Are you a kid who has always wanted to fly a drone across 220-acres of open space just to explore the landscape from 300-metres in the air? Or maybe you’re a student who’s watched the Royals playing the complex sport of polo on TV and wondered what it’s like to ride a pony while trying to hit a ball with a mallet. Or a parent thinking that if your child loves those darned video games so much maybe they should try to program one.
All of these are actual activities from over 30 STS summer camps on offer this summer for children ages 4 to 17 in areas from Science, Technology, Math and Innovation to Athletics to Outdoor Adventure. And you don’t need to be an STS student to sign up for these camps. In fact, for those who have never been to our beautiful campus and facilities, summer camps offer the opportunity to discover all that STS has to offer, plus make new friends from all over the region.
Scott Bennett, Director of Campus Sustainability & Program Development, says that besides being able to learn a new skill (there’s a camp on computer programming language Python!) or improve an existing one (senior students often use the volleyball camp as a way to tighten their skills for the fall season), he loves the fact that camps provide an excellent opportunity to bring the community to the STS campus and make greater use of it in the months when it could sit idle.
“We want to share our campus with the community so that kids can enjoy our natural oasis in the foothills area. We have a beautiful 200+ acres of outdoor campus to explore, including a pond to canoe on, campsites, hiking trails, and amazing indoor facilities for STEAM activities, athletics, climbing, the arts, etc.,” says Bennett. The camps program helps develop relationships within the STS community and beyond.
While STS teachers facilitate some camps, others are led by professional camp organizations, including Coded Minds for technology camps, HoopStrength for basketball, Two Wheel View for guided bicycle trips, and the Calgary Polo for learning to play polo.
Returning to the benefits of summer camps, Bennett says there are many: the opportunity to try out new skills, the chance to make new friends, and even the opportunity to explore outside students’ comfort zone. After being cooped up for the long pandemic, he adds that outdoor adventure is also appealing. “I do think families are craving that outdoor activity or physical fitness.”
Summer camps begin in July and STS is committed to following current health regulations and making plans to comply with whatever requirements are issued.
Registration for all summer camp offerings is open now. Please visit https://www.strathconatweedsmuir.com/summer-camps/ to find out more and register!
