How might we build creative confidence in fifth and sixth graders through a fun summer experience?
One Stone kicked off its second annual Outside the Lines camp in the summer of 2020, an interactive and free camp for incoming fifth and six graders in the Boise area. The three day experience, planned by a team of One Stone students, was designed to help kids think outside the box and boost their creativity through art. 19 high school guides were paired with 21 aspiring young artists to work as mentors and friends as they explored all different styles of artwork.
This year, Outside the Lines was hosted at Julia Davis Park, and campers and guides were broken up into smaller groups to help maintain social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone wore masks, and the sharing of materials was minimized in order to reduce contact. This unique challenge was fully embraced by the Outside the Lines planning team, and the group was able to find some very creative ways to engage in the camp safely. Each group explored a different theme each day: Gettin’ Wild, Urban Jungle, and Nature Art. Teams had the opportunity to see many different centers of local creativity such as the Boise Art Museum and Freak Alley. After getting inspired by all the impressive work, students would return to the park and begin their many fun activities. Campers made sculptures out of natural materials, recreated pieces they had seen around Boise, learned the art of origami, decorated their own artist smocks, and even got to graffiti their own subway cars made out of shoeboxes. Each activity was designed by the planning team to engage students in a unique way, and get them to think about art differently. These young artists were challenged to think “outside the lines,” and to approach art with their own unique style and mindset.
At the end of the three days, the campers were eager to show their family all that they had created and all the history that they had learned. It was hard to say goodbye to their older buddies, as they had each connected in a special way over the course of the camp. But the campers left much more confident in their artistic abilities and much more excited to share their artwork with the world.
Outcomes:
100% of parents who took the post-event survey “strongly agreed” that they would recommend Outside the Lines Camp to another family.
Reflections from Parents:
“I feel it’s invaluable to have the students involved with our kids. Absolutely amazing!”
“It was fun and it opened her mind to art around Boise.”
“Great job following protocol and expectations during this very unique time. Thank you.”
“The camp opened my daughter’s eyes to new outlets and ideas about art forms and concepts.”
Reflections from Guides:
“At the beginning one girl didn’t want to keep up her art, but by the end she was confident and proud. It allowed me to see how I can incite confidence.”
“I realized after the last day of camp that I impacted my buddy in a positive way. She and her mother were thankful for her time spent at One Stone with me.”
“I learned strengths like helping myself and others find inner passions that I will take into consideration for the rest of my life, and I gained memories I will never forget!”
“Me and my buddy from Outside The Lines camp had tons of fun doing art and hanging out with each other, but we were both a little shy and awkward in the beginning. To make it a little easier, we began asking each other questions, from 'What's your favorite art style?' to 'How long have you lived in Idaho?' and many more questions so we could get closer and more comfortable around each other. By the end of camp, we were bummed that we had to part ways, but on the other hand, were very glad that we got to know each other as well as we did. Because of this awesome experience at Outside The Lines, I will always remember my buddy, the friend that couldn't have been better than he was!”
