Community Education’s Kidstop program brings student voice to programming with student clubs

Youth Voice is a pillar of Community Education’s Kidstop programming. During the winter/spring months, students have a chance to engage in creating and joining a variety of clubs before or after school. A Kidstop club is an informal, introductory space for students to explore and build a specific hobby or interest with a group of peers while assisting and leading with curriculum.

At Elm Creek Elementary School’s Kidstop program, once a month lead instructor Ryan Ohm hosts a Youth Voice Day when students in third, fourth and fifth grade come together to share ideas about clubs they would like to see at Kidstop. This year, at Elm Creek, the Paparazzi Club is a popular favorite alongside food club, stuffed animal club, e-sports club, and soon, a reading-writing-comic book club. 

At Paparazzi Club, students rotate weekly for a 30 minute session before or after school and take up to 20 pictures on a digital camera of scholars having fun at Kidstop. Students in this club are eager to visit all Kidstop areas on their assigned day and see the fun their peers are having. 

Ohm shared, “The results are priceless! We see kids do what kids do best and that is to have fun. So, every Tuesday morning or afternoon during Kidstop I send one of our scholars to catch the joyful moments that we have here that is Elm Creek Kidstop.” 

Here are student contributions from Paparazzi Club at Elm Creek Elementary School Kidstop:

\