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BACK TO NATURE:
CITY KIDS EXPLORE THE WILDERNESS |
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For city kids, a trip to the woods
can be an exotic and exciting adventure. Every summer for the past
50 years, young people from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Atlanta
get that very opportunity through an innovative program called Camp
Kiwanis.
Some 500 youth attend the camp each year. Located 50 miles west of
Atlanta, the camp provides experiences with nature to kids who could
never afford it, while also teaching them about the environment.
“Eighty percent of our kids have some or all of their tuition
paid through scholarships,” said Lee Fox, assistant camp director.
On the first evening of camp, the kids are taken on a night hike to
help them recognize the sounds, sights and smells of the forest. The
hike is designed to show youth what happens in the forest at night
and help put their fears of the unknown to rest.
“We learn about the Indians who lived here, animals in the woods,
and all those little bugs that make so much noise at night,”
said Tonya, age 10.
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At Camp Kiwanis, older, more experienced campers eventually become
the teachers for the younger kids. Beginning at age 14, teens can
participate in the Leaders In Nature’s Kingdom (LINK) program.
Youth must attend the camp for four summers to complete the LINK curriculum.
At that point, the teens can become counselors at Camp Kiwanis.
“More than 70 percent of our counselors are graduates of the
LINK program,” said Fox. “To become a counselor is a huge
symbol of accomplishment for our youth.”
LINK teaches participants how to be good role models and mentors.
It also includes lessons in ecology, land stewardship and Cherokee
Indian culture.
“I remember a 17-year-old LINK graduate named Ken,” said
Fox. “He was so moved by his time at Camp Kiwanis, he told us
we were like the family he wished he could have, and I was very touched
by that. These kids have made a huge difference in my life.”
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