Tag: instructors

Take Part in the First Redwood City Teen Entrepreneurial Academy – Guest Blog

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We are extremely excited about this!!!

How many teens get the opportunity to start their own business, learn the ins and outs of social media (in a good way) and set a foundation of entrepreneurship that they can use in practice for the rest of their lives? Please help us welcome, Adnan Iftekhar, the man who may singlehandedly help to cultivate the next innovator of the century! (you never know, right?)

Why Choose Actionable Entrepreneurship?

by Adnan Iftekhar

One of the major buzzwords in schools and education these days is, 21st Century Skills. We’re already fourteen years into the 21st century, and in my humble opinion, that buzzword should already be retired. What we really should be focusing on is 22nd Century Skills; we have 84 years to get those right!

Some of the biggest challenges the children growing up will face are those of a more global economy. There are some jobs that will just not be applicable to the US anymore, like taxes. Did you know that in 2013, 2 million Americans had their taxes done in India, whether they knew it or not? Or basic graphic design. Just take a look at a site like fiverr.com where you can get a logo, business card, illustration, even a website design for just $5. Yes, the quality may not be as good as that of a professional graphic designer based in the US these days, but then again, passable may be just what you need to at least get you started and on the road to creating awesome content. Comparing $5 to $25/hour (low-end hourly rate of a graphic designer) is not something to scoff at, especially as many of the designers on these sites have pretty high reviews and actually have very decent designs. I’m not saying Accountants and Designers will be obsolete in the next decade, but the climate is changing, and students need to learn to be resourceful and flexible with their goals.

teen_ideaComing back to the Entrepreneurship class, the real focus is to create quality, meaningful content that can be shared and delivered to an audience that will find value in it. This class will give students the opportunity to find the resources they need to create a simple online business. More importantly, it will give them an avenue to implement all that they learn (most of the learning will be in their own time) into concrete action. The “class” time will be focused on the actual doing of the work, rather than the theory of it. As one example, I will give a blueprint of how I gained 6000 followers on Twitter in three months. Students may choose to follow that blueprint, or create their own. Twitter may not be the audience and their business ideas may be focused on some totally different strategy. I certainly don’t have all of the answers, but I guide students where to find them.

In addition to the concrete creation of a business, the process that they will go through will leave them some multidisciplinary skills that are not being taught in any schools – at least not “formally”. One of the most important ones will be that of effective communication- in person and via internet. I cannot stress the importance of communicating with people who offer products and services all around the world and the value that they can add to a small budding business. Having to hire your first professional freelancer, whether it be a virtual assistant or a graphic designer is something that every student will go through. How many high school graduates can say that they have hired (and/or fired) someone? Figuring out how to clearly communicate ideas, whether it’s by Skype, Google Hangout, email or commenting on a blog post will be a major focus in the class. Also, as these students apply for college, will they stand out if they have on their resume “Founder of an online business”?

The ideas, although important, are really not the ultimate goal for the class – it’s the choosing of one idea that resonates and that you are passionate about and putting it into action. And that idea may not be the best one, but that’s okay – once you have learned to implement one idea, moving on to the second one will be a lot easier. The growth and learning experienced in this class will be unlike anything these students have experienced before. That is a money back guarantee – I will personally give you your money back if you are not 100% satisfied by the end of this course.

So, what are you waiting for?

Registration Information:

Redwood City Teen Entrepreneurial Academy
Age 13-17
Meets Thursdays 5:30-7:00pm
September 25 – December 4, 2014
Community Activities Building
Click this link to view course information & requirements
Follow Redwood City Entrepreneurial Academy: Twitter &  Facebook

428945_10150511889067816_1808340469_nWho is Adnan Iftekhar?
Adnan has founded a non-profit, four businesses (two of which were profitable from day one) and a school. He has studied and taught biology, french, math, dance, yoga, design, acrobatics and productivity on three continents to students ranging from age 2 – 82. He speaks 5 languages and still strives to make sense of the vagaries of the english language. Most importantly, he wants to transform the way we educate our children and redefine the words learning, educating, teaching and school. Questions? Email: adnan@mac.com, Follow @adnanedtech

It’s the End of Week One. Here’s What We’ve Learned.

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WOW! It’s been a great first week of Summer Camp Registration! Here are some FUN observations and THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW moving forward! We are constantly learning around here and want to share some of our findings with you.

