Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Community School invites kids to learn, explore, enjoy


By REBECCA MEANY
Express Staff Writer

The unique learning environment offered by the Community School is available to the public in summer.

From math to Mandarin, Legos to lacrosse, opportunities for fun and learning are there for the choosing.

Some courses provide school credit. Others just let kids explore and enjoy their natural surroundings.

"Outdoor trips are a big deal we do every summer," said summer program director Mike Wade.

The Sun Valley school offers two backpacking trips this year. One, for kids aged 12-18, is a multi-point loop through the White Clouds. Participants will camp in a different spot each night, fish and learn navigation skills and leave-no-trace camping habits.

Another, for middle schoolers, takes kids into the Pioneers. Participants set up a low-impact base camp then scale a different peak every day—achievements topped off by swims in lakes and basins. Kids learn wilderness navigation, leave-no-trace camping and self-sufficiency.

Other multi-day outdoor excursions include kayaking the Salmon River and rock climbing in the City of Rocks "They're teaching trips; They're not just adventure trips," Wade said.

The school's sport camps are "definitely a highlight for us," Wade said. Kids can learn or enhance their abilities in lacrosse, basketball and soccer.

The classroom also is a learning environment this summer, as elementary and middle schoolers can enrich themselves through creative writing, chess or math.

In the mad scientist chemistry camps, kids can destroy as well as create. "They're making solar cells and blowing stuff up ... safely," Wade said.

The most popular camps last year were technology camps on rockets, computers and robotics. Wade said, "They're academic oriented, but they're fun camps."

Close to home, kids ages 6-8 can join the explorers' camp, which leaves from the school for destinations throughout the valley, five days a week.

For course descriptions and pricing, visit communityschool.org. For more questions call Wade at 622-3960, ext. 109.




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