live showcase. All skill levels are welcome. Women will have the opportunity to meet other campers and professional female musicians, as well as learn about helpful women- and music-centered topics like concert promotion, screen-printing and band merchandise creation, women in rock history, and self-defense.

The goal of Ladies Rock Camp is to provide women with the opportunity to express themselves through music without judgment in an all-women setting. Also, participants will help encourage future female musicians, as the camp will also work to support Girls Rock! Rhode Island’s first Girls Rock Camp for girls 11-18, which will be held in the summer of 2010.

Registration can be completed at www.girlsrockri.org and is on a first-come-first-serve basis. The deadline to register is July 31st, 2009. Ladies Rock Camp is funded by the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts and the City of Pawtucket.

About Girls Rock! Rhode Island
Girls Rock! Rhode Island is a new organization in the state whose mission is to help girls and women empower themselves through the development of musical skills in order to foster self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-efficacy. Through this work we hope to build an environment conducive to the active participation and respect of women as creative producers of our culture. For more information, visit www.girlsrockri.org.

Photo Credit: Ryan Lesser

Whether you send your kiddos to camp for a week or the whole summer there are a few essentials they need to carry each day to brave the sun, the rain, the bugs.

Here’s our camp checklist to help keep track of all of the essentials and make camp mornings easy and stress-free. Print your own copy and tuck into your child’s bag so they can check off everything they should bring home.

This list of items for day camp should fit into your child’s backpack.

___ Sunscreen with an SPF rating of at least 45 (I think the roll-on kind is easier for younger kids to re-apply it themselves.)

___ Insect repellant wipes and/or insect repellent wristband (Do not send an aerosol can of insect repellant—the spray will sting if it gets in your child’s eyes.)

___ Bathing suit and towel (I recommend the cheap, super thin ones—less bulk in the backpack.)

___ Water bottle filled with ice-cold water

___ Hat

___ Comfortable running shoes or closed-toe sports sandals WITH socks

___ Extra set of clothes (especially a pair of socks and shirt if they get wet from the rain)

___ Rain poncho (rolls up small)

___ Medication: All camps should have your child’s medical information on file. Having an extra note with details in their backpack and attached to their Prescription medication and/or Epi-Pen is helpful.

___ Food: Most day camps will provide lunch and snacks. If you pack a lunch it should be easy to eat on the ground. A sandwich (avoid peanut butter since most camps are nut-free), fruit and a juice box or water makes for a healthy lunch. Granola bars make an excellent snack. Some camps may have snack bars – find out the rules and cost of items ahead of time so you can plan if and how much money you want your child to have everyday. I recommend putting money in a zippered change purse or Ziploc baggy. Notify the camp of any food allergies your child may have.

Optional:
___ Change purse with $1-$2 for snacks
___ Benadryl cream for itchy mosquito bites

Read what parents added to the list last year and please add your suggestions in the comments below.

Four Rhode Island authors featured in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms

A writing coach, a naturopathic doctor, a talk-radio host, and a yoga teacher might not be the first people you think of when you hear the term “power mom,” but four Rhode Island women (including Kidoinfo writer, Erin Barrette Goodman), all contributors to a new book called Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms: 101 Stories Celebrating the Power of Choice for Stay at Home and Work from Home Moms, are helping to broaden and redefine what it means to be a power mom in the twenty-first century.

On Saturday, May 2, at 2:00 p.m., writing coach Lisa Tener of North Kingstown, naturopathic physician Kimberly Beauchamp of North Kingstown, radio talk-show host Robin Kall of East Greenwich, and yoga teacher and RI Birth Network founder Erin Barrette Goodman of Charlestown will share their stories at a public reading and discussion at the North Kingstown Library. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing. Proceeds from the event will be donated to Families First, a grassroots nonprofit organization that partners new mothers with supportive mentors.

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1.  Reduce your grocery bill. Do not grocery shop when you or your children are hungry—pack snacks for the kids if they accompany you—to avoid hunger tantrums and impulse snack buying. Plan your menus ahead of time and make a list so you’re less tempted to buy more than you need or will use during the week.

2.  Avoid take-out temptation. When making meals, cook a double batch and freeze half to use another time when you are too tired to cook and apt to spend unnecessarily on take-out.

