The Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) proudly offers a three-week day camp every July for students within our elementary schools. Each year, we innovate and work to provide as many varied learning opportunities, as possible for our students.
While the specific goals of each camp varied, the overall goal remains the same. These programs are designed to develop students' mindsets to be able to learn new things through active, inquiry-based activities. There is also a focus on daily movement, mindfulness and science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM).
Teachers work in small groups with students in the mornings to enhance literacy and math skills that have been taught throughout the school year. In the afternoons, students participate in sessions dedicated to STEAM learning.
We also invite parents to play an active role in the learning.
Original Camp Wonder programs |
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Camp Wonder is the original camp of the GECDSB summer learning program. As we have expanded, Camp Wonder is now two different camps; one for early reading intervention (Grades 1 and 2) and one with a focus on literacy and numeracy (Grades 3 and 4). |
Camp Merveille and Camp Migizi |
| The GECDSB summer learning program helps meet the learning needs of our students and their families through unique experiences. Our French Immersion location (Camp Merveille) and First Nations, Métis and Inuit location (Camp Migizi) offers students terrific opportunities to explore and celebrate French and Indigenous languages, cultures and traditions. |
Camp Lingo |
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Camp Lingo is dedicated to our ESL and English language learner (ELL) students with the intent of furthering the development of these students' English skills. Camp Lingo is open to students in Grades 3 to 7 and is broken up into two areas: a math focus (Grades 6 to 7) and a language focus (Grades 3 to 7). Some students are also integrated into the Camp Wonder programs. |
Camp Discovery and Camp Stride |
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Camp Discovery and Camp Stride are for students in Grades 3 to 6 that are in our Reaching Individual Success and Excellence (RISE) or Giving Attention to Individual Needs (GAINS) programs. The focus of the program is on developing oral language skills, reading intervention using explicit and systematic instruction, promoting caregiver education about learning challenges and building social skills. |
Camp Nia and Camp Mkeka |
| Camp Mkeka is for Black students in Grades 1-6 and Camp Nia is for Black students in Grades 7-12. These camps focus on increasing academic achievement in literacy and numeracy in the context of a Black affirming curriculum and environment.
Students will learn about the past and present-day contributions of Black people, in consultation with local expertise and communities. The camps also focus on identifying, combatting, and healing from anti-Black racism, infusing positive and affirming messages about Blackness, Black communities and Black peoples and making explicit connections that support Black students' self-love, well-being and achievement. |