Tag: camps

Clemson’s Outdoor Lab counsellors have taken their camp activities online to help campers continue to experience the joy of camp while also following the state’s social distancing requirements.

The lab offers several camp programs, including the Jaycee Camp Hope which serves people between ages eight to more than 60 years of age, with many of their campers having cognitive disabilities. Typically, the camp provides a series of daily activities that help campers develop independence as they learn to do things for themselves, including swimming, canoeing, fishing, drama, archery, crafts, pontoon boat rides, nature activities and overnight campouts.

Lab Intern Abreigh Youngblood, who is also a genetics major at Clemson, has been coordinating many of the camp’s virtual activities with her fellow counsellors while also leading some sessions herself. She says that the closure of the Clemson University campus, including the Outdoor Lab, has led them to find creative new ways to deliver camp programming during an unprecedented time when it’s most needed.

“We wanted to give our campers, who we love dearly, a taste of camp at a time when most of their normal activities are cancelled,” Youngblood said. “This gives them something to look forward to throughout the week and is a huge benefit to those of us who miss our campers. It’s awesome to see everyone’s smiles while we do something we enjoy together.”

The lab arranges several different activities once or twice a week. One of their camp counselors will volunteer to lead a specific activity and set up a Zoom meeting. They then send their campers the link and instructions about what they may need to in order to participate, such as an ingredient list for baking or supplies for a craft project.

So far, they’ve hosted sessions on everything from playing bingo to baking banana muffins. A typical session is attended by between 15 to 25 campers. Youngblood says the value of the online camp activities keeps revealing itself in different ways.

“These are tough times and it’s wonderful to see how our campers are responding to the sessions,” she said. “After a session we sometimes receive photos of the project we completed together – and we’ve all started to look forward to these sessions as much as they do.”

She added that it’s rewarding to see parents and caregivers get involved with the activities, knowing how much it means to their camper. Beth Allen’s daughter regularly attends the Zoom activities. Allen says that the e-camp gives her daughter something to look forward to while she’s safe at home, especially since all of her other activities have come to a halt. The camp sessions also provide a distraction for her daughter while she must be at her job in a hospital and her husband works from home.

“On one of her quiet days she had six Camp Hope Zoom meetings to look forward to and she is loving it,” Allen said. “She also feels very grown up that she has a Zoom meeting like her dad has. These simple activities are making a huge difference in her life right now.”

Leslie Conrad, director of the Clemson’s Outdoor Lab, said she’s been thrilled to see her counsellors’ creativity and ingenuity shine over the past few weeks, and is certain that the virtual camp activities are helping her and her staff just as much as they’re helping campers.

“Our campers are some of the most real and genuine people you will ever meet, so being able to ‘see’ them and interact with them during this time is very encouraging,” Conrad said. “We’re delighted to keep bringing a part of camp into their homes.”

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Visit the Clemson Outdoor Lab website for details about its summer programs, including opportunities for family-friendly getaways during the summer.

At first glance, Haley Plumley and Lauren Grubbs may not have a lot in common, other than their age (they’re both 12 years old). They also live in different states – Haley lives in Florida and Lauren in North Carolina – and have different connections to Clemson.

If you look a little deeper, however, you’ll see that they share a similar determination, and a strongly-held belief that despite their age, they have the power to change the world – a belief they’re proving by working to raise awareness of the plight of tigers in the wild.

Lauren and Haley got involved in different ways. Lauren writes letters that get attention. She was learning how to write persuasive letters as part of a 5^th grade class project, when she decided to write Clemson University President Jim Clements about the need for the university to lead an effort to save tigers in the wild.

“About 70 kids in Lauren’s school sent persuasive letters to complete the project assignment, but she was the only student who received a personalized response back,” says her mother, Katie Grubbs. “She’s been writing letters ever since. It’s fascinating to see who replies and who doesn’t, and the confidence and influence she’s grown in the process.”

