Steffen Community Day of Service @ YMCA Camp Minikani

[Cassie Bauer]

Steffen Community Service Day- Rallying Together Again at Camp Minikani

For the third year in a row Steffen Middle School has mobilized their entire school body in the name of service learning. Over the past 44 years, Camp Minikani and Steffen Middle School have built a relationship that some would describe as family. Camp Minikani has enjoyed providing their 7^th grade class with an over-night outdoor education experience since 1968.  In addition to visiting Minikani in the Fall, Steffen Middle School jump-started a service learning program to positively impact their community and give back to others. For the third year in a row Steffen Middle School has mobilized their entire school body in the name of service learning.

On April 27^th, 2012 Steffen Middle School engaged over 480 students, parents, and staff volunteers all across Camp Minikani grounds. Volunteers stayed busy for three hours staining decks, planting flowers, weeding gardens, building bird and bat houses, fixing up planter boxes, tidying up the Equestrian Center,  painting cabins, performing trail maintenance, and planting trees over 200 trees in the forest of Minikani. The entire camp was a working example of service learning and buzzing with the spirit of Minikani.  Students worked cooperatively with others while building character and learning life long skills.

New this year was a sponsorship by the Children & Nature Network’s Let’s G.O! (Get Outside) program that helped make this BIG event even BIGGER!  The Let’s G.O. Event provided a small grant to off set project costs, 50 event T-shirts, and national support for this annual event. Steffen Middle School and Camp Minikani also received national recognition for their commitment to play outdoors, serve outdoors, and celebrate outdoors in their community.

The impact Steffen Middle School made on Camp Minikani during this year’s service project is evident from the Dining hall to Fireside lodge, from the Equestrian Center to the rock wall, from Halquist Family Lodge to Sundowner.  At the end of the day volunteers accomplished an array of camp improvement projects that may otherwise never been tended to! Totaling close to 1,500 hours of service Steffen Middle School truly left their mark at Minikani.

We cannot thank Steffen Middle School students, staff, and parents enough for their dedication to service on behalf of the Minikani community. For the third year in a row Steffen Middle School has amazed Minikani staff in their hard work and determination to make a difference. Their impact will be much enjoyed by all visitors to camp for years to come. THANK YOU STEFFEN MIDDLE SCHOOL!