First, Fun Observations…

  • Parents love discounts!  (Ok, we knew this) This week, most of you took advantage of our 10% camp discount! Register soon! You have until April 15th to claim it!
  • We had a record high this week of enrollment into Camp High-5 (AM, PM and Full Day options for 4-6 year olds). If you are planning on signing up for this camp, we suggest you do it sooner than later.
  • Over 80% of all first week registrations happened online.
  • American Express was our second highest used credit card type. We used to only accept Visa and Mastercard, but have since added Amex and Discover to our list!

Things you should know…

  • If you are using the “Wish list” functionality on our online registration page, we found that it only works once online registration has begun. We are very sorry if you were effected by this. If you haven’t tried it, wish lists are great to use for camp planning. You can save your ideas and then place them into your cart later when you are ready to register!
  • OOPS! We did not add the “Bridge” graphic to the Afternoon Camps that qualify for Bridge Care in our Activity Guide. If the Camp is from 1-4pm and is at Red Morton or the Community Activities Building, it likely qualifies. We will make sure to mark them on our summer camp website which will be posted very soon.
  • If you click on the Camp Instructor listed under each activity code, there is a dynamic link that has a bio and a link to their website. We are still populating this information, so some may still be blank, but check back with us soon if you want more info about a specific provider. Try it! Click the “Instructor” link for “Mad Science” on this page here.
  • Lastly, have we told you lately how much we appreciate you? WE DO!

Once again, we thank you for your patience while we all adjust to our new registration program.

That’s it! Have a great weekend, everyone! Remember, you can register for camps online 24/7!

Flag Football Camp Next Week Led by Stanford Rose Bowl Champ!

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We LOVE when local star athletes join the ranks of our Summer Camp coaching staff! We are proud to share that this Summer,  Skyhawks Sports Camp has had the good fortune of hiring Jemari Roberts, Stanford Alumnus, to direct both flag football as well as multisport camps on the Peninsula!  Having recently graduated from Stanford University, Jemari was a member of the Rose Bowl winning football team where he played tight end.

Prior to Stanford, Jemari attended Wilson High School  in Long Beach, CA where he attained high school All-American football status, as well as being a stand-out in soccer and track & field. While finishing up his senior year at Stanford, Jemari served as one of the lead coaches for the Skyhawks Mid-Peninsula Track Club where he focused on sprints and jumps. He graduated with a degree in Psychology and will be headed to Spain in October for a post-graduate internship.

We are very excited to have Jemari running Skyhawks Flag Football Camp this summer in Redwood Shores!

Flag Football Camp for children ages 6-12 is happening next week at Sandpiper Community Center and there are still spaces available. Click here to enroll!  In addition, Skyhawks Cheerleading Camp will be happening alongside Flag Football Camp if you have another child who would be interested in heading to camp at the same time and place! 

Meet Edna English! Preschool Teacher, Camp Director and Obsessive Collector!

edna_mini“Edna English” sounds like some sort of Superhero Teacher. If you knew Edna, you would agree that this name fits her perfectly!  We were so fortunate that Edna answered our cry when we set out to find a new preschool teacher for our Lil’ Learners Preschool Program. Since she began 3 ½ years ago, our preschool has evolved into a very successful morning & afternoon program. She has also introduced an afternoon Spanish Immersion Preschool program, then, last summer, she launched Camp High-5!

solar-kidsHigh -5 is a recreation/enrichment camp for kids between the ages of 5 1/2 – 7. She wanted to do something special for this age group. Her goals were simple: to give the “big kids” a designated space to have an enrichment camp infused with the recreation camp experience; for them to have a ton of FUN; and of course, an excuse for her to spend some quality time with some of her recent Lil’ Learners graduates whom she had been missing.

Edna is amazingly passionate about her job, her kids… and some of her personal interests ( to which I lovingly refer to, as her ‘geeking out’, in a good way). I had interviewed her this week and had her answer some basic personal questions. She answered them in a very matter-of-fact way, somehow thinking that she had to “tone it down” for professionalism’s sake. I told her that our audience would likely prefer her overflowing enthusiasm, as we sell ourselves as purveyors of experience and fun! You see, Edna LOVES her job. I mean…she REALLY LOVES her job. Hopefully this is apparent in her response.

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How many years have you been teaching preschool?

You mean, how many years have I been doing exactly what I want to do and have had the best job on earth? 13.

What is the best part about teaching preschool?

The best part about teaching preschool is being around amazing kids. I love how preschoolers get excited when they try something for the first time. I love watching them build confidence as they master a new skill. I have the best conversations with preschoolers.  Also, this is my happy place. No matter what is going on in my life, I will ALWAYS come to work. This is where I feel normal, and honestly, how could you be anything but HAPPY in  this classroom!

Now onto camp. You decided to depart from Preschool Camp, What inspired you to create High-5?