Clements asked Dr. Brett Wright, Director of the Tigers United University Consortium, to respond on his behalf to Lauren’s letter. The Consortium is devoted to tiger conservation and consists of four land-grant, tiger mascot universities working collaboratively on this issue – Clemson University, Auburn University, Louisiana State University and the University of Missouri. Katie says Dr. Wright’s response to Lauren’s letter was written in a way that she could understand and provided useful information about the Consortium, its goals and its work.

Haley, on the other hand, was working on a community service project for school and wanted to find a unique way for a kid to further a cause she could believe in, support and help. Last year, she learned about the Tigers United University Consortium at Clemson through her Dad, who played football for Clemson between 1990-94 and remains an active supporter. Haley overheard her Dad talking about a donation he had made to the consortium and their need for help, and realized she’d found her project.

“Over the last few years, Haley had been asking me how kids can get involved in an issue, and what they can do that would really help,” said Julie Plumley, Haley’s mother. “When she heard about the consortium and that it’s something many people don’t yet know about, she realized she could spread the word and really make a difference.”

Her idea was to create an educational program for elementary-aged children about the need for tiger conservation, including how they can help, so they could share that information with their friends and families and get involved.

This idea started to become reality this past spring as a unique learning opportunity for Clemson University’s Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management students. Associate Professor Gwynn Powell, who teaches a Youth Development in Camp course, saw an opportunity for her students to combine public service with developmental pedagogy.

“Our class was developing activities for elementary school aged children participating in the City of Clemson’s annual spring break day camp,” says Dr. Powell. “The tiger conservation program was a great project, because it challenged them to develop a curriculum that combined academic content with recreational activities.”

Dr. Powell tasked her students with creating potential programs and activities for an elementary school education program to teach tiger conservation to students in grades first through fifth grade. Given their experience with the consortium and its work, Haley and Lauren were asked to vet the class’s ideas in a ‘Shark Tank’ evaluation setting.

Holly Carlisle, one of the students that presented to Haley and Lauren, said the process was a meaningful learning experience, and that the judges provided useful feedback.

“I was really motivated to work hard because our work was for more than a class assignment,” she says. “We tested our work with children, so we know we’re designing something meaningful for them. I hope the program can be used around the world to help children see the importance of tiger conservation.”

Fellow student Caroline Self agrees, and appreciated Haley and Lauren’s (often blunt) feedback.

“Those kids did not cut us any slack!” she says. “It was helpful to hear from them, because this assignment challenged us to target specific activities for specific grades, so we had to really understand the developmental difference in the ages to strike the right balance.”

The program is now being refined with input from elementary school teachers. Haley and Lauren’s schools agreed to pilot the program when it’s ready.

Consortium Director Brett Wright says Haley and Lauren are proving that anyone can have a significant impact on the world, regardless of your age.

“These girls are two of the savviest, most invested and dedicated people I’ve come across,” he says. “They know they can make a difference, and they’re putting in some serious work to spread the message about tiger conservation, and how dire the situation has become.

He says their involvement also gives him hope for the tiger’s future.

“We chant ‘Go Tigers’ on a daily basis, but not many know the truth about the animal we hold so dear – and how close they are to extinction,” he says. “Lauren and Haley are giving us an important tool we can use to raise awareness, and hopefully bring more people to the cause. Without that help, tigers as we know it may become extinct in their lifetime.”

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Tigers United Week runs from September 3 to 7 in Clemson. The consortium’s universities are all raising awareness of tiger conservation through through several activities, including a Scarcity Scavenger Hunt with a grand cash prize and an information booth while Clemson tailgates for Saturday’s game, with an opportunity to meet Clemson’s First Lady Beth Clements and her daughter, Grace. The week culminates with a launch of a new, 30-second video about the consortium’s mission during the Clemson home football game on Saturday afternoon. More information about Tigers United Week and its activities can be found on the Tigers United blog.

You can also support Tigers United by texting CUtigers to 41444.