2022 Summer Camp Week 1 – Recap
Summer has officially arrived and is in full swing! And the hot, Iowa weather proves it. Last week, we kicked off all of our summer 2022 day camps! Our staff welcomed 225 campers across eight different camps held in Ames, Boone, and Des Moines.
Campers participated in traditional camp activities at our main site, Camp Hantesa, took exciting field trips across central Iowa, and some participated in our brand new Skate Camp learning the basics and mastering their ollie with our incredible instructors. So far, our campers’ favorite activities have been the regular trips to the pool for swim time, playing “9 Square in the Air,” paintballing, and playing at the parks.
This next week, we are excited to kick off our overnight camps at Camp Hantesa! Our staff get to bring fun, engaging, and empowering programming to more youth, both new and returning campers, all summer long. Our vision is to create a world where all young people thrive and have equitable opportunities for Self-Discovery, Community Connection, and Engagement with Nature. Staff members do this by providing ample opportunities for campers to try new activities, improve new and existing skills, work together with their peers, have exposure to community spaces, and spend the majority of their day outdoors.
For week one, Camp Hantesa had 92 campers, Des Moines-based camps had 75 campers, and Camp Canwita had 58 campers. Our specific camp numbers can be found below.
| Program | # of Campers |
| Canwita Day (ages 5-9) | 39 |
| Canwita Outrageous (ages 10-13) | 19 |
| DSM Outrageous (ages 10-13) | 27 |
| Eastview/Southwoods (ages 5-9) | 44 |
| Hantesa Day (ages 5-9) | 50 |
| Hantesa Day (ages 10-13) | 33 |
| Youth Service Coalition | 9 |
| Beginner Skate Camp | 4 |
| Total | 225 |