3.  Organize a clothes swap. Plan a mom’s night out or in and make it a clothes, toy, or book swap with your friends. We all have clothes that our children have outgrown, toys they’ve lost interest in, or books they no longer read. One child’s neglected puzzle or train set is another child’s new treasure so let the swapping begin. Make the evening fun and economical by having a potluck with contributed snacks and drinks. Decide the swap parameters ahead of time: should it be a free-for-all with anything people have to offer or should it have a single focus like clothes or toys only?
Related: Plan a Craft Exchange and A Touch of Pink but Mostly Green: A Baby Shower of a Different Color

4.  Borrow from the library. Cut down on how much you spend on renting movies or DVDs from Blockbuster or on your monthly Netflix fee by using your library card to borrow books, DVDs, and passes for local venues such as museums and zoos.
Related: Fast, Free DVDs: the Ocean State Library Network

5.  Trade for childcare. Organize a babysitter swap with your friends – either as a direct trade or as a babysitting coop.
Related: Form your own camps and clubs

6.  Turn everyday places into mini field trips for your children. Visit pet shops to see the fish, visit music stores (like Borders) to sample music with the giant headphones, or visit a new library that has a children’s room.
Related: Book a Rhode Trip

7.  Shop secondhand, consignment, or thrift shops. Find clothes, toys, books, and baby gear—slightly worn but sometimes still in its original package—at a fraction of their retail price. There are a number of fabulous shops to pick from—some cleaner and more organized than others—check our list here.
Related: Learn how to consign clothes for store credit. (more…)

By Elyse Major

One spring as preschool was coming to a close, I thought, “What will my boys and I do all summer to keep busy and have fun?” Wanting to provide stimulating experiences without the expense of a formal program, I decided to start my own camp. Armed with a background in advertising and public relations, I was compelled to package the idea with a catchy name, a logo (see T-shirt above), an itinerary, even a song! Over a power-lunch at Newport Creamery, my boys and I decided we would name our venture Camp Cricket. Although summer is over, your camp or club can be adapted to your schedule and the current season.

Gathering Campers
I emailed all of my mom-pals. Knowing that even a brief phone conversation can be difficult to have at my home, I had acquired email addresses from other moms over the years. I sent a message pitching the idea of meeting once a week to eight moms. They were in. After all, the camp was really a moms’ group in green and brown (camp) packaging.

Putting It Together
My M.O.: The goofier we all are, the more fun this will be for the kids. And goofy I got! I created a Camp Cricket logo and printed it on iron-on transfers for each mom and camper to put on old T-shirts. I borrowed a preschool tune and came up with quick lyrics (Camp Cricket time is here/It’s time to clap and cheer/For fun and friends and summertime/Camp Cricket time is here). I developed a loose itinerary:

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By Katy Killilea

Other parents can be rich sources of clever ideas for keeping kids entertained. But have you tapped a camp counselor lately? These young people have to come up with fresh material day after day, often on a wretchedly tight budget. For thirty days in a hot school cafeteria in Barrington, Rosa Fry (aka Miss Rosa) has schemed and planned to keep her young campers happy.

Rosa is a sophomore at Syracuse University and a Rhode Islander otherwise. She studies studio art and art history, and her favorite kinds of art making are silk screening and painting. Helping kids at RISD’s Free-For-All Saturdays was her first experience teaching kids. This is her first summer as a camp counselor.

Miss Rosa’s tips:

• When making crafts with kids, try to make things that can be used instead of straight objets d’art. For example: make musical instruments or paper airplanes instead of wall hangings.

• Make things outside.

• Use the Internet to get ideas. Rosa’s favorite resources are familyfun.com and crayola.com.

Here are some of Miss Rosa’s greatest hits:

• Paper Bag Costumes
Equipment: Paper grocery bag, scissors, crayons.
How to: Holding the paper bag with the open end down, start at the bottom and slice up all the way to the top. Cut off the upper corners to make arm holes, and then tailor the holes for shoulders. Cut a V-neck or crewneck opening. Keep in mind you can have the slit-open side as the front or the back, depending on your child’s sartorial vision. Decorate with crayon to make accessories and jewels as desired.

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Now in its twelfth year, the Rhode Island International Film Festival, (RIIFF) will take place August 5-10, 2008. In its brief life span, the Festival has become a leading juried competition showcase for international independent filmmakers and their work.

The Festival’s goal is to recognize achievement and innovation in a variety of filmmaking and storytelling disciplines while providing an opportunity to secure wider distribution. The Festival also actively supports and encourages film preservation and its restoration, thus ensuring future generations of this unique artistic medium.

The RIFF takes place in the historic cities of Newport and Providence as well as satellite locations throughout the state. Visit the the RIFF website for a complete schedule of this years festival.

KidsEye International, a popular division of the RIFF, has expanded to include more films this year over five mornings at the Bell Street Chapel in Providence—cutting edge films by and for kids.

more:
Learn more about KidsEye Camp; a five-day summer camp held at the University or Rhode Island that exposes young people to the basic elements of the filmmaking process, culminating in a premiere screening of their finished films.