012High-5 is way for older children to experience the preschool technique of “learning through play” & hands-on activities. Children don’t realize they are learning when they are having fun and creating awesome things. Also, I wanted to create an environment where we were really theme-rich and gave kids more time to explore a concept, expand their imaginations and finish a project. Sometimes in Recreation Camps things move quickly, so you don’t get a chance to really delve into a topic. We give them time to not only work on their creations, but expand on it as the days move forward.

It’s Clear you LOVE Camp, so what is your favorite camp memory?

One of my favorite camp memories is having a huge water fight with all the campers, staff and LITs where not ONE person was left dry.   

Camp Nick Name

Campers have been calling me “Turtle” for over 10 years… you’ll have to sign up for camp to find out why!

Favorite Camp Song

Yo’ mama don’t wear no socks.

Fun Fact About Edna

I collect Lego Mini-Figures*. When buying the series mini-figures, I can even feel through the packaging to find specific figures. 

*Important to note, Edna more than collects “Mini-Figs,” she is obsessed.  Words cannot describe…. but a picture on the other hand…

Find our more about Camp High-5 for 5½ – 7 year-olds here.

Meet Edna and the rest of our camp directors at our Camp Fair this Saturday from 1:00-4:00pm at Red Morton Community Center! Bring your questions and your KIDS! There will be fun, hands-on activities and our inflatable playland!

 Camp Fair

Guest Post: Things That Make For a Terrific Camp Counselor

This post was contributed by Brett Gardner, Skyhawks Franchise Owner and local resident. I was elated and relieved by her passion for kids and health as well as her keen insight about youth sports on the Peninsula. We have already seen great improvements to the program and are looking forward to our future working relationship with Skyhawks! You can still register for Summer Camps either directly through Skyhawks or through our website at RedwoodCityCamps.org, some are starting NEXT WEEK!
 

 

A wise employee from the Redwood City Parks and Recreation Department once told me, “Your camps are only as good as your worst staff member.” And, she was so right. Kids can spot a lame camp counselor a mile away. So, parents, when you are looking at summer camps, be sure to consider whom will be staffing them. It is not unreasonable to expect a camp to be able to provide you with at least a summary of who will be coaching your little (or big) ones.

Here are three rules to live by when evaluating camp staff.

  1. First, if it’s a sports camp, do they know the sport they’re teaching?  Just because someone played football when they were in third grade doesn’t mean that they know enough about the sport to teach it. Same goes for art camps, dance, theater, etc. Look for staff that did that activity at the high school level. Better yet, see if they are currently doing it in college. The more camp staff knows the activity, the more they can teach your child

  2. Second, have they worked with kids before? A great sculptor does not ensure that they will be a great teacher. But, there are lots of them who are truly gifted with kids. Find them – they are out there.
  3. Third, is the camp staff full of counselors who, in some ways, are still kids at heart? Working at a camp is a labor of love. In a perfect world, they are there because they want to pay it forward to the next generation of kids. To do this, they have to remember what it was like to be seven and just learning how to play golf, flag football or do ballet.

An official recovering Silicon Valley “executive,” I now own Skyhawks Sports Camps  Mid-Peninsula, which serves kids in Redwood City, San Carlos, Belmont and Half Moon Bay starting June 11th.  When I started recruiting coaches and directors for my camps, I kept in the front of my mind the advice that sage Parks and Rec employee gave me.

When I started my interviewing process, I already had in mind what the ideal camp coach and director would be. I remember when I went to camps as a kid, my coaches were like rock stars to me. They were the local high school sports heroes that we all followed as if they were in the pros.  But, not only were they terrific athletes, they made me feel like I was the most special kid at camp.

And, the truly outstanding ones made an indelible mark on me that carried me through to adulthood.

Fast forward to today and I started looking for my staff with those characteristics in mind. I was lucky enough to find 100% of my coaches almost in my own back yard.

In the course of interviewing potential coaches, I found lots of sports-minded kids from the local community who are excited about the idea of instilling the love of sports, and sportsmanship, to others. Our summer staff, many of whom are current or former students from Sequoia High School, is amazing. Not only do they have wonderful sports backgrounds, they are outstanding people who want to help and encourage the next generation of up and coming athletes. I’m certain each and every one of them will have a positive impact on the kids coming to our summer camps.  I can’t wait to see how our participants respond to this group of counselors who are eager to give them the sports camp experience of their lives.

The end result? Happy kids!

It’s GO Skateboarding Day!

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It’s Go Skateboarding Day!

Every year on June 21, skateboarders around the world drop everything to embark on one of the most popular sports around, and  go skateboarding!

