Displaying items by tag: Science camp
Swift Nature Camp: A Science and Nature Summer Camp Near Chicagoland
Are you looking for a summer camp that combines science and nature in a fun and educational way? Look no further than Swift Nature Camp, an overnight summer camp located just a few hours from Chicagoland.
At Swift Nature Camp, campers ages 6-17 can immerse themselves in a variety of science and nature activities, from learning about the ecology of the nearby lakes and forests to exploring the wonders of the night sky with our on-site telescope. Our program is designed to provide hands-on experiences that foster a love of science and nature, and our experienced staff are passionate about sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm with campers.
As one of the few science summer camps and nature summer camps near Chicagoland, we offer a unique opportunity for campers to engage with the natural world and develop their scientific curiosity. From investigating the behavior of insects to studying the chemistry of rocks and minerals, our program is filled with activities that challenge campers to observe, question, and explore.
Our Nature Nut Campers, a group that can never seem to get enough nature and science, absolutely love the Nature Center and Camp Zoo. It's a favorite spot for them to explore and learn about the natural world around them.
In addition to our science and nature activities, Swift Nature Camp offers a wide range of traditional camp activities such as swimming, canoeing, arts and crafts, and sports. Our goal is to create a well-rounded experience for campers that fosters personal growth, social connections, and a love of nature.
Our beautiful 80-acre campus in northern Wisconsin is surrounded by lakes and forests, providing the perfect backdrop for outdoor adventures and scientific exploration. Our cabins are cozy and comfortable, providing a home away from home for our campers.
At Swift Nature Camp, we pride ourselves on our commitment to safety and inclusivity. Our staff are trained in CPR and first aid, and we work hard to ensure that every camper feels welcome and supported, regardless of their background or abilities.
Don't miss your chance to enroll your child in one of the best science summer camps and nature summer camps near Chicagoland. Swift Nature Camp is a place where campers can discover their passions, make lifelong friends, and connect with the natural world. Contact us today to learn more and enroll.
Lonnie Lorenz
630-654-8036
WWW. SNC.Camp
When we raise children, one of the words that they hear the most is respect. In fact, respect is so important, that it is often referred to as “The Golden Rule,” or “Treat others the way you wish to be treated.” We teach our children to respect authority, to respect the rules, yet we teach it in a way that isn’t accessible to them. Usually, we tell them they will get in trouble or bad things will happen, but these are very general statements, which can allow a child’s mind to wonder exactly what those bad things are. However, there are ways that we can teach respect to children, while also teaching them how to be more environmentally conscious.
Nature Summer Camps envelopes children in nature, taking them out of their cities and homes and delivering them to a pristine outdoor setting. While not every camp is nature themed, many are, and they teach children the practices that will serve to help and heal the Earth. Children are shown how much the planet provides them with, that it creates their food, their water, everything that they know, and it creates a natural sense of respect to the environment. At Swift Nature Camp a science camp in Wisconsin, we have a rule that you should not walk off of the path. Kids usually do not like this rule, but it exists for a simple reason. We explain to the children that long, long ago, there were glaciers that moved through the area, leaving behind all of the sand, which isn’t a very good soil for grass to grow in, so keeping foot traffic to the path keeps the grass healthy. Sometimes, kids ask, “Why is there no grass growing there?” and we explain that it’s because other campers have chosen to walk off of the path and through the grass, trampling and destroying it for everyone else. This shows the children the effects of disrespect, the solid proof that it is better to respect the rules.
Summer camp is all nature and trees. These trees don’t just provide shade to keep us cool, they are teaching aids. We are able to teach campers about what makes each species of tree unique. Many of the campers know that pine needles are good for starting fires, but so is birch bark. We teach them about Jack Pines and the dangers associated with those trees. The lessons of conservation associated with trees can also create respect. There are a number of birch trees at camp, and since the campers know that birch bark can be a good fire starter, they rip the bark off of the live tree. When campers do this, we go to the tree with them and show them the scar that it left. We tell our campers that it would basically be like taking a layer of their skin off, so that we can teach them the lesson we’re trying to communicate in a way which they can understand. They are also able to see the direct results of disrespect as well, as the tree would be damaged from their actions. While the tree will usually survive these encounters, it still serves as a powerful tool in teaching children the importance of respect.
