Summer Camp The "Write Way" by Kathy Halsey

 

Welcome to nErdcamp!

As you look at your summer schedule, you might want to add camping to your bucket list for fun. Not just any camp . . .nErdcamp! Nerd camps have been around for quite a few years now, and they're a great way to connect with librarians, educators, other authors and illustrators in a more relaxed manner. After all you might run into a bear like we did last year at the inaugural nErdDCamp Ohio!

nErDcampOH features friendly bears!

From the officlal NerdCamp site, these “free professional development and literacy events” are held virtually or in-person. They’re “organized independently and they are hosted all over the country.” For authors they are a great way to soft launch a new presentation one might be tweaking, or a way to mingle and connect with dedicated educators and even pick up few school visits.

 

Perhaps one of the longest running nErdcamps is in Parma, Michigan. My partner in all things kid lit, Lindsay Bonilla and I have attended both the last camp in Michigan and Ohio’s first camp last summer. More established events attract hundreds of literati (We met Jason Reynolds, CeCe Bell, Josh Funk, Miranda and Baptiste Paul) while newer camps may suit first-timers better. Sadly, nErDcampMI disbanded but the crowds and energy were palpable! ( Shoutout to Colby Sharp and Donalyn Miller, the founders of  the MI event! Thank you for all the years!) All staff are volunteers and camps are usually located in larger school districts in the summer.

The Last nErDcamp MI

Besides the bear, Lindsay remembers “a special synergy that happens when so many people who love children AND books come together! Like a conference, there are many different sessions happening concurrently. But, at nErD camp, if you start in one session and discover it’s not a good fit for you or if there are two sessions happening simultaneously that you really wanted to attend, you are encouraged to leave, and no one is offended. There are usually SO many great sessions happening that this is very freeing!

Kathy and Lindsay & Photobomber Bear

Attendees Recall the Benefits of Nerd Camps

Patricia Newman remembers attending a Vermont nErdcamp where the participants voted on the topics in the morning. She says, “The sessions were informal - no slides, no panels - and all attendees contributed. I'd call each session more of a discussion than a presentation. For most of the sessions, we sat in a circle. I liked the whole vibe of a mutual sharing of ideas.”

Sherry Hyberger Howard shared her experiences, recalling,”a guaranteed audience of people interested in books and authors. Unlike, say, a bookstore event where you may get only a few people not even super interested. The enthusiasm is palpable with Nerd Camp—you’re with soulmates who love you.”

Ohio author Keila Dawson has presented at virtual nErDCamps in different states, but she plans to attend Ohio’s in-person this summer.  For virtual camps, Keila says, “ I've never received feedback from viewers, so there's no way to tell if educators found panels informative. However, organizers always send their appreciation! I do recall one of the camps shared a survey of topics educators were interested in before the event and that was very helpful for me as an author when assembling a panel.”

Nancy Churnin’s attended Pennsylvania's camp a couple of times and will be doing two panels for nErDCampPA July 14 (both online). She enjoyed nErDCampLI ( Long Island) in person, remembering “lots of fun, lots of camaraderie, a chance to bond and connect with educators and fellow kidlit creators in a relaxed and informal way!”

Have you attended a Nerd Camp yet? Or will you this year? Name the camp and share your experience in the comments below!

nErDcampMI by Marcie Flinchum Atkins

While the Grog was on vacation, I've had a really packed summer. Out of four big trips I took, the first was nErDcampMI.

I don’t know about you, but as a writer, I keep a “bucket list” of conferences I’d like to attend some day. I made the bucket list a few years ago because I realized I wanted to do so many conferences but I couldn’t afford to do them all right away both financially and in time away from work and family.

I put Highlights Foundation on my Vision Board next to my computer. Within a few months, I’d made enough money on freelance work to pay for a workshop. Nerdcamp Michigan (also known as nErDcampMI) was also on the list. I knew it would be packed with book-loving authors, librarians, and teachers just like me who loved readers and books as much as I do.

For those of you who don’t know what nErDcampMI is, it’s an ED camp that has become a conference that draws people from all over the US and Canada to a little town in Michigan where Colby Sharp, teacher and book lover extraordinaire (and one of the Nerdy Book Club blog founders), gives teachers, librarians, and authors a place to mingle and share. And did I mention it’s FREE?

We Need Diverse Books panel moderated by Tracey Baptiste

Day 1 involves panels, NerdTalks (a 7 minute long “Ted Talk”), and dozens and dozens of conference-style sessions to attend. 

Mr. Schu talks to R.J. Palacio before her "NerdTalk."

Sarah Albee and Jess Keating talk about writing nonfiction

Day 2 is ED campstyle. The attendees propose sessions and we take off to different rooms to have conversations about different topics of interest to us. It's more of an impromptu session.

The amazing authors also stay the evening after the conference to do a nErDcamp Jr. which hosts 1,000 kids for FREE! They get to hear authors speak, get free books, and learn to be nerdy just like the rest of us.

I attended sessions on diverse books, how to host an author visit, nonfiction writing tips for kids, a Mr. Schu interview with R.J. Palacio and a mini-book talk and giveaway. On the ED camp day, I attended sessions by Jack Gantos about writing instruction, tough topics in middle grade, and doing your own Sibert Smackdown. I left with a to-do list of things to try for next year.

Jack Gantos talking about his many journals

One of the best parts of nErDcampMI is meeting author, teacher, and librarian friends I’ve known on Twitter in real life.  The internet has made our networking so much easier, but nothing beats the energy you get when you put a bunch of people together in real life who love, love, love books and have the desire to share that love with kids.  

If you are like me, and live far away from Michigan, the cool thing is that nErDcamps are popping up all over the country. 

Do you have a bucket list of conferences? What's on your list?