Redwood City loves skateboarding and loves our local riders. Here are some quick facts about our Skate Park:

  • Our skatepark was designed with the help of our local skateboarding community.
  • Phil Shao Memorial Skatepark was named after local pro-skating legend, Phil Shao. Phil was raised in Redwood City, a graduate of UC Berkeley and a mentor to many young skaters in the area.
  • Just before Phil’s untimely death, at the hands of a drunk driver, he was named as the next editor of  Thrasher Magazine.
  • Thrasher Magazine rated our skatepark an 8.5 out of 10 – not too shabby!
  • We offer Skateboarding lessons & camps!
  • Hours of operation: dawn to dusk; except when the sport lights are on, when the skate park closes at 10:00 pm (same hours as the entire park).

Skate Camps & Programs!

Coincidentally, we happen to have Skateboarding Camp running this week! We planned that…right?  Society Skate Shop has provided us with their awesome instruction for several years now, and this summer is no exception! Kids have been shredding, ollying, dropping-in and kick-flipping since Monday of this week!  Do you have a little X-Gamer in the making that would have enjoyed this camp? Have no fear! We have 3 more weeks of camp, with openings, that you can sign up for! Click here to get started!

Check out our slideshow above! Many of these kids had NO BOARDING EXPERIENCE and are already skating in the bowl! Plus, Society Skate Shop will give registered participants 10% off at the shop to get them hooked-up with safety gear!

So drop everything, grab your board (helmet & pads too) and hit the Skatepark today, in honor of “Go Skateboarding Day!“

Meet Angie Torres, Dance Machine

If you don’t have a little person under the age of 6 in your home, you may not have met instructor, Angie Torres. Angie has been teaching gymnastics with Arista’s Jump Start Gymnastics for three years and has recently added Children’s Ballet & Tap as well as Jazz & Tap classes for adults here at Red Morton Community Center. I met with Angie recently to go over Spring & Summer class ideas and was overwhelmed by the crazy amounts of energy she exuded. She can start a class at 9am and finish at 9pm, exercising the same amount of high-energy throughout the entire day!  I felt like I needed a nap after our meeting, but in a good way OF COURSE!  Here’s a little more about our beloved, resident Energizer Bunny!

When & Why did you start dancing?
I have been dancing since I was seven years old. I went to see the San Francisco Ballet perform the Nutcracker and I fell in love with the Sugar Plum Fairy. I wanted to be just like her, so I started taking lessons. Ballet was my first love, but soon I discovered my passion for jazz and tap as well.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I always wanted to be a teacher. When I was very young I wanted to be a school teacher. As I got older I wanted to be a dance teacher (and a broadway star!).

When did you start teaching?
I began teaching dance at age eleven. My mother had an art camp which she ran out of our house. She taught painting in the garage, and I would teach dance in the play room downstairs. We had about 40 kids a week. At the end of each week we would have a show for the parents. I have been teaching ballet, tap and jazz at Kirkpatrick’s School of Dance in San Mateo for six years as well as gymnastics with Arista for three years.

Fun Facts

Favorite Style of Dance: Jazz

Favorite Broadway Show: Guys and Dolls.

Favorite Performer: Bette Midler.

Favorite TV Show: Modern Family

Favorite Dessert: Cheesecake AND Chocolate Mousse!

If you could be any cartoon character, who would you be?: Betty Boop

Come learn to dance this Winter from a seasoned dancer who makes learning fun. Classes for kids adults are held at Red Morton Community Center.

Click links to register for Angie’s classes!

Children’s Ballet & Tap – Ages 5-7
FRIDAYS 3:45-4:45pm
REGISTER (in progress 1/13-2/210)
REGISTER (2/24-3/30)

FRIDAYS 4:45-5:45pm
REGISTER (2/24-3/30)

Adult Jazz
THURSDAYS  8-9pm
REGISTER (1/19-2/16)
REGISTER (3/1-3/29)

Adult Tap
MONDAYS  8-9pm
REGISTER (1/23-3/26)

He Sings, He Acts, He Teaches Kids! Meet William O’Neill.

Drama teacher Bill O'Neill

Who is William O’Neill?

When William O’Neill came to us, I thought, “could this guy be for real?”  Baritone Opera Singer, Actor, Drama Teacher, a performing arts Jack-of-all trades! Plus, his easy-going presence, playful demeanor and enthusiasm for the Arts was hard to ignore. Oh…and he also founded a very popular Theater and Singing program through the City of San Clemente PARKS & RECREATION! YES!  Thankfully, he decided to move up north and join us in Redwood City. He will be teaching After-School and Summer Theater programs this season (see below). We are excited to announce, that the Summer Camp will be held at the AMAZING Carrington Hall at Sequoia High School.

