Camps promote learning, fun through pop culture

“Mom, my friends and I are just going to hang out and play video games today.”

For parents of school-age children who often hear this refrain, the long, lazy days of summer can be a blessing and a curse. Downtime is much needed after a long school year, but endless hours of screen time or hanging around the house can get old quickly.

Luckily, for the kids who are counting down the days until the release of “Stranger Things,” or for those who can’t get enough comic books and board games, Pop Culture Classroom, the nonprofit organization behind Denver Pop Culture Con, hosts a series of summer camps.

The camps are great for kids who are interested in exploring comics, film, board games, manga, cosplay, and more. Each week-long educational camp focuses on a specific area of study with the goal of inspiring a love of learning, increasing literacy, building community, and celebrating diverse voices.

Founded in 2010, Pop Culture Classroom educates through alternative approaches to literacy, learning, and character development. The organization creates programs for underserved students, schools, and communities focused on comic books, graphic novels, and related media.

“Pop culture can often be seen as fluff, but when you dig deep there is quite a lot of educational value,” stated Matt Slayter, classroom programming coordinator for Pop Culture Classroom. “Through the study and creation of comics, games, film, TV, and cosplay, we are not only harnessing students’ existing interests, but we are developing their critical thinking skills, literacy skills, project management skills, problem-solving skills, and a slew of others without the students even knowing.”

Summer camps are offered through the week of Aug. 12 for kids ages 8 to 16. This summer’s camps include “Camp Game On!” “Camp Manga Madness,” “Role-Playing Game Camp with League of Wayfinders,” and “Filmmaking Camp.”

Registration is open online. For a complete schedule and to register, visit classroom.popcultureclassroom.org /programs/denver-programs/camps. To learn more about Pop Culture Classroom, visit popcultureclassroom.org.