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Dream big
Photo
Ashlee Sedmond, left, and Jadyn Atwood, both of Boardman, work on their container garden at Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church’s Camp Newport. Children who attend the Boardman camp participate in a variety of activities and are served lunch. Woodside Elementary in Austintown is host to a sister camp.
Camps provide wealth of opportunities, helping kids to ...
By LINDA M. LINONIS
boardman
Camp Newport is jam-packed with activities that engage children’s minds, bodies and spirits.
Pleasant Grove Presbyterian Church, 3919 Southern Blvd., is the setting for the afternoon program for Boardman participants.
A sister site is Camp Woodside at Woodside Elementary School, 4105 Elmwood Ave., Austintown, for children there.
The camps began June 4 and conclude July 27. Camp Newport, which began last year, takes place in the afternoon and Camp Woodside, which began in 2009, is in the morning.
Nathan Childers is director of the camps and founder of Lampstand Fellowship, which provides camp activities.
“Lampstand is an organization that networks with churches and provides a way for them to work together,” Childers said. Churches and community organizations are involved under what Childers described as the “umbrella organization” of Lampstand.
The camps offer breakfast at Camp Woodside and lunch at Camp Newport through the Summer Food Service Program of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The camps aren’t affiliated with any school districts, though information about what the camps offer is sent home when school is in session.
Camp participants are 6 to 12 years old who have completed kindergarten through sixth grades.
“In addition to activities, the camps provide meals for kids who would be home alone and not eating. Many parents are under-employed or unemployed,” Childers said.
But food is just one element of the camps, whose theme this summer is “Dream Big.” They’re doing just that as they participate in a host of activities.
“I see the camp as being holistic,” Childers said. “They get a meal but we also try to provide activities to help them spiritually, emotionally and academically.”
Field trips have included outings to Youngstown State University planetarium, Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County and Ford Nature Center at Mill Creek MetroParks.
On the more serious side, children participate in Bible lessons that are faith-based on Christian principles. “It’s interdenominational,” Childers said. “It is an opportunity to teach basic Bible lessons about the Christian faith and minister to children about God’s word.”
They also learn about different careers. For example, a bricklayer presented a program on his trade. Children mixed mortar and learned how to use it.
Childers said children especially like the container-gardener project. Children are growing tomatoes, green peppers, beans and flowers.
Childers said the project helps children learn about how food is grown and has an element of responsibility — to tend and water the gardens.
Volunteers from churches and partner organizations assist at camps.
At Camp Newport, Pleasant Grove’s Christian education committee conducted its vacation Bible school during camp.