AMES, Iowa -- Military kids can attend free day camps in June under a program sponsored by Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Operation: Military Kids (OMK).
First up is an OMK Family Day Camp offered Saturday, June 9 for military kids and their families at the Adventure Learning Center of Living History Farms. Each participant should bring a sack lunch and choose one 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. session. Adults are not required to attend camps with youth, but are welcome to participate, according to Chris Gleason, OMK project director for ISU Extension 4-H Youth Development.
Youth in kindergarten to grade12 can choose from three sessions.
- Learning to be Part of a Team is a low ropes experience for grades 6-12 in which youth practice the basic skills of working in a team environment.
- Building Self-Awareness and Teamwork is a low and high ropes challenge for grades 9-12 that helps youth step out of their comfort zone 40 feet above ground.
- Flower Garden and 4-H Portable Challenge helps younger kids in grades K-5 express themselves and learn responsibility by planting small gardens that they can take home and watch grow.
Next up is a Survival Skills day camp for military youth in grades five through 12 on Friday, June 29 at Jester Park from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Participants develop outdoor recreation skills, including learning to canoe, cook lunch over a camp fire and read topographical maps.
Youth who attend either or both the June 9 and June 29 camps also may attend a Photo Gallery day camp on Sat., July 7 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Polk County office of ISU Extension. Youth will partner with an adult to select photos from the June 9 event and turn them into gifts to send to their deployed family members. Master Gardeners also will be available July 7 to provide follow-up service for those who participated in the flower garden day camp.
Registration deadline is June 1 and application forms are available online (www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/omk/CalendarOfEvents.htm).
Operation: Military Kids (OMK) is an outgrowth of the Army Youth Development Project. OMK’s mission is to reach out to help “suddenly military” kids—children of the National Guard and Reserve members who fight the Global War on Terrorism.
To learn more about the Operation: Military Kids initiative in Iowa or to get more information about day camp opportunities, contact the OMK project director, Chris Gleason, at (515) 294-1557 or cgleason@iastate.edu or Adventure Learning Center coordinator, Melissa O’Neil, at (515) 261-4224 or moneil@iastate.edu .
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