Auburn College of Education hosts Project SWAR summer camp for elementary students

For two weeks this summer, Auburn College of Education students majoring in Elementary Education gained critical hands-on teaching experience with rising first through sixth graders at Project SWAR (social studies, writing, art and reading).

Led by Assistant Clinical Professor Martina McGhee, Elementary Education students were responsible for developing and implementing interdisciplinary instruction, integrating social studies, writing, arts and reading disciplines into a thematic unit. McGhee said the purpose of the camp is twofold.

“Project SWAR provides field experience for students enrolled in summer methods courses, which require students to have an authentic teaching experience,” McGhee said. “We are also supporting Auburn’s outreach commitment to provide educational opportunities to improve the quality of life across the state.”

The College of Education hosted two Project SWAR sessions this summer. Week one’s theme was Eco Avengers: Protecting the Earth, and week two’s theme was Junior Archeologists: Digging up the Past.

“We spent one week focused on protecting the Earth through becoming citizen scientists and understanding our waterways and green infrastructure. The second week students spent time learning about the field of archeology, including how we can learn from the past,” McGhee said.

Project SWAR worked with campus partners, like Auburn Water Watch, to create unique experiences for the campers with engaging activities.

Elementary Education majors Brooke Ziemak and Kinsley Nelson participated in Project SWAR this summer, and both valued the real-life experience the camp provided.

“It has been a big learning experience because we have full responsibility when it comes to planning the lessons and supervising the campers,” Nelson said. “We have different roles each week, which has helped us learn about classroom management and also how to make adjustments for improvement.”

“We have learned a lot about integrating all of the subjects, like social studies and language arts, into our lessons and projects,” Ziemak added. “It has also been a great opportunity to work across all grade levels, which has been extremely helpful.”

To learn more about the camp, visit the Project SWAR webpage.