William, aka “Bill” started doing theater when he was very young. His Church-Music-Director-Father encouraged him to try singing and acting.  Bill started singing in the choir at the ripe age of five years old, and ventured on to do his first musical when he was eight. He has NEVER STOPPED SINCE!  His love for performing brought him to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music where he graduated with a M.A. in Voice and Opera. Bill has performed in many productions at the SF Conservatory of Music. Some of his more noteworthy parts include: Bottom, in A MidSummer Night’s Dream; Sarastro,  in The Magic Flute; Don Magnifico, in the opera of Cinderella; and Colline, in La Boheme.

Check out his Pipes & Chops in this video of Bill performing in La Boheme:

Some Fun Facts About Bill:

Fave movie: I’d have to say it’s toss up between The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and the Harry Potter Movies. I’m a big fantasy buff!

Fave TV Shows: Battlestar Galactica, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Iron Chef America

Fave Actors: Male: Matt Damon / Female: Natalie Portman

Fave Dessert: Gourmet Cupcakes! Especially from places like Sprinkles or Kara’s Cupcakes.

Fave place to see a show: Broadway in New York, OF COURSE! Second is Carrington Hall in Redwood City 😉

First acting role: A street kid in the musical of Cinderella when I was 8. My first speaking part, was Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol when I was in 7th grade.

Fave acting role: My favorite show I’ve ever been in is actually one I’m doing right now. It’s called a Year With Frog and Toad. I’m performing it with Bay Area Children’s Theater. I play the part of Toad.

First movie you ever saw: Hahaha… I think it was probably the original Tron in the early 80’s. I also recall seeing the original Clash of the Titans around the same time. So I’m not sure…

What does Music & the Arts mean to you?: I have advice for all of the kids out there, to never give up on your dreams. When I was a kid I had a lot of speech problems to overcome, but doing things like music and theater is what helped me to break though those problems and give me self-confidence. I wouldn’t be the adult I am today without all the training I had a as a child.

Camp & Class Information:

3rd-5th graders can enjoy…
Adventures in Theater Workshop – Tuesdays, 3:30-5pm beginning April 5th for 8 weeks
CLICK HERE FOR INFO/REGISTRATION

5th-8th graders can enjoy…
Too Much Drama! – Thursdays, 3:30-5pm beginning April 7th for 8 weeks
CLICK HERE FOR INFO/REGISTRATION

Summer Camp at Carrington Hall…
Summer Performing Arts Program – Monday through Friday, 8:30am-3pm, July 11-22. 
CLICK HERE FOR INFO/REGISTRATION



Meet Jennifer Williams, our Upcycling Goddess!

Featured in the January 5th edition of the Palo Alto Daily News.

When Jennifer Williams Came to us, her energy and passion for…yes, you guessed it…TRASH…was infectious! As a City trying to find ways to be responsible and get our GREEN on, we were elated to have found such an exuberant personality as Jennifer’s. A corporate trainer by day, Jennifer has found a way to mesh her passions for inspiring others with her talents of crafting and motivating people to do so! Here is a little more about how her side biz, Moonlit Circus, came to be!

Q: Jennifer, How did this all start?

A: Carnivals, festivals, Halloween…  These were my favorite things as a child.  The county fair took place every year during my birthday, and I thought it was my personal celebration! As an adult, my creative, whimsical right brain was atrophying from underuse.  How to add that childhood magic back into my life while still remaining gainfully employed?  And sprinkle a little fairy dust on others along the way?

I decided to create a craft business, but had concerns about the overseas resourcing of materials.  Influenced by the DIY, Steampunk, and sustainable living movements, I found my Idea. Upcycling thrift-store sweaters into F*ittens (fingerless mittens) and embellishing them with vintage buttons, beads, and felted scraps was on brand, and Moonlit Circus was born.

Q: Your stuff is so cute & innovative! Where can we get more? How do we learn how to do this?

A: Today I have a booth at art fairs, as well as teaching crafts to others through parks & recreation and private venues.

This session, Jennifer is currently offering:

  1. Let’s Make Wristlets in Half Double Crochet (sign-up) This class happens this Saturday, 1/22 @ 10am, deadline to sign up is Friday (tomorrow) by 11am!
  2. Make a Rug From Upcycled T-Shirts (sign-up)
  3. Transform Bottle Caps Into Jewelry & More! (sign-up)

Check for NEW classes every season from Jennifer Williams & Moonlit Circus!