Getting Children Involved in Business with Kids Camp and WordCamp Conferences

[williamjackson]

Getting Children Involved in Business with Kids Camp and WordCamp Conferences
by William Jackson #MyQuestToTeach

A reflection on WordCamp Miami and its Kids Camp.
The recent WordCamp Miami conference and the
upcoming WordCamp Jacksonville (Saturday,
April 7th and 8th) that have Kids Camp
involved for youth, teens and young adults
from 7 years to teens has shown that youth,
teens and young adults are using Social Media
for more than social engagement, they are
involved in building their Brands, business
transactions, marketing strategies, and other
activities that are entrepreneurial in nature.

The development of new technologies geared to
youth, teens and even young adults are allowing
more to be engaged in online environments through
apps that allow increased communication,
collaboration and children's business ventures.
Youth, teens and young adults need training at
an early age to teach how to develop a business
relationship and networking.

The numbers of youth attending Kids Camps are
growing. The recent WordCamp Miami had an
attendance over 900 and the Kids Camp had
over approximately 100 participating.

Social Media platforms are allowing those
under 18 to communicate on platforms which
offer no training with online behaviors and do
not address ethics and morals that are important
in business. Because of the potential for
inappropriate actions that could have a high
impact on youths presence and can influence
educational opportunities, employment, and
even relationships in the future, it is key
that youth are trained and mentored.

Many young people ages 13 to 19 struggle with
building stable relationships, often due to
peer pressure, media advertisements and other factors.
Business relationships are different on so many
levels and if parents are not knowledgeable and
involved in some type of business they may not
know how to guide their children in an online
business, e-commerce or building a Brand and
how to Market that Brand correctly.

Parents are increasingly challenged with raising
children in a digital age and incorporating
building online relationships, transferring
online and offline behaviors and the influences
of peer pressure.
As an elementary teacher I regularity have students
from 3rd to 5th grade tell me about Game of Thrones,
Empire, and other content that has adult content,
language and situations.
Kids Camp a component of WordCamp provides exposure
to educators, CEO's, web developers, coders,
business owners, e-commerce experts and leading
developers that understand how business is conducted
online and being aware of harmful and even dangerous
situations.

As an advocate for parents to be proactive and set
expectations for behaviors online. Have open and
honest discussions with your children about the
potential hazards and encourage them to speak to
if they sense potential dangers.
Parents and their children can be involved in
local Meetups, WordCamp and Kids Camp conferences,
Bar Camp technology Meetups and promote the
entrepreneurial spirit that youth, teens and young
adults have when it comes to creating a Brand and
starting a business.

Empower, Educate, Engage, and Employ youth, teens and
young adults now so they will be the business owners of
the future. Support Kids Camp by allowing more
children to attend and learn.



Resources:
WordCamp Miami - Kids Camp
https://2018.miami.wordcamp.org/kids/

WordCamp Jacksonville - Kids Camp
https://2018.jacksonville.wordcamp.org/

William Jackson is a past Professor at Edward Waters College,
where he designed a curriculum that embraced Educational
Technology, Social Media and STEAM.
He is a WordCamp organizer, blogger, volunteer, speaker and digital
community activist for TEDxFSCJ, Social Media Manager for
Jacksonville Sister Cities Association and New Town Success Zone.
He blogs about his life experiences as he travels speaking to
youth, teens and young adults and is a member of the body of
Christ with Northside Church of Christ in
Jacksonville, Florida.
William is a national and internationanl blogger and manages
My Quest To Teach http://myquesttoteach.wordpress.com/
He has 28  years as a public school educator in
Physical Education and Technology Instruction