A final area in which SNC Nature Camp teaches children respect with science and conservation is when it comes to bugs. Many campers who aren’t used to being out in nature often do not enjoy bugs. Many don’t like spiders one bit, resorting to immediately crushing them. What we try to teach our campers is the importance of bugs, how each one serves a pivotal role in the life cycle, or the benefits which bugs such as spiders can bring to us through eating smaller bugs. However, the most important thing that we teach our campers is that when we kill a bug, we kill it in their home, a home which they allowed us to be in, and we repaid them by killing them. We say that we are just visitors to camp, but the bugs live their forever, so it’s important that we make sure that they are safe in their home, just as we like to be safe in our own homes. Showing our science campers the analogy between their homes and a bug’s home teaches them respect by putting the idea into perspective. Since they do not want to be crushed by some random wandering giant, they usually maintain respect for bugs, because they have begun to respect bugs enough to see life from their perspective.
Overnight nature camps provide a great experience for children to learn many great lessons directly from the planet. Environmental Conservation serves as a path to not only teach children more about their world and how to protect it, but also the consequences of our actions, whether they are respectful or disrespectful to nature. By turning the conversation of respect into a lesson about how nature works, we can effectively teach our children to be more compassionate to both other humans and the world that we all live in.
Today, the environment is part of every political conversation, especially global warming. Yet, despite science a large number of people do not believe that it is a relevant issue. As the Director of an overnight summer camp with a science and nature focus, I find this amazing. I have said for years that if children come to a Nature Camp they will grow up with an understanding of nature. But more importantly they will develop a reason to preserve and protect the environment, even if it is for selfish reasons of having a place to do recreational outdoor activities, although I would hope it would be for more.
Surprisingly, research now confirms my thoughts. In a recent UK study it showed that based on data from more than 24,000 people in the UK, found that more frequent visits to nature for recreation resulted in greater appreciation of the natural world were strong predictors of pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs). Additionally, urban residents with high neighborhood greenspace reported more environmentally friendly behaviors than those in low greenspace neighborhoods.*
As a parent, if you want to create positive long term environmental effects, one of the best way is to send your child to a Nature Summer Camp not unlike Swift Nature Camp. It may just be one of the best things you can do for your child and the environment.
*Alcock et al. 2020. Associations between pro-environmental behavior and neighborhood nature, nature visit frequency and nature appreciation: Evidence from a nationally representative survey in England.
Every summer millions of children go to overnight summer camp. But Why? Oh sure, some parents just need day care. But the vast majority of parents that are thinking about sending their child to overnight summer camp, do not take this responsibility lightly. They do their research by: going to camp fairs, talking to friends, taking camp tours and chatting with references. Why do all this? Because when you select the right Overnight Summer Camp for your child, it will be a life changer and an experience they will want to repeat summer after summer. Maybe thats why children from all around the world come to USA Summer Camps
So how does summer camp change kids lives? Not every camp is the same, so I can only speak about our overnight summer camp. Swift Nature Camp is located in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. We cater to children 6–15, with a leadership program for our 16 & 17 year old campers. Our small camp blends old-fashioned camp activities on land and water, with environmental and nature learning. Plus we have a camp zoo, where children who love animals can even adopt one while they are at camp.
Here are ways that children’s lives are changed because of camp:
1) Great Staff- When you get young people who are dedicated to kids full time, your child feels it. Camp counselors have boundless energy and enthusiasm- something parents often loose as they get older. It’s like having the best big sister or brother in the world who really cares about you. They want you to be your best. So children look up to these counselors and since they are role modeling positive values, your child will pick those up and bring them home.
2) Communal Living- Yes, your child will be living in a cabin with 5–8 other children of their own age, building new friendships and developing strong new social circles. For most children this is a new experience. When you live with others, you have to be a little less worried about yourself and be thinking more about others. That is part of the natural progression of kids from self to others. Camp pushes them a little further along this road.
3) Nature-This day and age we live our lives inside. There is a big beautiful world out there that children should learn about and they should not be afraid of. All of science is saying, humans need to be connected to their environment, enjoy the beauty of the simple things in life. That’s why at SNC, we often take our kids to the lake to quietly enjoy a sunset.
4) Independence- Today we have so many types of parents, and often we see loving parents that hold their children back, not intentionally. But, sometimes they just don’t see that kids need and want to get out on their own, make decisions on their own and try new things. A Nature Camp is a safe place to try things, make mistakes and move on. This is all part of growing up and camp is the safe and supervised place this takes place.
5) Play is an amazing tool. It helps children get exercise, loose weight and feel better. More important, Free Play can help children resolve conflict, problem solve and be creative. Daily, at camp have 1.5 hours dedicated to free play, where campers can do the activities they want to do. This is like the old days, when children could just go outside and play.
