#camp program

If you make your child ready for learning swift you can join a summer camp program in Boston. The online platforms offer a lot of learners to create apps, explore the code and share their creations. 

In our summer camp programs, your kids will learn game design, programming languages like python, scratch and many others. Visit this link: ivy-seed.com for more details.

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Watching the President's State of the Union address last night, it was fun to see a familiar face sitting in the front row in the audience: Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell. Hers is a familiar face to Mount Rainier's volunteer and outreach programs for several reasons. For one thing, she's the only Secretary ever to have climbed Mount Rainier seven times! Admittedly, that's a high standard. But prior to becoming the Secretary of the Interior last spring, Jewell was a long-time Seattle resident and CEO of Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) headquartered there. Under her leadership, the business found many ways to support the park. REI employees have volunteered repeatedly, usually helping with trail maintenance projects. The company awarded a $20,000 grant to the Washington Trails Association, which helped maintain a partnership to engage volunteers in trail work at the park. When our outreach program created a program called "Camping Adventures with My Parents" (CAMP), REI donated some equipment items and rented others at discount rates. After the 2006 flood that devastated roads, trails, and campgrounds throughout Mount Rainier, local stores encouraged shoppers to donate to our recovery effort, and Jewell herself visited the park and pulled on work gloves to lend a hand. Jewell's son Peter also served as a volunteer climbing ranger at Mount Rainier for several years. In her role as Secretary of the Interior, Jewell has championed youth engagement and volunteerism, and continues to lead by example, putting on the hard hat and working alongside crews at every opportunity. Who knows--someday we might talk her into returning to her old climbing grounds and working with us on, say, National Public Lands Day!

A smaller number of families joined us this time, but there were still many new experiences and a lot of fun had by all. The fewer number of people allowed for a closer-knit group and the kids had a blast playing together since it was all boys around the age of 10. We started the first day off with a hike around the Trail of Shadows; a nice hike that introduces the families to the history and ecology of the park. Then it was back to the campsite at Cougar Rock Campground for snacks and rest time. A highlight of each of the CAMP programs is the campfire and the first night didn’t disappoint. The rangers led several funny and interactive songs and stories that ensure each person gets to show off their silly side. Then it was off to bed to be well rested for trip to Paradise on the following day. The next day the sun was out and the temperature was just right. Each of the three families came along on the Nisqually Vista Trail that was awash in beautiful wildflowers and dramatic views of Mount Rainier. After eating our lunch and spending time in the Henry M. Jackson Memorial Visitor Center, we piled into the two vans and headed to Box Canyon. The road up to Box Canyon named Stevens Canyon Road can provide its own thrill to the faint of heart due to the jaw-dropping cliffs on the edge of the road. At Box Canyon, a loop trail allowed us to see both sides of the canyon; the view from the bridge of the river running through the canyon is always impressive. It was getting to be four soon thus it was time to return to the campsite to have snacks and let people rest. Once it became dark it was time for another campfire and we had a nice surprise that night. The nice surprise was by Ray Morris who came last year as well with his grandson. He entertained us by playing two songs on his harmonica. It was such a nice treat to hear him play. The night finished up with a retelling by Ranger Jim Ross of the story of the first recorded summit of Mount Rainier by P.B Van Trump and Hazard Stevens. The end of this camp was bittersweet since it was the last one this summer, but I am blessed with so many good memories and new friends.

The third CAMP session was here and gone as quickly as the summertime. Each session has been a joy to be a part of which makes the time fly by. This CAMP session earned the distinction of being dealt several adventure mishaps that required a sense of humor. These external forces, however, were not going to dampen our spirits and we continued on with our trip. The first activity was Trail of the Shadows which is a great introduction to the history and flora and fauna of the park. After the hike it was time to return to the campsite and start preparations for dinner and the campfire. At campfire that night we performed some of my favorite songs: Shark Attack and Bear in tennis shoes. The featured dessert of banana boats was a resounding success. On the second day we all made the drive up to Paradise to go on the Nisqually Vista Trail. I am pretty certain that this will be the last time we will see snow on the trail this summer, much to the disappointment of kids in the next two sessions. Our last stop was the popular Narada Falls which is the closest the campers got to a shower and always feels refreshing. The second night campfire was better than the first because I learned a new camp song called “Your Mama Don’t Wear No Socks”. S’mores were back again for dessert and it is always interesting to see each person’s way of roasting marshmallows. The next morning, before everyone packed up and went their separate ways we had a closing ceremony on the Carter Falls trail to speak about our favorite part of the trip.

Once again the clouds parted and the sun was out for our second CAMP session this past weekend on July 9-11. We hosted seven families at Cougar Rock Campground and a great turn of events was that most of the kids were in the same age range of four to seven years old. It was a lot of fun to see the kids get along so well and use their imagination to create their own world in the forest. Meanwhile the parents were gearing up for two days filled of adventure and new experiences. On the first day everyone went on an interpretive walk of the Trail of Shadows. Then it was back to the campsite for snacks and beginning the preparations for making chili. One of the best things about the CAMP experiences is how everyone pitches in and the meals become a real team effort. The night ended with roasting marshmallows and singing songs around the campfire. The second day got off to a great start with scrambled eggs made by our talented cook Karalee. After breakfast, it was time to make lunches and pile into the van for the trip up to Paradise. Up at Paradise we went hiking along the Nisqually Vista Trail and the kids had so much fun playing in the snow. For the second time in a row at Reflection Lake an epic snowball fight took place. It was probably the last time we will be able to have a snowball fight there because the snow is melting fast. The last stop on our tour was the beautiful Narada Falls and the spray from the falls felt refreshing on a hot day. The last night of CAMP ended with roasting hot dogs and then marshmallows around the fire and being treated to a performance by our resident thespian Ranger Kevin Bacher. Seeing each family enjoy themselves so much at the park makes me appreciate this program even more.