The ROM's Summer Club, Saturday Club, March Break Camp, and Family Programs

I've been an Instructor for the Royal Ontario Museum's Summer Club, March Break Camp, and Saturday Club since 2012. One of my favourite programs is the two week "Lights, Camera, Action!" group for 11- to 14-year-olds, during which I help campers design, write, and act in their own live-action and stop-motion videos (you can watch an example below). Then I edit the videos, which are screened for an audience of over 300 people at the end of the session. The hands-on course covers film and video technology, art direction, film history, and storytelling.

Other ROM programs I teach focus on topics ranging from history and mythology, to arts and culture, to science and nature, for children aged 5 to 16. My role as an Instructor is to research these subjects and create course outlines and lesson plans that include gallery visits, art projects, and activities. I also arrange field trips, workshops, and visiting speakers. I help train the Assistants and Volunteers in my group, and host Leadership campers. My priority as an Instructor is to work with the other ROM staff to ensure a safe, happy, and high-quality learning experience for the campers.

Before becoming an Instructor, I was an Assistant and Senior Volunteer at Summer Club, March Break Camp, and other ROM programs and special events such as Saturday Morning Club, Sleepovers, and Tiny Tots. My duties included supervising children, planning and facilitating activities, organizing clean-up, communicating with parents, working one-on-one with children with special needs, leading volunteer meetings, and directing gallery tours.

The ROM provides a broad range of work skills training for their staff. I am privileged to have taken part in a number of workshops, including: Leadership, Quality Arts Education, Reach for the Rainbow (Accommodating Special Needs), Sensitivity to and Planning for Different Abilities, Cultural Sensitivity, and Health and Safety.

I also got to create this orientation video for the ROM's camp programs: watch it here >