The Laconia Rod & Gun Club’s Women’s Auxiliary group has once again contributed to the WildQuest Camp Scholarship Fund at Prescott Farm. This year the Women’s Auxiliary will be funding 15 WildQuest Camp scholarships, with half of those being allotted to the WildQuest Camp Leadership in Training (LIT) program – a unique summer camp experience for 13- and 14-year-olds.
WildQuest Summer Camp offers nine unique nature-themed weeks from June 25 – August 24, 2018, from 9:00am – 4:00pm; with extended day available from 8:00am – 5:30pm, for an additional fee. WildQuest Summer day camp program includes nature activities, animal and plant identification, arts and crafts, Quests, games, and hands-on learning. Most of the day is spent outdoors and each week will feature an all-camp hands-on project related to the theme of the week, for campers aged 4-14; including half-and full-day programs for 4- and 5-year-olds; full-day programs for 6-12-year-olds; and a unique and inspiring Leadership in Training (LIT) Program for campers 13-14 years old.
“Teamwork? Communication? Persistence? We throw these buzz words around when talking to young adults about leadership, but what do they actually mean? Each teen in the WildQuest Camp LIT program will discover these skills while exploring the outdoors,” says Andie Hession, lead instructor for the program. “Our program offers the opportunity to build skills in peer groups and also to put these new tools into practice. LIT campers will model leadership for younger campers and lead a unique project focused on environmental stewardship and sustainability each week. You won’t want to miss this chance to learn leadership at Prescott Farm!”
The Laconia Rod & Gun Woman’s Auxiliary was established in 1981 and has 197 members. It holds many events throughout the year to raise funds for different charities, from children’s organizations to individual fundraisers for families affected by tragedy, like the recent fires in Laconia. Last year, the Women’s Auxiliary sponsored 10 full-week scholarships for children to attend Prescott Farm’s WildQuest Camps. After hearing from Prescott Farm’s Executive Director, Jude Hamel, a little about what those scholarships meant for the children and families in the community who benefited, the woman of the Laconia Rod & Gun came through for the children again – this time to send 15 children for one week each.
“This is exciting on many levels since Prescott Farm is starting a new Leadership in Training program this year for young adults ages 13 and 14,” says Lisa Judd of the Laconia Rod & Gun Club’s Women’s Auxiliary. “We want reach out to children in this age bracket in particular to help guide them to become leaders in their community.”
“Our mission is to open the doors to the natural world for children and people of all ages, allowing them to make connections with nature and the environment,” says Jude Hamel, Executive Director of Prescott Farm. “Access to nature and those important learning moments should not be a class issue; these scholarship monies allow us to provide assistance for more local children to explore the outdoors, and we are really excited about the unique opportunity for 13- and 14-year-olds with 8 Leadership in Training Scholarships.”
You can register for one week, or multiple weeks: $235 per week ($185 for Members); paperwork and payment is due by May 25th, 2018, but registration remains open until all slots are filled. For more information, descriptions of weekly themes, and registration information visit prescottfarm.org.