Camp Zeum from the inside...

This summer I got to work with two camps AND help with the film festival. The first camp I did was Little Voices I. with educator Fran. Little Voices camp This camp's theme was puppets. We made many puppets like sock, bag, string, stick and shadow. We had a guest speaker come in and talk about the history of shadow puppets and showed us how to tell a story with shadow puppets.

The next camp I did Shout Out! with educator Irina. For this camp we learned about ourselves, different communities and communities around the world. We did blogs, podcast and short films. This camp was made up with kids ages 11-13. We interviewed different issues relating to the 3 topics of out camp. For ourselves we interviewed Nick from BayCat. For our community, we interviewed London Breed from African American Cultural Center in the Filmore. She talked about how she is trying to make change for kids in that community so that they aren't wandering the streets getting into trouble. The last people we interviewed were Katina and Victoria. They talked about world issues and helped us realize other people's perspective and we should keep an open mind about people around us not just ourselves or our community.

After working on the two camps, Irina, the camp coordinator asked me to help her with the Zeum's first annual film festival. I was totally shocked she asked me to help because she could've asked anyone else. I spent 2 days editing the podcast and films for Shout Out! camp. That was really long time to edit and more than I wanted in the beginning but once I started editing the stuff, I really got into it. I wish I could've done more editing.

For Fran's camp, at first the kids gave me a headache. I think i thought that because I am not use to working with the same group of kids for a week straight because otherwise i work with different people all moments of the day. Once i got to know them one on one though, it was alot better. They were respectful, adorable and sad that camp was ending when the week was over. The kids were amazing.

Working on camps was fun. I got to many things i never thought was possible for me since I'm usually working on the floor. Camp was tiring since I am not use to waking up at 6:45 to get ready to be at 8:30AM. Usually I wake up at 8:00AM to get ready to be at work before 10AM. Waking up early for a week straight was worth it though since i grew to love the campers. My favorite memory was when I learned new things like, for example, going in depth with Imovie and garage band and the history of shadow puppets! Once the camps were over, I was sad because even though camps were only a week, I grew attached to the kids!

Almost Summertime at Zeum

Hello Folks !! Summer is about to kick in and I am uber excited. I am looking forward to a lot of fun and interesting things; going to summer camp at Hidden Villa with full scholarship, working at Zeum, assisting with Zeum's summer camp, Little Voices and taking a Health Education class.

I am really excited to help Perry with his camp, Little Voices because I really enjoy working and educating young kids. I always wanted to work with kids (which I already do as a ZeumMaster) but for camp we see the same kids for one full week and that way I get to know them more than I already do as a ZeumMaster. My goal for this camp is to make every child an artist and an amazing performer on stage. And if they're shy then I'll try my best to bring them out of their shell within a week. How, you may ask? I will use my creativity that Joy taught me, my way of inspiring people when they seem to look like they are day dreaming, by offering them unique things to do or telling jokes that Perry taught me, and self motivation that Bob taught me.

For example, last week there was a visitor who really wanted to make an animation but without clay! He wanted to use his toy car that he had bought from Walgreens. He was screaming and yelling at his mom because his mom was like you can only use clay, how many families do you see using cars? I obviously eavesdropped and I stepped in and explained to the mom while his son was take a potty break that anything the boy wanted to do in his animation was ok. When he was done he gave me a big hug and that made my day. I really didn't expect that I could do something like this but I guessed wrong.

It has been ONE year since I first became a ZeumMaster. Zeum is a terrific job. Working with different kids is an opportunity and I feel privileged. Seeing kids smile when they're done with their animation, music video, paper mask, what more can you ask for? It felt like I had an impact, not only in customer satisfaction but my daily live. Zeum has been contributing a lot to my daily life. Before working at Zeum, I was really shy performing on stage (and I still am) but working on it, nervous when talking to a huge group of anxious visitors and just shy in general. Now, I am not shy to talk to huge crowd of anxious visitors, I talk to them about Zeum to personal life. (; I am however still a little bit nervous on stage but I am determined to sing my lungs out when summer is over. (:

Working for the Summertime Zoo

I've been a ZeumMaster for two years now, and I have truly enjoyed every day I have worked. The part of my job that I love the most is working with kids, helping them and teaching them how to make clay animation and how to perform.

There is one part of being a ZeumMaster that I don't like - I don't get to see the same kids everyday. A lot of the time, after helping a visitor with the clay animation process, I often feel like I'm a part of their experience, and I begin to miss some of the kids after they leave Zeum.

Throughout my two years as a ZeumMaster, I thought of learning to do other things at Zeum, such as learning how to work the store, but I never thought of working as an assistant at a Zeum Summer Camp. About a month ago, Christian, Raquel and I were talking about summer and Christian suggested that I work at the Zeum Camp. I was really excited because I remembered when I was at camp and how much I loved my counselors.

I really had no idea what to expect. All I knew about the camp was that I had to start earlier (which I hated at first), and get a longer break (which I loved of course).

Then I realized: Now I would be a counselor and kids would look up to me and love me, and I would get close to them and get to know them more than any typical visitor at Zeum.

On the first day of camp, I met all the kids and attempted to learn their names as quickly as I could, and on that first day I ALREADY grew attached to them.

Throughout the two weeks of camp, I used my ZeumMaster skills while also being a Camp Counselor, so I did what I always wanted to do with my job-work with the same kids everyday. I helped the campers with their animation, just like I do on the floor, helping them make their character and assisting them while they made their movie. But by the end of the two weeks, I felt like I was also a mentor to the campers, who at times would come to me with their problems, sometimes in tears. I felt like I had an impact, not only in their camp experience but in their daily lives.

Being a counselor for these two weeks has made me want to work at my summer camp that I went to when I was younger.

On the last day of camp, the campers put on a show for all their parents and friends, showing them their clay animation movies and sets.

I was so proud of my campers, and they were proud of their work too. All the pics in this post are of their creations in the session I helped with "Zeum Zoo".

To all Zeum Masters: I recommend working in at least one summer camp session at Zeum. It is a great experience.