Mylo McCormick, Wyatt Smith and Cameron Ansart eagerly discuss their ideas for song lyrics during Chris Bayer's Lyric Writing Workshop for kids. Bayer will lead the workshop for the next six Thursdays in Silver City. The workshop is funded by the Nevada Arts Council and organized through Silver City's Case for Change and Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey Counties.
Silver City is offering a summer full of fun for kids in the Comstock area.
Organizer Quest Lakes said there are lots of slots still open for children ages 5 to 15 to learn cooking, art, lyric writing and the science of water.
This summer youth program is organized by Silver City Case for Change, part of the Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey Counties.
Here are some of the projects:
- An intergenerational cooking class that brings seniors together with children to teach the kids how to make meals from scratch. The class is funded by state Sen. Mark Amodei, and Community Roots donated fresh vegetables.
- A chess club, led by Jim Allander, that puts adults and kids together to teach them the game of chess.
- Art classes taught by Debra Glogovac, that allows kids to do watercolors and other forms of art. Funded by Healthy Communities Coalition and Lyon County Recreation Division.
- Classes on the science of water. Linda Conlin and Eva Bauer find fun ways to teach kids about all aspects of water, including surface water, groundwater, aquifers, conservation, water quality and biology.
Lakes said the last class included the study of aquifers with a unique twist.
"They came in with a groundwater model so kids can see what the geography of water is," she said. "Then they made their own aquifer using sand, clay and gravel. Then they did one using ice cream and crushed cookies, and they got to eat that one."
The water classes are funded by the Carson Water Subconservancy District and the U.S.G.S.
- A Lyric Writing Class taught by Chris Bayer for kids 7 and older. Lakes said this is the most popular class, with kids learning the components of a song and then learning to write their own lyrics, which Bayer then puts to music. This class is funded by a grant from the Nevada Arts Council.
Lakes said all the classes are free but Case for Change does request the parents do some kind of community service with the group to help the program continue.
Slots are still open, but parents must call to reserve a spot for their child. Call Quest Lakes at 847-0742.
- Contact reporter Karen Woodmansee at kwoodmansee@ nevadaappeal.com or 882-2111 ext. 351.