Opportunity Guide I Summer, Enrichment & Activities Guide

If your child loves singing, dancing, acting, playing an instrument, composing music or painting and designing, she will find a plethora of outstanding fun and instructional programs where she can develop her talents and meet people who love what she does. Check out extracurricular arts activities, including performance opportunities, at your child’s school or at local community centers. Specialized private weekend classes and summer programs for students of all levels are sponsored by various art institutes, music festivals, universities and professional music and dance companies.

To perform at the highest levels, many arts, especially music and dance, require private lessons and enrichment. If your child likes to perform, look for audition opportunities at local fairs, festivals, community orchestras and theaters. Many professional theaters and ballet companies sponsor summer intensive programs from talented youth. A child who enjoys competing may be interested in participating in arts contests where her work can earn recognition and win awards. The best students compete, at national arts contests that offer scholarship prizes.

Developing as a writer requires writing a lot. There are opportunities available to encourage and motivate young writers and help them develop their craft.  If writing poems, plays and stories excites your child, encourage her submit her writing for publication in a school or special interest magazine. There are more than a few online literary and writing magazines that publish writing by and for children and teens.

For a child that likes competitions, many historical organizations and various nonprofits (e.g., environmental groups) sponsor annual themed writing contests for children in various age/grade categories. For an older child who wants to improve and enhance her skills, there are specialized summer writing workshops and intensives that offer focused concentrations (e.g., science fiction, screenwriting, novel writing) and provide an opportunity for peer review.