MUNCIE, Ind. — With summer break in full swing, a lot of kids are taking advantage of the time off school by sleeping in, hanging out with friends or hitting the pool.
But in Muncie, dozens of kids are spending their days at camp, keeping up with learning and fun, thanks to a free program through the district.
For decades, Camp Adventure has been helping out families throughout the community.
We met some Muncie school children who were getting a hands-on lesson on rock climbing.
"It's very fun," said Asher Ramos, a soon-to-be fifth-grade student at East Washington Academy.
This is Asher's second year at Camp Adventure. He said the outdoor activities, like the ropes course and rock climbing, are exciting.
"I really like the specials," Ramos said.
After a busy morning of STEM-related activities, it's a welcome outdoor break for the students.
"So here, we teach them a little bit about science, a little bit about reading and then we let them have fun, let them be kids," said Camp Adventure director Gavin Wilson.
Wilson said Camp Adventure is a free summer camp and learning program for all Muncie grade-school children. The lessons get kids excited about STEM-related fields while cutting down on learning losses over summer break.
"It was really cool," said Arionna Stith, an incoming third grader at East Washington Academy.
Arionna and her friend, Freedom, take an up-close look at the camp through microscopes.
"She's been looking at pollen and, like, little bugs. And I looked at a butterfly's wing and some plankton and stuff," Arionna said.
The pair happily took a deeper look at what's on display on the microscope's slide. Arionna said this is one of the first times she's worked with a microscope, excited to study the world around her now even further.
"I definitely want to study some other insects and animals," she said.
"I think just learning about the science and realizing, 'Oh, I could do this in the future,' or 'Oh, I could learn more about this, I can do this in the future,' is really what drives them," Wilson said.
For the Title I district, Camp Adventure gives Muncie kids a chance to spend a month of their summer keeping up with school while experiencing camp. The free program is a big help for a lot of families.
"Some of these kids, they don't get this opportunity any other time," Wilson said.
The lessons these kids learn here are invaluable, getting them up for success throughout the rest of the school year. And, of course, making sure they get in plenty of fun and games along the way.
"I really enjoy it and I think it's really good for kids," Ramos said.
Camp Adventure has been going on in Muncie for around 30 years now. It started as a way to make sure kids with special needs could experience nature education and has grown into a much bigger program.
A spokesperson for Muncie Schools said the camp also helps many families save on childcare over the summer.
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