Children in the Sault area will have more opportunities for educational fun this summer.
For the first time, the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre is hosting week-long summer camps beginning in July.
The three themes are ‘All About Planes,’ ‘Forest Fire Prevention’ and ‘Bugs and Invasive Species.’
Tim Murphy, the centre's education coordinator, said he is thrilled at the increased opportunities to teach young learners.
“Their energy is infectious, it really brightens our day,” said Murphy.
“It’s just so fun to play with the curious minds and get them excited about what we have in Sault Ste. Marie.”
The centre has held daily sessions in the past for just a few hours, but the week-long camps allow staff like Murphy to delve further into their knowledge base.
“They’re going to see all the different aspects of the museum," he said.
Activities will cover the STEAM acronym: science, technology, engineering, art and math, Murphy said.
"Everything from why we have bushplanes, and the development of bushplanes,” Murphy said.
“So they learn about history, they learn about geography, they’re going to learn about science, social studies, arts and crafts -- it’s all incorporated. It’s a package deal.”
That increased time means children will learn about some of the less talked about areas of the Bushplane centre.
"I think a lot of people just think it’s planes here,” said program coordinator Jasmine Agnew.
The young attendees will find out there is much more.
“For the second camp, the fire services come in, we’ll be having Sault Search and Rescue come in,” Agnew said.
“They’ll go over a lot of different things, too, and we’re really going to teach them that aspect of the museum."
The summer camps are meant for kids aged 5-10, though there are variations throughout the three weeks.
Despite it being months away, Agnew said parents should look into signing up well in advance.
Each cohort will have just 15 available slots.
“We’ve already had a lot of inquiries about it,” she said.
“So if you’re thinking about doing it, I would do it as soon as possible because we do have a lot of people that show up to our programs here.”
