Sign up for Summer Camp!

Kids in the 2008 History Makers summer camp painted one of the Tappan Square rocks in Oberlin.

This summer, the Oberlin Heritage Center will offer a variety of week long and one-day camps for boys and girls ages 8 to 17. The programs are designed to stimulate children's creativity and to whet their appetites for history, architecture, art, crafts, games, and the tastes and sounds of other cultures and other times. Each camp is led by an experienced teacher assisted by college student interns and high school and community volunteers.

(See the attached flyer at the bottom of this page or Register Online by clicking the date of the camp you want)


The classes are held at the air-conditioned Oberlin Depot at 240 South Main Street, with some walking field trips to interesting places nearby. Each day's activities (except Junior Docent camp) last from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For all sessions, children should bring a bag lunch. Simple snacks are provided.

Session I: Junior Docent Camp, June 15 to 19 (for ages 13 to 17). New this year, this camp will introduce young people who are interested in community service and leadership to techniques of greeting the public, public speaking, giving tours, teaching historic games, and much more. Following completion of the week-long session, participants will be asked to assist with various tours, special events and programs as their schedules permit. The participation fee is $75 ($65 for children and grandchildren of members) but $50 will be reimbursed if the student completes fifteen hours of service for the Heritage Center by the end of 2009. What a great way to develop some new skills, build your resume, and complete community service hours! Co-teachers Brittnei Sherrod and Liz Schultz are eager to share with young students the behind the scenes fun of being a museum docent. The hours for this camp are 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Hands on History Week-Long Summer Day Camps
(for ages 8 to 13)

(Please note each Friday there is a program at 4 p.m. for the children to share what they have learned with their families and friends.)

Session II: Hungry for History, July 20 to July 24. Where and how did people get their food before there were grocery stores? What would holiday celebrations be without colored eggs, birthday cake, or pumpkin pie? In this new camp, boys and girls will explore how people grew plants, raised animals, and cooked meals years ago. They will hear stories about how food is part of culture, learn about unusual traditions, ceremonies and celebrations centered on food, and have fun playing historic games made from or focused on food. Each day kids will safely prepare a food the historic way and then taste their creation. Walking field trips will explore nearby kitchens, gardens and other sites of culinary interest.

Session III: Kids & World Cultures, July 27 to July 31. This ever-popular camp features a new topic this year: Cultures of the Ancient World introduces kids to Ancient Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, China, Africa, Aborigines, and the Americas. Through hands on crafts, games, music and more they will enjoy learning by doing. In studying Mesopotamia, for example, we will make cuneiform tablets. We will also enjoy nibbling "historic snacks" from various regions.

Session IV: Friends of Freedom, August 3 to August 7. Children will experience the sites and stories that make Oberlin so special as a major stopover point on the Underground Railroad. They will learn about the perilous journeys people made in their pursuit of freedom and the many people in Oberlin and elsewhere who worked to bring an end to slavery in various ways. Campers will take on the roles of freedom seekers and abolitionists in a play written by Oberlin teacher Barbara Enos which will be performed for campers' families at week's end.

History for the Day Camps: August 10 to 14

New this year are one-day camps on specific topics designed to help meet badge requirements for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts and to also appeal to children who are not in a scouting program. Each session is from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Session V: Listening to the Past (Monday, August 10). This program for girls ages 6 to 8 is designed in accordance with the Brownie badge requirements. Participants will explore Oberlin's historic landmarks and monuments on a guided tour, hear stories of the earliest residents and learn what life was like in the past. They will explore what children wore, and play historic games.

Session VI: Local Lore (Tuesday, August 11). This program for girls ages 8 to 1l is designed in accordance with Junior Girl Scout badge requirements. Activities will include exploring town with a guide, visiting a museum, and being a history detective to figure out how things have changed using historic maps and photographs.

Session VII: What Makes America Special (Wednesday, August 12) This program for boys ages 8 to 10 is designed in accordance with Bear level Cub Scout badge requirements. Participants will tour Oberlin and visit historic homes, hear stories about famous and infamous residents, learn about Ohio's history and state symbols and share how they can become good citizens.

Session VIII: American Heritage (Thursday, August 13) This program for boys 10 to 14 is designed in accordance with Boy Scout badge requirements. Participants will learn about historic preservation and investigate the symbols and traditions that are part of American heritage. They will explore local landmarks and monuments, listen to historic songs their parents and ancestors may have enjoyed, and learn about how they can take part in preserving architecture.

Session IX: Architecture (Friday, August 14) This one day workshop is for boys and girls ages 8 to 13 and relates to both Junior Girl Scout and Boy Scout badge projects. Campers will enjoy learning about architecture and the architectural profession by exploring local buildings and their unique details, trying architectural drawing and building activities, and meeting with an architect.

Meet our great teachers! Liz Schultz is the Museum Education and Tour Coordinator for the Oberlin Heritage Center. She graduated with degrees in archaeology and anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and Binghamton University (NY). Liz then earned a M.A. in museum studies with a focus in museum education from the Cooperstown Graduate Program (New York). Liz enjoys inspiring curiosity, creativity, and an appreciation for diverse cultures, past and present. Brittnei Sherrod is an Oberlin Heritage Center intern and a Bonner Scholar and geology major at Oberlin College. She has been active in Oberlin Heritage Center programs since her sophomore year at Oberlin High School. She enjoys researching history and involving the community in history and she looks forward to co-teaching her first Oberlin Heritage Center summer camp. Donna Marie Shurr is the Family and Consumer Science and ceramics teacher at Oberlin High School where she coordinates Ohio History Day projects. This is Mrs. Shurr's ninth year teaching the Oberlin Heritage Center's summer camp program. She has a B.S. in Education from Framingham State College (Massachusetts) and a M.S. in Education from Nova Southeastern University (Florida). She also has studied at Oberlin College and participated in "Passages to Freedom: Abolition and the Underground Railroad" a seminar sponsored by The Gilder Lehrman Institute at Yale University. She is the 2002 recipient of the Oberlin Heritage Center's Community Teacher of the Year Award. Maria Surovy is a middle school social studies teacher at The Ratner School in Pepper Pike. She has taught Oberlin Heritage summer camps for several years. Mrs. Surovy is a graduate of the University of Dayton with a degree in secondary education in history and political science and has a M.S. degree in Historic Preservation from Ball State (Indiana). She taught for one year in Saipan in the Northern Marianas Islands and has traveled extensively throughout Asia and Europe. She attended a 2005 Gilder Lehrman Institute at Cambridge University on the Cold War.

Oberlin Heritage Center summer camps receive great reviews from campers and their parents!


Please contact Museum Education and Tour Coordinator Liz Schultz for additional information or to inquire about early drop off or late pick up for an extra hourly fee. She can be reached at 440-774-1700 or by e-mail at [email protected].

Attachments


Summer Camp Flyer & Registration Form

Photo from 2008 Architecture Camp

Photo from 2008 World Cultures Camp

Photo from 2008 camp play

Summer Camp Press Release

Summer Camp Openings Remain - Press Release