Signum Academy

Every child in the reading camp should read the book before the camp starts, so that everyone is familiar with the story.

Options for obtaining a book include:

• Purchasing a copy of the book for individual use.
• Borrowing a copy from a public library, friend or family member.
• Sharing a set of reserved copies acquired by the camp coordinator.

While we are working to secure funding for the purchase of books in the future, at this time Signum University is not equipped to provide free books to participants. If you would like to donate to help us provide books to children for future camps, learn how your financial contribution can help us here.

Our reading camps are free for libraries, families, homeschool groups, book clubs and other groups. Simply register your group and provide your coordinator’s contact information to receive details about how to participate in the camp or camps of your choice.

Our camps are a perfect fit for summer reading programs, homeschoolers’ summer enrichment programs, and family explorations into fantasy literature. Everyone is welcome!

Signum Academy Reading Camps are available to any group who wants to participate. Knowing some kids won’t have access to a participating group, we are happy to welcome individual campers under adult supervision to participate in our camps as well. Please note that the content is geared toward children of middle-school age (approximately 9 – 13 years old), but older individuals may certainly join as well. Group organizers and parents can also include younger children at their discretion.

In addition to library- and school-sponsored groups, some other groups who may be interested in participating include (but are not limited to):

• Homeschool groups
• Book clubs
• Faith-based youth groups
• Families who enjoy reading and discussing literature together

If you are part of or know about a group who would be interested in a Signum Academy Reading Camp, you can have them register using this Google Form.

Registration helps both you and us in several ways.

After registering, you will receive:

• Important information about accessing the daily video discussions.
• The opportunity to participate in pre-camp sessions and instructional videos that can help you plan the best reading camp experience for your group
• The Project Packet for each camp you are registered for which includes helpful guidelines, the recommended basic activity, supplemental materials and additional activities.
• Links to downloadable promotional materials that can be shared or printed
• Daily reminders with a link to the live, interactive video discussions
• Listing on our map of camp locations to let people in your area know about the camp

Registration helps us by giving us a way to stay in contact with coordinators and learning how to improve and expand the camps in the future.

Absolutely! Signum Academy Reading Camps are designed to be flexible and can easily be adapted to the needs and schedule of each participating group.

If you have questions about how to adapt one or more of our reading camps to your existing reading program – or if you simply want to share a creative idea that may be of interest to others – email us at camp@signumu.org.

We launched the Signum Academy Reading Camps in 2017 with a two-week camp on J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, which brought together approximately 65 libraries and groups and more than 600 individuals. Given the success of that first camp, we are expanding our reading camp offering in 2018 to cover four books:

• The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, by C. S. Lewis
• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J. K. Rowling
• A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle

We plan on offering a variety of fantasy and science-fiction literature through our program each year. We appreciate feedback on the current camps and suggestions for books you’d like to see in the future. If you have a suggestion, please email it to camp@signumu.org.

To learn about future reading camps and other free educational programs from Signum University, you can also sign up for our mailing list.

Singum University’s educational philosophy is simple: We offer as much as we can for free, and charge as little as we can for the rest.

We do this by maintaining a small and efficient digital campus through which we deliver fun and instructional classes through the University’s three main branches: Signum Academy, Signum Graduate School, and the Mythgard Institute.

To achieve our goal, we rely on three primary avenues of support:

• Financial contributions made by generous donors during our annual fundraising campaign and throughout the year
• Administrative support provided by volunteers and work-study students
• Grant funding to develop and expand specific programs, like the Signum Academy Reading Camps

If you would like to help us cover these costs and support future camps, you can do so by donating here.

If you are interested in helping Signum University provide no- and low-cost educational programs as a volunteer, please connect with us using our contact form or email info@signmuniversity.org.