This Exclusive Summer Talent Camp Teaches Kids Lessons They Can Use For Life

One of the best ways to prepare your kids for the future is to offer them opportunities to discover new interests and to nurture the gifts they discover along the way. Talent camp workshops are excellent avenues to encourage learning outside of the classroom. They help kids learn new skills, hone their talents, and imbibe essential life lessons, helping them become well-rounded individuals.

Promil Four's i-Shine Talent Camp, which is on its seventh year, has offered many children this unique opportunity under mentors who are renowned experts in their fields.

With the help of all the camp teachers, the kids learned teamwork even outside the dance floor, discipline in and out of ballet pointe shoes, harmony in music and in life, versatility even after the theater curtain call, and imagination that transcends the studio.

The result was seen at the recent Promil Four's i-Shine 7 "Celebrate the Gift" recital, where parents got to see how their kids' hard work paid off.

The parents of the participants shared invaluable life lessons their kids got from the camps.

Love of Learning

After seeing his kids at their best and brightest during the camp recital, dad Hans Montenegro emphasized the importance of providing children with opportunities to fuel their imaginations as they learn and nurture their gifts. Hans, who homeschools Santiago, 8, and Ysabelle, 7, enrolled his son in the Art Camp, while his daughter did Dance Camp.

"As a homeschooling parent, I believe learning comes in many forms, and some of the best learning comes from a blended environment," he said. "The more malleable you are, the more exposed you are, the more you get to have the ability to learn anytime and at any given situation."

Confidence and Teamwork

Some kids, like 6-year-old Mikel Denin Calubad, started out too shy to show off their talents, but enrolling in the camp brought out their confidence to perform in a group and value teamwork.

"Mahiyain kasi siya, and there was some separation anxiety at first," his mother Kristine said. "But he enjoyed it and was soon confident enough to leave me to attend his dance classes."

Socialization and Versatility

The camps also helped children form new friendships outside of their usual social circles and be versatile when adapting to new environments.

Agnes Banares said her 10-year-old daughter, Maxine, made new friends because she got to interact with children of different ages at her camp class.

Punctuality and Discipline

"My child learned the value of being on time," shared Nerissa Ann Santos. Her 9-year-old daughter, Sophia, took it upon herself to make sure she was never late for her camp.

Perseverance and Harmony

Many of the Music Camp participants learned the value not just of practicing in harmony with their classmates, but also continuing to learn their pieces at home.

While many kids on summer break were playing with their gadgets, Dorris dela Cruz's 7-year-old daughter, Starr, made time to practice at home for her Promil Four i-Shine song performance. "She was very dedicated to getting her song right," the mom said.

Promil Four Group Product Manager Ma. Sheryl Yao added that the Promil Four i-Shine Talent Camp has always aimed to prepare children to be good citizens. These kids will use lessons they learned during the camp as they grow up and flourish in their own careers.

"In the big picture, we want to help raise a generation that will be able to contribute to society by integrating these values into their lives," she said.

Participants this year were guided by top-notch mentors from various fields and their respective schools: National Artist for Music Maestro Ryan Cayabyab of The Music School of Ryan Cayabyab (Music Camp), prima ballerina Lisa Macuja-Elizalde of Ballet Manila (Ballet Camp), G-Force choreographers led by Georcelle Dapat-Sy (Dance Camp), Audie Gemora of Trumpets Playshop (Theatre Camp), and Robert Alejandro of Papelmelroti and Kara Escay of Masterpiece Movement (Art Camp).

Promil Four i-Shine 7 project lead Cheska Cornelio said that in this year's program, "apart from nurturing children's gifts through a fun and interactive learning experience, we wanted to incorporate lifelong values in the camp. These will help them in real-life situations and make them shine beyond the stage."

Continue nurturing your children's gift by enrolling them in summer classes like Promil Four's i-Shine Talent Camp. Stay tuned for next year's season!

Check out the photos and videos of this year's Promil Four i-Shine Talent Camp by searching #Promil4iShine7 on Instagram. Follow Promil Four's Facebook page for updates.