June 2018
Newsletter of the Center for Educational Improvement
Summertime: Opportunities to Learn, Explore, and Meditate
Dear Educators,

Summertime - your summer break is almost here. Have you ever wondered what children around the world might be doing during their summer breaks? Explore a camp for gifted students in Turkey, drop-in on opportunities for summer yoga for youth, and learn about how Japanese youth spend their summers in this month's Wow!
Global Minds: A STEAM Summer Camp for Gifted Turkish Students
By Dana Asby, CEI Intern

As global demands require workers to have flexible, divergent, and creative thinking, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) Education has gained international attention. Countries all over the world are making STEAM Education a priority because they understand the benefits of presenting information in a multidisciplinary format rather than the siloed way information is delivered in traditional K-12 schools (Gess, 2017). STEAM summer camps have recently been popping up in America and abroad.

Summer Yoga Camps
By Madison Rogas, CEI Intern

What if a summer experience existed for kids that helped boost self-esteem, instilled a sense of inner peace, and encouraged a sense of play?

Well, it does-- summer yoga camps for youth are popping up around the U.S. as opportunities that encourage play, and fuel creativity, connections with peers, and empowerment of youth, all through yoga, mindfulness, and meditation. Each with a unique curriculum and mission, these camps use yoga and mindfulness to foster healthy summer experiences with tools that will benefit kids now and in the future.

Summer Learning in Japan
By Christine Mason and Andrew Davis, CEI Intern

The United States has more than 14,000 day and resident camps. According to the American Camp Association, camping is an $18 billion industry. How does this compare to other countries? This year we take a look at summer camps and other summer vacation activities for Japanese children. ( June 2017 and June 2016 issues of Wow! Ed have related articles on summer camp opportunities including STEAM and drama camps.)

Announcements
Upcoming CEI Workshops
Join us for a Presentation on Grit & Resiliency at the NAESP National Conference, July 11, in Orlando
Available September 2018
CEI offers workshops on STEM, Mindfulness, & Yoga/Play
Youth Coming Together
What is your local community offering for youth this summer? Is there anything we can learn from the summer experiences that authors Dana Asby, Madison Rogas, and Andrew Davis portrayed? Are there any strategies that might work in traditional classes during the academic year as well?

Sincerely,
Christine Mason
Center for Educational Improvement