So let’s say your daughter loves cooking. Lately she’s into making all chocolate desserts. Maybe she watches some YouTube videos or experiments on her own with some cooking books from the library. You find out there’s a local chocolate factory that gives tours. While she’s at the factory, she asks lots of questions. The tour guide introduces her to one of the chefs. The chef is impressed by her knowledge and enthusiasm, so he invites her to come the next week and work with him in the experimental kitchen in a room not seen by the public.
Or maybe you live in Alabama and have a son who is really into making movies. He’s written several screenplays and wants to know how he can make them into a film. You notice the Sidewalk Film Festival is being held in two weeks and tell him about it. He goes and meets several independent filmmakers. Some have even agreed to read his screenplay. One offers him a job as a production assistant on a low budget film in a few months.
I love going to museums, nature centers, reading books and watching DVDs about things I’m interested in. But nothing beats actually being able to meet and work with other people who are interested in the same things as you.
Check out these five websites to help your child (or even you!) connect with others who share your passions. From non-profit organization to special interest groups, you’ll be sure to find your tribe. Of course, another great tip is to simply pull up your local white pages and look up the topic you’re interested in. You’d be surprised at how many people are willing to share their work and knowledge with your child.
1) ABCentral – This very extensive database has thousands of links to professional societies, contacts, journals, courses and learning tools for just about anything you could be interested in.
2) Festivals.com – From local events to world events, you’ll find it at Festivals.com. You can even set up your own personal calendar with specific keyword searches that will be updated whenever a festival that matches that description is posted.
3) Watch It Made in the USA – a blog and short list of factory tours around the United States. They also have a book for sale with dozens more in-depth tours listed.
4) GuideStar – This is one of the most complete sources of information about US charities and non-profit organization there is. There are over 1.8 million organizations listed in their database.
5) Meetup.com – I’ve used several meet-up groups over the years to connect with other moms, but Meetup.com can also be a way for kids to connect, too. If your child doesn’t find a group that sounds interesting to him, he can also start one of his own. There are groups exclusive to children, too.
How have you taken your interests to another level? What real, hands-on experiences has your child had to explore his or her interests?
Photo Credit: Bob Jagendorf
I’d love to hear from you. Please leave me a comment below or send me an e-mail at chris@christinapilkington.com. To get free e-mail updates, just sign your name and e-mail in the box at the upper right hand corner of this page. Thanks!