Camp Choice

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Teachers at the grade 6, 7 and 8 level face a daunting task. Not only must they teach all the learning outcomes outlined in the curriculum, but they must also help students adjust to the physical, emotional and social changes of their age, including their impending enrolment in high school.

What happens after high school? After four short years, students will approach graduation and have to decide if post-secondary education is right for them. How can teachers prepare students for what lies beyond high school when there is already so much to do?
Pat Tait, Manager of Conference Services at the Humber Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning, took this problem to heart. In doing so, she created a solution to assist grade 6 – 8 teachers in bringing post-secondary and workplace possibilities into full focus for their students.

In collaboration with faculty at Humber and the University of Guelph-Humber, Pat developed Camp Choice, a 3-day residential education camp designed to introduce elementary students to new levels of academic learning and to provide an opportunity to experience life on a college campus. The camps run in May and June at times appropriate for field trip travel.

“I created Camp Choice to give younger students the opportunity to experience college life and make informed choices about their future,” Pat said.

“Humber and the University of Guelph-Humber both have unique facilities and it is exciting for kids to be in these non-traditional classrooms to see what goes on here.”

Students appreciate hands-on learning opportunities and thrive in situations where they can play an active role in their education. At Camp Choice, students participate in specially-designed workshops that allow them to utilize their skills and abilities to get the most of this educational experience.

Workshops such as Vanishing Point, All Washed Up?, You’re on the Air at Humber and Food for Thought are uniquely designed to benefit both students and teachers. For students, these workshops teach material which pertains to the current curriculum and shows them how this material relates to careers studied at the post-secondary level and workplace opportunities. For teachers, not only do the workshops allow them to introduce students to post-secondary possibilities, but also allow them to offer students a fun, interactive learning experience.

“What students got out of these courses was experiential teaching,” said Elaine Anderson, a grade 8 teacher at Fleming Public School, the first school to attend Camp Choice when it opened in 2006. “They were able to get lots of experience. In the cooking course, they learned so many things: etiquette, recipes —things you could use.”

The workshop Elaine is referring to is called Food for Thought. This workshop is designed to engage students in a culinary experience that will take them beyond the four food groups into an actual cooking scenario in a real commercial kitchen.

Students complete this workshop in Humber’s culinary labs, which are normally used by post-secondary students who are preparing for careers in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Upon arrival at the lab, students don their hair nets to get into the role of a food service professional. From there they waste no time learning about the unique components of the lab, equipped with appliances that you wouldn’t find in an average kitchen. Along with the introduction of these added gadgets comes an emphasis on important health and safety issues.

After the introductory material is addressed, students are almost ready to begin cooking. They are given a run-down of the delectable dishes they will be creating, which leads to a discussion of the four food groups. At this time, students are taught that cooking is not just about food: there are also design elements and expenses to be taken into consideration when planning a meal.

Then it’s time to begin cooking. Students are divided into groups where they will be responsible for all aspects of preparing and cooking their meal. This includes such tasks as washing, cleaning, marinating, chopping, and preparing the ingredients to be used. At the end of the workshop, students will be able to enjoy the satisfying meal they created while being informed of the careers that involve the culinary arts.

Throughout the workshop, students learn about topics that pertain to Science and Technology, and, Health and Physical Education units of the Ministry of Ontario school curriculum. Some elements of specific units covered include Material and Matter (Fluids), Energy and Control (Heat) and Healthy Living.

It is through workshops like these that students can gain insight into the many career possibilities that are out there. Giving students the chance to experience post-secondary learning and think about how their interests relate to any of these careers may motivate them to take the necessary steps in preparing for life beyond high school.

Commenting on Camp Choice, Elaine says, “What a wonderful opportunity for students and for staff to share their time together to learn more about themselves in a new environment…Humber gave [students] a new vision of the future.”

Camp Choice is a fun place where teachers can take comfort in knowing that their students are learning how the curriculum material relates to real-life situations, while also becoming aware of the numerous possibilities their futures hold for them. Camp Choice is a resource for teachers to assist them in providing quality education to their students, now and for the future.

Who knows? Food for Thought is a workshop where a student is a chef for only a day, but that experience could inspire them to become a chef for life.

Contact Camp Choice at:
Camp Choice
Humber Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
203 Humber College Blvd., Toronto ON M9W 6V3
Tel: 416-675-6622 ext. 77304
Email: campchoice@humber.ca
www.conference.humber.ca/campchoice
Sarah Grubb is a third year student in Media Studies, University of Guelph-Humber and a 2006 Camp Choice counsellor.