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The Orion

Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Chico State's independent student newspaper

The Orion

Camp Adventure sends students abroad, gives military children a summer experience

Summer camp has long been a popular way to spend the summer. To many people, it is a great part of being a kid. The arts and crafts, the field activities, the campfires, and maybe even some pranks, culminate into a worthwhile event for everyone involved.

Many families do not have the opportunity to send their children to summer camp. Among such families are military families living on bases outside of the United States. Children living on military bases abroad grow up without many of the childhood staples that are enjoyed in the states because they are newcomers in foreign cultures.

Camp Adventure is a non-profit organization that exists to provide these children with a summer camp experience. The idea is to run summer camps in a similar fashion to those in the states, but on U.S. military bases in other countries. The organization is headquartered at the University of Northern Iowa and has a presence on college campuses throughout the country.

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Camp Adventure participants gather in front of Kendall Hall. Photo credit: Nathan Graves

Jason Morgan, senior recreation major, is the student coordinator for the Chico State branch of Camp Adventure. Morgan knew a few people working with Camp Adventure and he admired the cause, so he decided to join.

“As someone who already loves children, it sounded like the perfect fit,” he said.

Students at Chico State have the opportunity year-round to do placements for Camp Adventure. Counselors are trained during internship programs. They learn the skills required to lead a children’s summer camp such as crafts and activities, as well as leadership skills and child development. The trained counselors go overseas to help run a camp. A typical program runs 11 to 12 weeks— essentially the whole summer. China, Spain, Japan, The Netherlands and Germany are just some of the countries counselors travel to.

Morgan has taken an active role for Camp Adventure. In the past, Chico State has had sizable turnouts for Camp Adventure placements. Anywhere between 80 and 100 students would go abroad to work at camps for the summer.

More recently, that number has fallen to just 10 to 15 students. Morgan aims to reverse this decline.

“I want to get Camp Adventure back to having a presence here,” he said.

According to Morgan, Camp Adventure is not something that many students have heard about. Morgan hopes to change that. This past summer, Chico State had 30 students work for Camp Adventure. In only his second year as student coordinator, Morgan is optimistic and ambitious for expansion.

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Camp Adventure participants bond at an activity at One Mile Recreation Area in Lower Bidwell Park. Photo credit: Nathan Graves

Working for Camp Adventure can be an attractive option. It offers the opportunity to travel to a foreign country, which is enticing to many students. Working at a camp can offer profound and valuable experiences for students, and as Morgan attested, it certainly bolsters a resume. As alluring as the opportunity may be, many students who may want to seize it may not know the opportunity is available to them.

“I want to bring awareness to Chico State that they have this opportunity,” Morgan said.

Students who are interested can get in touch with Camp Adventure by emailing them at [email protected].

Nathan Graves can be reached at [email protected] or @theorion_news on Twitter.

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