One thing we hear from parents every summer is “I wish I would have sent my child to Swift Nature Camp sooner” you see, childhood is a once-off thing. Too soon it’s over, and you can’t reclaim the years, but you can look back on incredible memories. That’s why summer camp is so important — it’s a fun, positive experience where children can simply be children and have the time of their lives. Overnight summer camp is a vital part of a child’s personal growth and development
It’s the small size and attention to detail that makes camp so successful at promote each child’s personal development. Sending your child to Swift Nature Camp is a gift, one your child will cherish for the rest of their life. Maybe that’s why 92% of our campers want to return each summer to this Wisconsin Summer Camp.
supports the implementation of Wisconsin’s Plan for Environmental Literacy and Sustainable
Communities . This plan is the latest in a long line of environmental education initiatives in the
state . Beginning with the Conservation Movement in the late 1800s and early 1900s through
the Environmental Movement in the 1960s and 70s and on to today, residents of Wisconsin
have played a key role in shaping the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of individuals, groups,
and organizations with respect to environmental issues at the national, regional, and local
levels . As a new century has just begun, this plan provides a pathway for all of us to build
upon this prior work and move forward in developing an environmentally literate society
comprised of sustainable communities .
Sustainable Communities (referred to in this document
as the “Plan”) serves as a strategic plan for achieving
the vision of environmentally literate and sustainable
communities across Wisconsin . The Plan is meant to
build capacity, awareness, and support for environmental
literacy and sustainability at home, work, school, and
play . It encourages funding, research, and education for
environmental literacy and sustainability and it supports
Wisconsin’s Plan to Advance Education for Environmental
Literacy and Sustainability in PK-12 Schools.
This Plan was developed through input from diverse
representatives from around the state, all of whom—
like many before them—are attentive to the health and
well-being of Wisconsin’s people, the stewardship of our
natural resources, the sustainability of our communities,
and to leaving a positive legacy for the future . Wisconsin
people value the state’s natural resources and the functions
these resources serve at home, work, school, and play .
This commitment to protecting and conserving valued
resources can and does lead to sustainable communities
that enjoy a healthy environment, a prosperous economy,
and a vibrant civic life . The purpose of this Plan, therefore,
is to provide a roadmap, a course of action, individuals,
organizations, businesses and governments must
take to attain environmental literacy and sustainable
communities . By providing a shared vision, mission,
and goals, encouraging the use of common language,
and promoting collaborative efforts, the Plan offers the
opportunity for extraordinary impact and change .
The Wisconsin Environmental Education Board (WEEB) is charged with
leadership for environmental education for all people in the state and is required
to develop a strategic plan every ten years . This Plan was born from that
demand . WEEB’s previous strategic plan, A Plan for Advancing Environmental
Education in Wisconsin: EE2010, had seven goals that were based on the central
purposes of providing positive leadership; developing local leaders; developing
and implementing curricula; and furthering professional development .
An assessment provided insight into this plan’s successes and what remains to be
done . Major successes include:
• The creation of a website, EEinWisconsin .org, which acts as a tool for
statewide communication and a clearinghouse for both formal and non-
formal environmental education in Wisconsin .
• The WEEB’s use of the goals in its grants program .
• The initiation of research in environmental literacy and sustainability .
• The establishment of Wisconsin Environmental Education Foundation,
which is leading the way toward more sustainable funding for
environmental education .
The assessment found more work needs to be done to support and enhance
non-formal and non-traditional environmental education . The Plan addresses
this need and sets new goals .
Collaboration with Other Efforts
Wisconsin’s Plan for Environmentally Literate and Sustainable Communities
considers educational needs and responses for the whole community and
supports sustainable practices at home, work, school, and play . The Plan is
coordinated with and supported by two additional statewide efforts to advance
the implementation of the Plan’s goals and the integration of sustainability . They
are:
Wisconsin’s Plan to Advance Education for Environmental Literacy and
Sustainability in PK-12 Schools addresses multiple aspects related directly
to pre-kindergarten through high school student learning to ensure every
student graduates environmentally literate . (NCLIwisconsin .org)
Cultivating Education for Sustainability in Wisconsin builds capacity
and support for schools and communities to focus student learning on
sustainability . It provides recommendations for resources and services to
implement education for sustainability in schools . (www .uwsp .edu/wcee/efs)
2 Wisconsin’s Plan for Environmentally Literate and Sustainable Communities
Benefits of a State Plan
• Provide a common vision and set of goals for people in Wisconsin to work
toward .
• Guide decision-making, policy making and priority setting .
