GEAR UP Summer Leadership Camp 2014
Northern Michigan University’s GEAR UP Summer Leadership Camp 2014 was held
from June 22-June 28. Thirteen total students from the Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie areas
participated in a variety of activities, presentations, and workshops that focused on teamwork,
leadership skills, and building a positive outlook towards future education. For many of the
students, it was their first time attending NMU’s camp. With the guidance of an outstanding staff
of counselors, the students learned new things and really enjoyed themselves.
Over the course of the week, the students were engaged in many workshops including:
“Discrepant Events” with an NMU physical science professor, “Creative Writing” with an
English department staff member, a “Stress Relief and Meditation” workshop, a Criminal Justice
presentation from the warden of a local prison, and many more interesting and interactive
presentations. (Top photos: Science presentation, bottom left: Stress Relief & Meditation,
bottom right: Criminal Justice)
The participants also created a “Camp Flag”, participated in an “Anti-Bullying”
Campaign, did the ever-popular “Egg Drop”, ran around NMU’s campus for a Scavenger Hunt,
learned to do Yoga, made homemade ice cream and fruit pizzas, created bulletin boards to keep
themselves organized, and visited Mackinac Island for a day, among many other activities. The
GEAR UP program also provides the opportunity to visit colleges and universities so on June
24th, the students got to visit North Central Michigan College and learn about what that particular
school could do for them.
“Camp Flag” Activity: On the first day of camp, students were asked to create a piece of the
“camp flag” which was later stitched together and hung in the hall for the week. On their square
of fabric, students were to include an assortment of different things including: two goals for at
camp, 5 positive words that describe who they are, and personal drawings that define them as an
individual. This activity was done to show how unique each person is and to get to know each
other. (Photo below: Finished Camp Flag)
“Anti-Bullying” Campaign: The GEAR UP program wanted to get the students thinking about
bullying at their schools and how they could make a difference. So throughout the week, the
campers worked on their own anti-bullying poster. Their designs were creative and powerful,
which made the finished products spectacular! At the end of camp, the posters were “judged” by
NMU staff members and the 3 “winners” received a prize. Our hope is to laminate the posters
and contact the students’ high schools so they can be hung in the hallways. The students were
proud of the work they did and so were their GEAR UP counselors and staff. (Photo below:
Students working on their “Anti-Bullying” Campaign posters)
Annual “Egg Drop”: Returning campers look forward to this year after year. The Egg Drop
consists of teams of campers (sometimes working with counselors) who work together to
construct a protective contraption out of found materials. The contraption must keep an egg safe
when it is dropped from a second story balcony. If the team’s egg survives the fall, they move on
to the next round. Each round gets more difficult as the supplies become more restrictive. The
campers get very competitive and we love seeing what the teams come up with to safeguard their
eggs. (Photos below: Egg Drop)
“Waller-coasters”: Another favorite activity was the “Waller-coasters”. Campers (and
counselors) were split into teams and were given 1 hour to construct a rollercoaster track on the
wall that would support a ping pong ball. The small amount of materials (tape, paper, card stock,
straws, paperclips, and scissors) and limited time made for a spirited competition which ended in
races between the teams, “style points”, and tons of fun. This was the first time the GEAR UP
program did this activity and we will definitely do it again! (First 3 photos: Teams from wallercoasters, bottom right: Team of counselors)
Campus-wide “Scavenger Hunt”: To get to know Northern’s campus (and for fun), the
students participated in a Scavenger Hunt. Each team was given an identical list of items/tasks
they had to find or complete, but the catch was that they had to take a picture of the item or of
their team doing the task! If they didn’t have a photo, they didn’t get the points. Some of the
tasks were simple like, “Take a team Family Photo”, but some were more difficult like a photo of
“a team member shaking hands with a Public Safety officer.” After one hour of snapping photos
on campus, the teams returned with their lists. After dinner, the points were totaled and one team
was announced as the winner. The students had a fantastic time taking pictures on their phones
with their counselors and would like to do it again. (Photos: 2 of the 4 teams from the Scavenger
Hunt)
North Central Michigan College Tour: The GEAR UP program offers students the opportunity
to visit colleges and universities in order to get them thinking about their future education.
During camp week, the students took the NMU charter bus downstate to Petoskey, MI to visit
North Central Michigan College. The tour consisted of an administrative presentation and a
guided walking tour of campus. It was a beautiful day and the staff at North Central was more
than happy to answer our questions and show us their classrooms, technology, and dorms. Since
we traveled, the students also stayed in a hotel for the night and got to eat out at a wonderful
restaurant in Petoskey. Everyone had a great time. (Top photos: North Central Michigan College
tour (Nursing Lab and group photo), bottom photo: games at the hotel)
Mackinac Island Visit: On June 25th, the participants took the 45 minute ferry ride across the
lake and arrived on Mackinac Island. There was time for taking in the sights, but our main
activity as a group was visiting historic Fort Mackinac. The group saw many reenactments and
some really interesting exhibits. Of course, we had to buy some fudge before we left, but the trip
was memorable for many reasons besides that. For several students, it was their first time visiting
the island and they really appreciated the opportunity to visit such a great place. (Photos: Group
photos from Mackinac Island)
“Motivation/Vision Boards”: By creating “Motivation Boards” with bulletin boards and
calendars, the students are now able to keep their dates and commitments organized at home.
Students used provided materials to customize their own bulletin board with quotes, stickers,
tacks, and much more fun supplies. Each student’s board was uniquely their own and they were
able to take it home at the end of the week. (Photos: students creating their bulletin boards)
“Culinary” Activities: Students can show off their cooking skills too since they know how to
make mini fruit pizzas and ice cream from scratch! As a healthy snack, the campers made mini
fruit pizzas with sugar cookies, cream cheese frosting, and fruit. They were delicious! Another
night we made homemade ice cream complete with chocolate sauce and sprinkles. (Photos
below: fruit pizza making)
Overall, it was a full week at the 2014 GEAR UP Summer Leadership Camp. The students
experienced a plethora of new things and practiced new skills, all while learning something new
about themselves in the process. They had the opportunity to meet new people and make new
friends, visit another prospective college, and take in the sights of one of Michigan’s most
famous islands. We were lucky to have such a great group of students interested in participating
and hope to continue to have that in the future.
To learn more about the GEAR UP Program, visit:
http://www.nmu.edu/multiculturaledandres/node/30
For more information, more photos, and to “Like” us, please visit:
https://www.facebook.com/GEARUPNMU?ref=hl