First Ready to Learn camp very ‘Odd’

MUNCIE – WIPB and Ross Community Center teamed up for an Odd Squad Be the Agent Camp in March.

More than 30 kids ages 5-9 spent their Spring Break as Odd Squad agents, solving odd cases and creating useful gadgets by using teamwork, math knowledge, science inquiry practices, the engineering design process, and creativity. By the end of the week, they had solved 10 cases, engineered several gadgets, and had lots of fun!

Our agents, led by a stellar team of  “special agent” facilitators, designed and created catapults out of craft sticks, guitars out of tissue boxes and parachutes out of napkins and string. They solved such cases as “The Doobles, Snoobles and Oobles” (sorting and classifying) and “The Tidal Wave of Tens” (addition and counting by tens).

Odd Squad is a live-action media property designed to help kids learn about math. The show focuses on a group of kids who are part of the Odd Squad, an agency whose mission it is to save the day whenever something unusual happens in their town.

The day-long camp also included breakfast and lunch each day. Lunch was provided by Fresh Directions, a program operated by Inside Out, which partners with community organizations that serve children to provide them with nutritious meals and wholesome snacks.

The camp is part of a Ready to Learn grant received by WIPB-TV from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and PBS for a Ready to Learn to work with community partners to provide science and literacy resources for young learners in underserved areas.

WIPB is one of 14 public media stations nationwide to receive this Community Collaboratives for Early Learning and Media (CC-ELM) grant to work with community partners to provide science and literacy resources for young learners in underserved areas through 2020.

WIPB-TV is focusing its efforts in the South Central and Thomas Park/Avondale neighborhoods of Muncie, working closely with the members and organizations involved with the 8twelve Coalition, created to revitalize this area. This coalition includes South View Elementary School, Muncie BY5, Ross Community Center, Second Harvest Food Bank, Community Wellness Coordinators from Purdue Extension, Huffer Child Care Resource and Referral, Habitat for Humanity, Boys &Girls Clubs of Muncie and Maring-Hunt Library, as well as local churches and families.

“This camp was a perfect way to kick off our Ready to Learn efforts,” said Michelle Kinsey, Community Engagement and Grants Manager for WIPB. “We are so thankful for the Ross Community Center team for getting ‘Odd” with us all week. It’s no ‘secret,’ all of our agents had a blast.”