Homesteading with Margaret

 The girls milked a goat, harvested potatoes, cucumbers and zucchini, made braided breads with homemade butter for snack and cooked zucchini with garlic. They also learned about honey bees and collected eggs.

Homestead Skills Week Two

This week's class made butter, whipped cream, lotion and lip balm, granola and breakfast burritos and visited Margaret's farm.

Breakfast Week Two

Whole Grain Cherry Danish

Breakfast Burritos made by Margaret's class.

Whole Grain Pancakes with Real Maple Syrup

Granola made by Margaret's class.

Circle Kids with Cameras Blog

For 2014 we have a new blog and a grant that provided digital cameras for our photography classes. The kids take a camera home for one week and learn photography and editing skills from Josh Birnbaum. Visit the new blog at Circle Kids with Cameras.

Homesteading with Margaret Week One

New intern, Tyann, has been a star this week helping out in the kitchen, at the farm, and in the ceramics studio.

Meeting Margaret's chickens

Making friends with Margaret's goat.

Making lip balm

Painting Farmer's Market signs.

Joseph mastering bagels

Homemade pizza

The bagel crew

Breakfast with Margaret Week One

Xander with bagels made in class.

Breakfast pizza with sausage and zucchini.

Blueberry Muffins made in class.

Blueberry Smoothies, whole grain rolls and homemade butter from class

Our new artist/baker/urban homesteader, Margaret,  is making the kids very happy with her whole grain baked creations every morning.

Circle Round the Square in Top 50 Finalists for the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards

Circle Round the Square, Paper Circle’s intensive summer youth arts and wellness program, has been chosen as one of the 50 finalists for The National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award. Of the 50 finalists, 12 will be chosen as winners and notified in late June. Winners will receive $10,000 and the opportunity to attend the White House ceremony to accept the award from First Lady Michelle Obama. Winners also receive a full year of capacity-building and communications support, designed to make their organizations stronger.  All finalists receive a certificate of excellence and are listed on the White House website. 

The National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award is the Nation's highest honor for out-of-school arts and humanities programs that celebrate the creativity of America's young people, particularly those from underserved communities. This award recognizes and supports excellence in programs that open new pathways to learning, self-discovery, and achievement. It is also a signature initiative of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities™ in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services™ to showcase cultural excellence and enhance the availability of out-of-school arts and humanities programs to children and young people. Arts and humanities education has always been a priority for the President’s Committee and is a major focus of the Committee’s ongoing efforts.

Circle Round the Square Founder and Director, Barbara Campagnola, says “Circle Round the Square owes its success, in part, to all the talented and dedicated artists and staff who have poured their hearts into this program for the past ten years. I am excited for all of us. This is a collective accomplishment. ”

Read more on the NAHYPA website and in local news from the Athens Messenger.

The Evolution of Our Camp Food

As we begin writing a book to share how Circle Round the Square has grown and developed over the years with the hopes of inspiring others to create their own summer arts camps and to become USDA Summer Food sites, we have been sorting photos. Today, we're sharing the evolution of camp food from the meals provided by the local school district, to the packed lunches from the local food bank and finally, the lunches the campers prepared themselves with the help of the chefs at Hocking College.

School lunches 2009 and 2010.

Packed lunches delivered to camp from local food bank 2011 and 2012.

We were pleased that the packed lunches and breakfasts had fresh fruit, but also so much packaging to throw away.

A typical breakfast 2011 and 2012.

Cereal, granola and fruit bar and smoothies 2013.

Lunch made by campers at Hocking College with Chef Katie and Chef-to-be Jordan.

2013 Camp Review

Please visit our camp Web site to see lesson plans, descriptions and photos of all the fun we had last summer.