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WEST POINT – Hawkes Library’s summer camp will be taking place the week of June 23 through June 27. It’s for children from age three to twelve. There will be nature-theme read-abouts, outdoor games, arts and crafts, guest speakers and end with a fun splash pad party on Friday.

At the Thursday West Point Rotary Club meeting, Erin Anderson, the summer camp’s program director, shared what will be taking place at the camp.

Program Chairman Larry Nix described Anderson as a rising star. “You will be seeing more of her in this community,” he said. “She has leadership written all over her.”

Though still at a young age, Anderson has had an eventful life, including time spent with the Peace Corps in Madagascar and teaching at a charter school on Manhattan Island in New York City. She’s presently directing a research lab for Georgia State University, training today’s classroom teachers in the use of virtual reality.

Her parents are well-known in the local area. Her dad is Chuck Anderson, a former pastor at Shawmut Baptist Church. Her mom is known for her beautiful singing voice.

Anderson began her talk by getting members of the club to repeat the lines of a poem about summer camp: “At Hawkes Library, our minds can soar. Grab a book and let’s explore! Gaining knowledge through the word; I’m down with my library. Haven’t you heard?”

Anderson said she modeled her upcoming summer camp after what Dr. Lacey Southerland, the former camp director, did before retiring from Point University. Southerland did one of her camps during the Covid shutdown, hosting outdoor classes underneath the library’s riverside pavilion. The kids absolutely loved it.

Anderson said she learned from her Peace Corps experience not to dictate what’s done through the library. “It’s better to ask people what they want,” she said. “I’m interested in what you want from a library, and we’ll work from that.”

Anderson enjoyed her time in Madagascar. “I was looking at spending the rest of my life there until they had a revolution,” she said.

Political unrest got her back to the U.S., to Columbia University and teaching at a Manhattan charter school. The children she worked with were from The Bronx or Brooklyn and rode the subway for an hour or so every day to get to school. Many of them carried weapons.

“It was to defend themselves, if necessary, on the way back home from school,” Anderson said. “They’d had a bad experience with education, and we wanted to turn things around for them while they were still young.”

Success in doing that can be seen in the school’s high graduation rate.

Hawkes Library’s summer camp will have a theme of “Reading & Rhymes by the River.” The Monday through Thursday sessions will start at 8:30 a.m. until around 1:00 p.m. The fun day on Friday will begin at 10 a.m. and end around 1:00 p.m.

In the nature-themed read-about, the children will read books on protecting our natural resources and valuing our beautiful land. In the outdoor games, they will play games that raise awareness about nature and friendship, from meet-a-tree to race-the-bunny. In the arts and crafts session, the kids will make rain-makers, visors, sock puppets, wind spinners and more. Guest speakers will talk about water safety and the history of the beautiful land that surrounds us. On Friday’s fun day, the kids will play in the city’s riverside splash pad while enjoying some delicious ice cream.

An estimated 30 children will take part in the summer camp. “I wanted a diverse group,” Anderson said. “I went and talked to the educators at West Point Elementary School, and they delivered for me. I am really looking forward to this summer camp and working with the children from the local area.”

Future library plans include a fall book club based on the Jenna Bush series, a partnership with Point University, computer clubs, tech help, and literacy training.

“We’re open to suggestions,” Anderson said.

Anderson has learned that one of the best things an elementary-level teacher can do is to nurture a love of learning for their students. It’s something that can last for a lifetime.

One of the best ways to do it is to get them reading on subjects they are already interested in. This leads to reading across a broad spectrum of subjects.

“It’s something they can have for the rest of their life,” she said.

There’s a role for volunteers. They can greet children upon arrival, set up and run activity stations, mentor the children and help out at the splash party.

For volunteer details, contact Anderson at (706) 298-9265.