The LaPorte YMCA Summer Adventure Camp provides a season of competition, creativity, and learning. Day one was the first of June and it could not come soon enough for the return campers.
Despite a light drizzle, the kids were outside enjoying the Y’s expansive property. Some raced up and down the stairs of their wooden playground while others built forts of their own in the woods. From the other side of the field you could hear the shrieks of a kickball team scoring another run.
“It’s fun,” said Sandy Stefanko, the Director of the Summer Camp.
It is a simple description but it is true. Every child at that site was eager to show off what she was climbing on or what he had discovered. One question leads to another and soon they are playing every game they know so that you can be as impressed as they are.
“We help them with a lot of different things,” said Stefanko. “We teach them to think outside the box, and to conquer their fears.”
STEM Counselor Nick Komasinski attests to that. “As we go out into the world there’s a lot of problems we need to think about.”
Komasinski said that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are a way to teach children the different ways they can look at a problem and resolve it. They build towers out of marshmallows and pasta, clocks from potatoes, and acid base indicators with cabbage.
“If we are all going to work together to solve problems, we need to think of the bigger picture.”
Eleven year old Maddy was looking forward to their next project. “I like that it includes science, because I like how in elephant toothpaste we are going to use test tubes. That’s going to be cool.” She already has a passion for marine biology and hopes to study it someday.
STEM projects have to be prepared ahead of time. Some of the kids’ other activities are set in stone, like reading time or when they swim. The rest they get to decide for themselves. If the group wants to play Infection, a type of zombie tag, they can disappear into the woods with their tribe leader. Kids who do not want to join are welcome to try something else.
“We keep them busy and active,” said Stefanko.
Her campers know her as Frenchie. Every counselor keeps their name a secret, going by a nickname instead. The kids make a game out of uncovering the truth. It is clear from their banter how well they all get along.
Stefanko smiled as she surveyed her bustling campsite.
“Where we make friends and memories.”
