The Only Girl in the Room :: How AOC Allowed My Daughter to Express Her Love for Digital Creativity

The Only Girl in the Room :: How AOC Allowed My Daughter to Express Her Love for Digital Creativity

My daughter loves the arts! She is always drawing, painting, acting, or singing. She also expresses her creativity through building LEGO and creating things on her iPad. This side of her creativity is often expressed at home because many of the spaces available publicly feel catered toward boys. She is 11, and honestly, navigating groups with boys can be a challenge, making it difficult to get her to participate in anything that offers this type of outlet. Yet, I knew it was crucial to allow her to express this side of herself. Thankfully, social media came to the rescue!

An incredibly kind mom, whose son was in my daughter’s grade, posted in the parent group chat about a free camp offered by AOC Community Media – Acadiana Open Channel. I have lived in this area for half my life and had never heard of this place! I quickly read about the camp and AOC and signed both her and my son up. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I could have ever made!

I won’t lie, she was very hesitant at first. On the very first day of camp, she found out she was the only girl. I was fully prepared for her to come home saying she didn’t want to return, but to my surprise, that wasn’t the case. At pick-up, she couldn’t wait to tell me how much she loved it; they both did!

She was so excited about what they were learning and how her love for the arts and digital media could be combined into one.

As a mom, I was especially happy that she was learning her place in a space generally filled with boys. She learned how to find her voice when it’s easy to be drowned out by others. She has not only learned that there is space for her to express all parts of herself, but that she can be comfortable in any room she walks into. She realized it’s okay to be the only girl in the room; there is still room for her to shine. I am so grateful to everyone there, especially Mrs. Tiffany, the Community Development Director, who was instrumental in helping my girl feel comfortable while she was there.

Since that first camp, she has been to two more. She now actually requests to go to AOC camps and offerings before any others. Both my kids absolutely love AOC, but it’s something special to see and hear my daughter talk about being able to express her tech and digital creative side. If you’re looking for a space where your child can explore and express their love for digital media, AOC is it. My kids have learned how to create short films and stop motion animation from start to finish, all the work being done entirely by them and their fellow campers. I urge you to visit the AOC website and follow their Facebook page—you won’t be disappointed, your kiddo will thank you!