Mt. Comfort Elementary student Piper Utter shows off a big leaf she found last fall during a Wilderness Adventure Camp offered through Camptown, an Indianapolis nonprofit that teaches children leadership and life skills.
HANCOCK COUNTY — Mt. Vernon students will soon get the chance to tackle outdoor adventures through a Wilderness Adventure Camp for kids.
Camptown, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit, was recently awarded a $2,500 grant from the Community Foundation of Hancock County to bring its adventure camp back to Mt. Vernon schools, after launching a successful pilot program at McCordsville Elementary School last fall.
Camptown’s program manager Sara Garringer, who lives in Greenfield, said Camptown programs teach teamwork and leadership skills while helping kids build confidence and a positive self image.
A former teacher at Greenfield-Central Junior High School, Garringer hopes to expand the program into other Hancock County schools in the future.
Her plan this year is to offer the camp at both McCordsville and Mt. Comfort elementary schools, although plans aren’t yet finalized.
Thirteen fourth- and fifth-graders participated in McCordsville Elementary’s pilot program, meeting weekly after school and taking field trips to places like McCormick’s Creek State Park.
Kayla Negley, who teaches physical education at the school, loved the pilot program so much that she launched a fundraising campaign collecting $800 for future Camptown programming.
“This club has been one of the highlights of my teaching career,” said Negley.
“From watching them learn through team-building exercises and seeing the pure excitement and joy on the kids’ faces when they went through the cave at McCormick’s Creek for the first time, it was pure joy,” she said.
Negley said the students who participated gained confidence and formed a special bond with one another, and parents even reached out expressing thanks for offering the experience.
Camptown’s mission is to “challenge, mentor and teach youth about life through outdoor adventure and nature programs that help build confidence, character and hope,” introducing kids to adventure activities like hiking, backpacking, canoeing, fishing, climbing and wilderness exploration.
Camptown’s development manager, Morgan Ellis, said the nonprofit partners with schools and social service organizations, typically serving children in fourth through sixth grade. Most of the programming is free or subsidized, and includes outdoor experiences, skill sessions, transportation and snacks.
Camptown has grown exponentially over the years, serving 60 children in its first year of operations in 1993 to serving more than 3,500 children in 2019.
The program was founded in 1991 by Tom Lehman, who left the business world two years later to lead the program full-time.
Lehman, who passed away in 2003, was on a mission to make a positive, life-changing difference in the lives of kids.
Over the years, Camptown has grown to five employees with the same dedication and goals that Lehman brought when he founded the nonprofit.
While Camptown offers a number of programs, the local community foundation’s grant focused solely on the Wilderness Adventure Program, which features day hikes, canoe trips and overnight camping, as well as more in-depth experiences.
For more information on Camptown programs, call 317-471-8277 or visit camptown.org.