• Serve as justification for and purpose behind creating or continuing
programs, tools and resources .
• Set priorities for development and delivery of educational programs,
business plans, and community efforts .
• Rationale and guidance for funding and research efforts .
How to Use the Plan
Wisconsin’s Plan for Environmentally Literate and Sustainable Communities is
not an organization, but rather a document that serves as the state strategic plan
requiring partnerships and collaboration . It is designed to serve as reference
material for individuals, businesses, and communities . Those who influence
environmental literacy and sustainability in Wisconsin such as community
leaders, traditional and non-formal educators and administrators, resources
developers and providers, policy makers, funders and researchers will find the
Plan useful as a guide in setting priorities and making decisions . Over the course
of the next decade, the Plan’s desired outcomes will be central to environmental
literacy and sustainability efforts across the state . As Wisconsin people work
toward achieving the four main outcomes of the Plan, this document can help
guide attitudes, planning, actions, and endeavors .
As most of you know SCHOOL is nearly over! And that means that the time you have been most looking forward too is here. CAMP! Have you invited your Friends to come to summer camp? You should, not only do you get a really cool hat but you save $300.00 .
Wisconsin Green & Healthy Schools Program
Schools across Wisconsin are demonstrating their commitment to a more sustainable Earth, stronger communities and healthier, more productive learning environments for students by choosing to join the Wisconsin Green and Healthy Schools program. The Wisconsin Green and Healthy Schools program is a web-based, self-paced and voluntary program available to all Wisconsin public and private elementary, middle and high schools. The program is designed to support and encourage schools in their quest for a healthy, safe, and environmentally-friendly learning environment.
Our Mission
Meadowbrook Students Recycling
The Wisconsin Green and Healthy Schools program aims to increase the students’ knowledge and awareness of Wisconsin’s natural resources and the environmental, health, and safety concerns and challenges that face our schools, our communities, and our Earth. The Green and Healthy Schools program will help students develop the necessary skills and expertise to address these challenges, and to foster life-long attitudes, behaviors, and commitments in order to make informed decisions and to encourage students to become active participants in their communities*. Furthermore, by completing the steps of the program schools will discover ways that their individual school can provide a safe, clean, and green school that promotes a productive learning environment and in doing so will help to conserve and protect our valuable natural resources.
(*Portions of the Green and Healthy Mission were taken from UNESCO, Tbilisi Declaration, 1977).
Awards and Recognitions
The journey to becoming a Wisconsin Green and Healthy School requires hard work, active participation, and a strong commitment to attaining a healthy and environmentally responsible school. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction want to recognize your school’s achievements at every step of the program through a succession of awards and recognitions [PDF 125KB]. Your school is encouraged to display these awards around your school building to inform staff, students, parents, and the community of your continued commitment to providing students and staff with a healthier and greener learning environment.
Signing up far ahead of time is important. The first thing to do when selecting a kid summer camp is to look at your child’s needs and wants. Will they thrive in a sports camp or a general camp. What do they want from their summer? Skill building or building friendships?
Summer camps
Should be a complete departure away from teachers and a time for mentors to step in. The essence of the best camps are imaginative, experienced and quick witted people who staff them. These mentors shape up the milieu of the camp so that every camper brings life lessons learned when he or she returns home. The experience which is gained and the knowledge acquired in every case go a long way in shaping up the overall persona of the person a camper becomes.
Kids Summer Camp
Is a resource with more focus on arts and crafts with special regard to environmental consciousness. Kids go on from camp refreshed, delighted and full of experience when they return to regular classes in the fall. The exposure that summer camps offer a child will stay with the camper for the rest of a life as the wisdom that can only come from experience. How can parents with a good grasp of what is good for their kids find the right camp? The best place to search for obtaining precise information is of course the World Wide Web.
With a bit of patient research on the internet, you can easily lay your hands on some resourceful data. Parents might assume that if they are paying a higher rate for the kid summer camp that the child will return home with more education. They disregard the fact that the true meaning of summer camps is all about the experience. With the guided presentations of web program directors, the best traditional camps included have woken up to the archetypes involved in the whole process.
Parents ought to seek the best professionalism from persons representing summer camps. There is always a lot of apprehension and questioning for parents in terms of pros and cons their child will face in every social situation life brings. But the right kid summer camp is a good opportunity for every camper to socialize at a level which encompasses every facet of life.
As most of you know SCHOOL is nearly over! And that means that the time you have been most looking forward too is here. CAMP! Have you invited your Friends to come to summer camp? You should, not only do you get a really cool hat but you save $300.00 .
