OBERLIN, Ohio — Many people prefer to hop a flight to somewhere tropical for spring break this time of year, but for younger students, that’s not an option.
Fortunately, Common Ground in Oberlin is piloting a spring break camp for kids that’s complete with a high ropes course and canopy tours.
“You're coming out, you're interacting with nature, you're really getting a hands-on education,” said Common Ground camp coordinator Morgan Perichak. “We don't really like to have phones out here. We try to limit technology. We just like to have people come out and kind of reconnect a little bit.”
Common Ground is an outdoor retreat center for adults and children focused on experiential learning. The 30-plus acre adventure land has been offering summer camps for more than 25 years.
“I think it's one of the most important things you can do. I mean, we really talk about mental illness in adults and children. I think one of the best things you can do to combat that is to get outside, reconnect and to just be more active,” Perichak said.
The idea to expand the program to students on spring break has been considered for some time, and this month, Common Ground rolled out two different camp experiences: Wild Ohio and Nature Survival.
“I think as a parent, one of my biggest battles is technology limiting their screen time and getting those constant requests,” said Common Ground marketing manager Jenn Libertowski. “It's just really nice to see people step away from their everyday lives, away from technology and come out here and just take a deep breath and reconnect.”
While reconnecting with nature is the primary goal, getting the campers to share their experiences with each other and make friends they otherwise wouldn’t have an opportunity to do so.
“It's not just getting to come and have a fun day, which is awesome in itself, but to be able to come and make friends that maybe you otherwise wouldn't have gotten to meet different personalities,” Libertowski said.
For more information on Common Ground’s spring break camps, you can click here.
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