Nestled within 700 acres of beautiful and serene property in Fenton, Camp Copneconic has a rich, local history dating back to the Chippewa Tribe, and has offered outdoor programs for youth and families since 1915. That’s quite a heritage! Blending its roots with modern day facilities, this Michigan gem offers an amazing and wide variety of programming.
But camp isn’t just for summer! Camp Copneconic offers events and programs year-round. Each season brings something new. For teachers and educators, the start of the school of the year is the perfect time to speak with a Camp Copneconic education specialist about School Programs!
School Programs allow teachers to turn their classrooms inside out. Providing outdoor and environmental education that complements what students are learning in the classroom, YMCA Camp Copneconic is devoted to helping schools educate students through building an appreciation for the natural world and strengthening cooperative/group interaction skills.
Thomas Bawden, Senior Program Director at Camp Copneconic, said the Camp serves over 10,000 kids with its School Programs, annually. “School Programs at Camp Copneconic offer a unique opportunity for us to make camp available to a huge number of youth in our community and across Michigan,” said Bawden. “Camp offers kids time outside, with activities that promote respect, responsibility, caring, and honesty. It gives teachers an opportunity to select activities that will support and expand upon topics covered inside the classroom.”
Kelly Bertin, a sixth-grade teacher at Clarkston Community School’s Sashabaw Middle School, has been a part of the Camp’s School Programs for nearly 15 years. Her experience with the program has been top-notch:
Camp is a great way for students to challenge themselves as individuals and as a member of a team … students also develop the skill of what it means to be a positive team player. Students are encouraged to collaborate on many of the sessions. They have to work together by listening to one another and working through obstacles together.
Sashabaw Middle School students attend Camp Copneconic’s School Programs each year while making the transition into sixth grade, a time where students from seven elementary schools merge into one large building together. “[It] can be really overwhelming for sixth graders,” said Bertin. “They lose that elementary school comfort level. Sixth-grade camp is the perfect way to get kids to meet new people and make friends.”
That’s where School Programs comes into play. The overall goal of the YMCA Camp Copneconic team is to provide a character-building base that promotes caring, responsibility, respect, and honesty among students who become immersed in a team and experiential based programming. The YMCA’s outdoor education programs are uniquely designed to provide a hands-on, safe and fun educational experience for all involved. Students and teachers are encouraged to strengthen their relationship, and students gain a greater sense of independence and respect. School Programs aim to enable and encourage students to understand and experience the relationships between themselves and the natural environment.
Bertin has witnessed, first-hand, just how powerful students’ experiences at the Camp can be. “It is probably one of the most amazing things to witness when you see a student struggling to make it through a challenge like the high ropes, and 10-12 kids cheering them on from the ground. Lifting that student up with words of encouragement and praise. It is magical!”
The teamwork environment fostered during School Programs stays with her students well beyond their time at Camp Copneconic. “My classroom and team hallways will go from very quiet, shy and a bit reserved in the new environment before camp to bursting with smiles, laughs and an overwhelming sense of team when we return from camp,” Bertin said. “Students return from camp and feel so much more comfortable in the middle school. They had an awesome time and have great stories that they share with new friends.”
Parents appreciate the district’s camp program at Camp Copneconic as well. Mary Ellen Rowe, Marketing Director for Clarkston Community Schools, and parent to an incoming sixth-grader, said her son is looking forward to attending School Programs with his new classmates this year. “Like many sixth graders at Sashabaw Middle School, Henry has never experienced an overnight camp away. Part of what makes it exciting for him is knowing the entire Sashabaw Middle School sixth grade class will be there, and that he’ll have a chance to come away with some great new friendships.”
As Kelly Bertin and her sixth-grade team prepared for the start of their school year earlier this month, she reflected upon her fourteen years of experience with YMCA Camp Copneconic. “As a teacher, I never have to question the enthusiasm and dedication that we receive from the camp staff before we arrive and when we are there. They go above and beyond to help make the experience a great experience for all involved.” It’s sure to be a great fifteenth year for Sashabaw Middle School, and their incoming sixth graders!
While Clarkston Community Schools focuses their camp experience on their sixth-graders, YMCA Camp Copneconic’s educational specialists have worked with many schools and educators throughout the state to customize programming to meet their exact needs.
“We set up our program so that it can be catered to each group’s goals and needs,” said Senior Program Director Bawden. “We have school trips that vary in length from day trips that last a couple days to overnight trips for a full school week, and everything in between. Beyond that, teachers have over 60 activities to choose from when they build their schedule. Our activities vary from environmental education to adventure learning and recreation. Many of our activities are aligned to state and national standards. Our staff works closely with school staff before and during their trip to camp to ensure that we are meeting their goals for their trip to Camp Copneconic.”
If you’re a teacher or an educator looking to turn your classroom inside out, consider School Programs! Give the experienced YMCA Camp Copneconic staff a call today about customizing a program that is uniquely designed to accomplish your educational goals. The memories and experience will last a lifetime.
