Greetings from Paul
Twist & Earn! @ Your Library
Synergy Conference
Best Buy Grant
Flow Circus Fan Page on Facebook!
Summer & Fall Bookings
Remember back to when you were 12-14 years old. It's 4pm ......where are you?
Some of you may have played on a team sport, some may have been at the dance studio, but many of you went home to play with your friends in the neighborhood. A case study in the UK illustrates how a child's play space has changed. Over the course of 4 generations, the area that made up a child's area of play decreased significantly:
1919 - 6 mile radius
1950 - 1 mile radius
1979 - 1/2 mile radius
2000 - 300 yard radius
As more families have two working parents and as concerns for child safety grow, afterschool programs and libraries are becoming the playgrounds for today's kids. In an effort to address bigger populations with fewer resources, these programs need to be resourceful in developing programming to engage tweens and teens. Gaming is one popular answer. Electronic environments provide the opportunity for young people to explore a world outside themselves. A place where they have total control. A space filled with challenges. A place free from direct adult supervision. I am a fan of video games myself but believe it is our responsibility as adults to provide opportunities for a child to develop both an healthy body and exercised mind.
Flow Circus strives to provide library and afterschool staff with innovative programs to reconnect kids with a sense of play while developing important 21st century skills. Hands-on activities that inspire creative thinking and teamwork. Programs that give kids healthy alternatives during the critical hours between 3-6pm.
Playfully yours,
Paul
Twist & Earn! @ Your Library: During National Library Week, Flow Circus introduced 2 Connecticut libraries to the Twist & Earn! program. During a 90 minute workshop, middle school & high school aged students were introduced to basic balloon twisting skills. These new skills were then used in a fun team building exercise that emphasized good communication and teamwork. We wrapped up each session with balloon hats to allow the kids to express their own personal style. To see pictures of some of their fabulous hats visit our blog. Each library now has a Twist & Earn! tote bag that includes balloon pumps, balloon aprons, and over 1000 balloons to further develop the program to best meet the needs of their teens.
We developed Twist & Earn! as a program to engage students in a fun activity during the afterschool hours. Libraries and afterschool programs can use the program to develop entrepreneurial skills by creating a balloon twisting business. Students can create a logo and marketing strategy, analyze possible locations/events for their business, and track sales/profits. The funds raised can then be used for field trips to visit other entrepreneurial businesses. Libraries have also chosen to use the program to engage tweens & teens in community service. Once trained, the balloon twisters can enhance special events with a balloon twisting station or visit other community programs such as day cares or senior centers to make those sites a little more colorful!
Feel free to contact Dawn at dawn@flowcircus.com or (919) 604-3462 or visit our website if you would like to learn more about Twist & Earn!
Synergy Conference: Last month, Flow Circus attended the North Carolina Center for Afterschool Program's conference Synergy 2009: Move into Action for Afterschool. NC CAP was created by Governor Mike Easley to bring together our state’s afterschool providers, community leaders and policy makers to build a network that addresses the afterschool program issues of quality, accessibility, and sustainable funding. Their website has a number of valuable resources for afterschool providers.
We enjoyed meeting afterschool directors from across the state and look forward to partnering with them to bring juggling and skill toys to tweens and teens.
Best Buy Grant: Grant applications are now being accepted by the Best Buy Children's Foundation until June 15th. Their focus area is teens and more specifically programs that help teens gain skills to help them thrive in the following 4 key areas:
- Learn — opportunities to have a high quality education and learn
- Live — opportunities to build life skills and thrive
- Lead — opportunities to develop leadership skills and contribute
- Love — opportunities to build healthy relationships and relate
The Skill Toy Program has been designed to help afterschool programs and libraries achieve these goals. We would love to partner with you to develop a grant proposal to bring skill toys to your site. Contact Paul at (919) 426-9157 or paul@flowcircus.com to discuss how we can help you with the grant writing process.
Flow Circus on Facebook: Flow Circus now has a Facebook page. Become a fan and stay up to date on Flow Circus news and events.
Summer & Fall Bookings: We do still have a few openings during the summer months and have started booking for the 2009/10 school year. If you are interested in having Read Yourself Silly performances for your elementary school or Do Something! for your middle/high school to kick off your school year, contact Dawn at (919) 604-3462 or email dawn@flowcircus.com
Share this Newsletter: If you know of a library, school, or after school program that may benefit from a Flow Circus program, please forward this email or send them to www.FlowCircus.com
Thank you.
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