Asbury Park School District’s Summer Camp Re-Envisions A Boardwalk Carousel

Presentation shared with City Council and Madison Marquette Officials

By Michelle Gladden

The Asbury Park School District summer camp children came before the City Council Wednesday with a formal presentation. They had worked for five weeks, planning, organizing and constructing dioramas that re-envisioned their community.

“This summer the Asbury Park School District decided to change the way summer school was run,” their written social media statement said. “So we moved from the norm and created a learning experience that was going to challenge, test and motivate our student to go beyond the classroom. We developed a program that was inquiry based and we challenged the students and staff to explore real-world contexts, and share their learning through relevant explorations.”

The STEAAM education camp focused on science, technology, engineering, arts, athletics, and mathematics education through an interactive and critical thinking dialogue. Asked to imagine what a boardwalk amusement park would look like, these elementary school students left nothing to imagination.

“We looked at the city we live and work in and realized that right here in this community we have some of the richest history that is second to none,” the statement said. “Students and staff had to dive deep into the history of Asbury Park and look at the city through a different lens. Our students poured their hearts into this and wish to recreate the Asbury Park that once was, and can be again.”

With their dioramas in hand, the students made their presentation before the City Council and Madison Marquette officials who were on hand to give a their own presentation for the Fourth Avenue Pavilion redevelopment project. The City Council serves as the municipality’s redevelopment authority.

The district’s other summer programs included a transitional pre-k to k program to prepare incoming students for the school year; a middle school immersion camp with children from China; a YMCA-based team building program; the amusement park challenge, which integrated math, literacy, social, emotional, and writing skills; and intervention programs to reduce the summer slide that included students tracking their own progress, spokeswoman Chanta Jackson said. There were also swim lessons for pre-k and 1st grade students, golf lesson at Jumping Brook Country Club, participation in the Boys and Girls Club Hip Hop Institute for 4th and 5th graders, lacrosse, and coding programs.