CWES After-School Camp Program...
Summer camp fun doesn't end in August anymore!
CWES was recently awarded a large three year grant to start an eight month camp-themed after-school program for local kids. This project includes Rosholt, Iola, Amherst and four sites of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Portage County (BGC). A total of 200 kids will take part in this during the 2012-13 school year. The program is free and takes place at each School or BGC location.
Another bit of good news is that the 25 kids enrolled at each site will have the opportunity to apply for a partial scholarship (25%-75%) to attend a six day camp at CWES next summer, with 30% of students at each site receiving partial scholarships. While we don’t have the exact Summer 2013 camp lineup set at this point, here are the summer camps we offered last year.
For more information, please contact Linda Gruber at 715-824-2428 x2002, or lgruber@uwsp.edu
To apply for the after-school program, please complete the following form: After School Registration Form
***Visit the CWES webpage for your school or Boys and Girls Club site from the drop-down options under "After School Programs" in the menu bar above! Each page contains information specific to the school or BGC site.
News Release
UWSP University Relations and Communications
September 17, 2012
CWES to benefit from UW-Stevens Point Foundation grant
More children will be able to attend summer camps at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Central Wisconsin Environmental Station (CWES), thanks to grant from the Margaret A. Cargill (MAC) Foundation.
The MAC Foundation awarded a three-year grant of $225,000 to the UW-Stevens Point Foundation, specifically to increase the number of children attending CWES summer camps by offering monthly after-school camp programs and supporting the training of future educators and camp leaders.
The grant will provide resources for CWES camp staff to present monthly activities and programming for up to 25 upper-elementary school students in the Amherst, Rosholt and Iola school districts as well as the Portage County Boys and Girls Clubs from September to April. The after-school activities will include programs on pond study, fishing, stars and stories, survival skills, critters at camp, camp crafts and campfire songs and skits. Students who attend a majority of the monthly summer camp-related activities will be eligible to apply for partial scholarships for a week of CWES summer camp in 2013.
The MAC Foundation supports environmental education, including camping programs that allow young people to interact with nature and develop a sense of environmental stewardship. Located in Amherst Junction on the shore of Sunset Lake, CWES hosts an average of 7,500 people each year for summer camps, school programs, youth and adult team building and leadership skills programs, youth retreats, church gatherings, family reunions and other events.
For more information on CWES, contact Scott Johnson, director, at 715-824-2428 or visit www.uwsp.edu/cwes.
Monthly Activities
• October: Pond Study
Students will be looking at “macro-invertebrates”, critters that live in ponds and are essential to its ecosystem. Pond water will be brought in from CWES, or collected at the site if a pond is nearby. Students will also learn how these creatures are able to tell us if the pond is healthy or polluted.
• November: Fishing at Camp!
Students create their own fish from a set of adaptations, will cast real fishing poles to “catch” fish targets and develop their casting and fishing skills! They will also learn about fish of Wisconsin and Portage County.
• December: Stars and Stories
This lesson will focus on the constellations and some of the ancient stories that accompany them. Students will learn how to use star charts and will receive one that they can take home. Finally, they will be able to create their own unique constellation and story!
• January: Survival Skills
What are the essential things that all living creatures need to survive? The students learn will this, how to use the stars in navigation and even take part in a survival scenario!
• February: Critters at Camp!
There are many different critters at camp, some that the students have seen before, but some they haven’t! We will explore these critters, feel actual pelts and skulls, learn about predator/prey relationships, and radio telemetry, how wildlife biologists track and learn more about critters.
• March: Camp Craft Extravangza!
Creating camp crafts is essential at summer camp to have a souvenir of all of the great fun that was had! This month, students will be two making camp crafts to take home with them, from beaded buddies and leather bookmarks.
• April: Campfire Songs and Skits!
Now that we’ve learned a whole bunch of songs throughout the year, the students will be able to create short skits and then put on a campfire program at school. We will revisit some of the favorite songs from the year, learn more songs, and have tons of fun! It’ll be just like a campfire at CWES summer camp!