
School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) Camp and Leadership Program
This project uses interviews with camps at the University of Michigan to build on their existing models and create a program at SEAS. We interviewed five different camps and synthesized our findings into the following key implementation areas: (1) finances, (2) safety, (3) recruitment, (4) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and (5) future directions. Our conversations revealed that Camp Explorations, the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History summer program, is most closely aligned with what could be reasonably implemented at SEAS. This hands-on day camp aimed at K-8 students integrates science themes over a 1-week program (offered 9 times over the summer). While Camp Explorations may be the best fit, our document pulls insights from all interviews. This project intends to design a program that: 1) Brings underrepresented groups into the environmental field, 2) Engages youth in interdisciplinary, decolonized summer camp curriculum, and 3) Finds a use for underutilized SEAS outdoor properties.
Danielle Vermeer, Hannah DeHetre