A free digital storytelling summer camp is coming this June to the Woods Memorial Library.

So what’s digital storytelling, and why might your child be interested in learning more about it?

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, young people between ages 8 – 18 rack up an average of 7.5 hours of screen time for entertainment purposes each dayand that figure doesn’t include technology use for school.

While studies point to negative impacts of high screentimeincluding problem sleeping and lack of physical activityyoung people born as digital natives in the 21st Century are also better poised than previous generations to leverage technology for art, communication and learning.

Digital storytelling is an approach to storytelling that utilizes a variety of media to convey information, share experiences and build narrative voices. Pima County Public Library has provided some digital storytelling samples on their website.

The camp will take place Tuesday, June 13 – Friday, June 16 and is open to teens and young adults ages 14 – 24.

The library will provide a light lunch to participants.

Interested in applying?

Applications are open online. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, May 31. For more information, email matt.landon@pima.gov

Woods Memorial Library is located at 3455 N. First Ave. For the address and hours of the library closest to you, visit the Pima County Public Library website.

For those less experienced with digital technology, the library also has a ‘Digital Navigators’ program, that offers free help with computer basics, smartphones, online services and more.

You can make an appointment with a Digital Navigator on the library website, or email connectaz.help@gmail.com directly.