1. Connecting to Community Projects in Hesston, Kansas that are working and easily replicated in your community

2. Susan Lamb Hesston USD 460 BOE Director, Hesston Community Foundation

3. Think back to your life at age 11-14. On the inner rectangle list the individuals who had the most influence on you during at that age. Around the inside of the middle rectangle list the organizations/businesses with which you had some sort of positive relationship or regular contact during this time of your life. Around the inside of the largest rectangle list the influences who had an impact but with whom you did not have a personal relationship—ex. I might list Donnie Osmond.

4. Dyck Arboretum, Hesston

5. Purpose—educate students about and increase their connections to their home community Camp is held mid-July so as not to compete with so many other activities Students are entering 6 th or 7 th grade Monday through Friday 9:00 to 2:00 We home base at our local library Our camp fee is $35 for the week Includes lunch and a bucket hat

6. Our camp logo….

7. Pre-survey kids on first day Record thoughts on their experiences throughout the week Post survey to get a picture of total experience

8. Every group has its own personality

9. Campers see facilities at Emergency Services and Police Department and hear from our city administrator, street supervisor and director of parks Campers tour Excel Industries and BMG of Kansas Campers visit: three banks real estate company insurance lumberyard optician decorating business printing business Tour our college and retirement center

10. Most groups bond by the end of the week

11. Community Service Friday of camp week Complete a local project Some years kids get a choice Usually the favorite activity

12. Painting community signs Cleaning library books

13. CAMP 2015 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY7nrb0A__0

14. Supplemental Activities Fortune Cookie Message Community Postcard Theater Candy Skits Episodes of the “Andy Griffith Show”

15. Andy Griffith Show Episodes https://youtu.be/mBhTdEH0diQ?t=288

16. Post-Camp Activities Kids share about camp at Lions Club, Chamber Kids help with community events at library, Dyck Arboretum, etc.. Kids assist with the Lions Club Pancake Feed, one of our primary funders I sometimes can help to connect them with other local opportunities

17. Morning with the SWATHERS

18. Friday morning of high school homecoming Graduates from local high school return to speak to students Alumni speakers meet off site for breakfast Move to school for a school-wide assembly Keynote alumnus speaker gives address Students move to small groups w/ alumni x 2

19. Develop partnership with USD to hold event Select date and venue Secure a keynote speaker Secure 15-25 alumni speakers Kids select small group presentation choices Event To-do List

20. Speakers share about their experience as a student in our district Speakers summarize their post-high school education/training Speakers talk about work experiences Speakers give insights about life experiences Students, alumni and school have been very positive about this event

21. THE BIG FIT Hesston piloted a week-long summer camp called “THE BIG FIT” Emphasis was in three areas: physical-mental- social fitness Daily activities in each area followed or proceeded by a healthy lunch Great for relationship building across the grade levels for elementary age students

22. STEAM After School Program Through our community foundation partner organization we funded an after school program focusing in the STEM plus Arts area We engaged multiple stakeholders and built relationships with community and school Kids were able to build skills away from the “ball” Invested in Legos and archery equipment that will stay in community

23. Building Relationships Our town and county has a large number of manufacturing jobs—AGCO, Excel Ind. Finding a good work force is challenging Our USD is looking at new ways to partner with industry in preparing students for a variety of careers We are planning a mini-summit with industry and education in early 2016