Camps Teach Kids about Our Founding
The American people continue to amaze me in their resolve to ensure our children learn about the basics of our country’s founding.
One such group that continues to educate our youth about the things public schools no longer adequately teach is the 9/12 Pikes Peak Patriots. Last week, they taught 83 2nd-6th Graders through their Constitutional Champions Camp at living history farm and museum Rock Ledge Ranch in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This was the second summer they have offered this camp.
The camp uses a curriculum developed by Constitutional Champions Foundation, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit founded to promote patriotism through education about American history.
In four days, kids (and their parents in a separate track) learned about these principles:
- Checks and balances
- Republic vs democracy
- Representative government
- Majority vs minority
- Redistribution of wealth
- Equal opportunity vs equal rights
- Individual responsibility
- Balance of power between government branches
They heard from George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, John Hancock as well as Paul Revere. Their parents heard from Colorado Senator Kent Lambert, Colorado Board of Education member Paul Lundeen, Peggy Littleton, El Paso County Commissioner and others.
Each day had a special focus such as The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution and Bill of Rights, Intellectual property, charity of the founders, and Ben Franklin’s inventions. The lessons included a short lecture, some sort of analogy that makes sense to today’s kids and then a fun activity to make the lessons stick.
The day started with the Pledge of Allegiance and singing the “Star-Spangled Banner.” Kids learned about such things like flag etiquette (“Don’t Drag the Flag”), the Boston Massacre and tea party, and the Stamp and Sugar Acts.
Parents heard a legislative session update, how to get involved as citizens and a presentation about the Supreme Court.
The entire camp is staffed by volunteers from the 9/12 groups, Mile High Fife and Drum Corp, Project Appleseed/Revolutionary War Veterans Association and individuals David Wallace who portrayed General Washington and Keith McKim who spoke about the “Star-Spangled Banner”, among others.
I spoke to Don Rodgers, director of this year’s camp, about the children who attended. He said “The children who attended this camp were very enthusiastic about the material and came prepared to interact with the staff on the subject matter.”
He told me about one family who was so inspired last year, they studied the Revolutionary War all year long. Their mother was worried about their interest in the camp this year after such intense study but, “Her kids told her not only did they want to return, but it is their favorite camp.
“This is really a testament to all the parents who work so hard throughout the year in being directly involved with their children’s education. It is humbling to consider when we are told the camp is a great enhancement to their efforts.”
Rodgers says most of the kids learned about the camp through word of mouth and through homeschool groups. He also spoke about how much work goes into putting on the camp.
“Our camp staff put in over 1500 man-hours in getting this together. Every detail is looked at from curriculum content, to the time it takes to get a class group from one location to the next, to do we have enough ice. 912 members donated everything from tin cans for a craft project to shade canopies. We are blessed that all we have to do is ask.”
He also spoke about the national effort of Constitutional Champions, which includes camps in 30 states. “The real value is the curriculum. Yvonne Donnelly, National Chair of CCF and The 912 Project, and her staff have done a wonderful job in putting together a program that is easy to follow and allows for anyone with the heart and the desire to do a camp to do so with confidence.”
Other camps are planned last this summer in Colorado and around the country. Please check the CCF website for more information.
photo: 9/12 Pike Peak Patriots website
Marijo Tinlin is the Editor in Chief of Family First, one of the oldest family-oriented websites on the internet. She is also the author of a book about patriotism and teaching our children to love this country called “How to Raise an American Patriot, Making it Okay for Our Kids to Be Proud to Be American.” It features 13 interviews with patriotic Americans including Ed Meese, Erick Erickson and Jackie Gingrich Cushman. It’s available at www.raisinganamericanpatriot.com.
Marijo,
Thanks for spreading the word about the opportunities for kids to learn about our nation’s founding! With camps like this occuring around the country, parents now have a great opportunity to fill what is often a gaping hole in today’s history curriculum, while both the kids and parents have a worthwhile, fun experience.
As a volunteer for the 9-12 Pikes Peak Patriots Constitutional Champions camp, I also need to let everyone know what a fantastic experience it is for all the staff as well as the camp attendees – it is wonderfully fulfilling to see the kids eyes light up as history comes alive, to hear them talk excitedly about the courage of the founding fathers (and mothers!), listen to them chatter about the concepts they’ve learned, and to watch the parents go one-on-one with their state and local government representatives. An amazing experience that makes all the hard work so very satisfying!
Keep up the great work on this wonderful website!
Jon