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Merrimack Valley Magazine

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Generations – The Magic of Childhood

February 22, 2021 by Jenn Lucey

Camp Evergreen and the Value of Getting Back to Nature

In 1981, “Little” Jim Loscutoff convinced his wife, Debby, to leave California. The destination: Camp Evergreen, an Andover day camp opened in 1964 by his father. Last year, Jim’s daughter, Allie, convinced her husband to leave his native France where they’d been living for ten years to join them. 

Jim was seven when camp started and was its first registered camper. His daughter, Allie, was at the same age when she started leading campfire songs. During those first days, he remembers his babysitter helping the family send out promotional materials signed by the camp’s larger-than-life founder, Jim Sr., a 6’5” famed former Celtics player who played in seven world championships during his nine-year career with the team. 

 

That first year, they had one hundred campers, a huge success Jim largely attributes to his father’s name. As far as how camp was built, he says, “He was the brawn and my mother was the brains.” To set up in their coveted spot within Harold Parker State Forest, his mom pursued permits and negotiated with neighbors. She was also good with press releases. The physical labor included clearing trees for a makeshift baseball field, building a bathhouse, digging a pool, and setting up a simple tent as a nurse’s station. They’ve upgraded since, but strive to maintain as much of the old structure and charm as possible.

“The point of camp is to have old school fun and get back to the essence of being a kid — the magic of it.”

From the beginning, Camp Evergreen’s purpose has been to let kids be kids in a way that facilitates their naturally adventurous spirits. “We’re the real deal around here,” says Debby, the longtime official “Camp Mom.” Unlike many camps today, who have increased their focus on STEM education, Evergreen usually sticks to … sticks, for kid-made fishing poles. And the stars, in the night sky, or onstage for the Evergreen version of “The Voice.” And the woods, for hiking adventures that supersede video games — especially this past summer when the kids arrived already sick of being stuck at home staring at screens. 

In 2020, Jim says it took a little longer to get kids out of their shells but he thoroughly enjoyed their exuberance once it surfaced. He’s a magician and a musician both — fitting for a camp director — and he loved playing guitar during the younger kids’ lunches; they got up and danced. At 64, he’s spending more time in the office than he might prefer, but as Allie takes on more administrative duties, he’ll be able to get out more. “Maybe I’ll get to be the fun guy,” he says. And there may soon be help from the fourth generation, says Jim in lively jest, “My grandson, who’s a little over one, he just can’t reach the gas pedals on the lawnmower yet.” 

Allie is deeply proud of her family and the lives touched by their camp. Strangers are always telling her stories about her dad and late grandpa. But they’re not really strangers. Her own fond memories inspire her to preserve Evergreen’s community presence at its fullest. “When I was a kid, we did this Christmas parade,” she says. “We’d get all the kids from camp and decorate a truck. I want to do more like that.”

Allie looks forward to fostering the campers’ love of nature. To her, that’s both environmentally protective and child nurturing. “The point of camp,” she says, “is to have old school fun and get back to the essence of being a kid — the magic of it.”  

Camp Evergreen
Andover, Mass.
(978) 475-2502
CampEvergreen.com

Filed Under: Generations Tagged With: andover, Camp, camp evergreen, Childhood, Family, Generations, Loscutoff, magic, Merrimack Valley

A Guide to 2020 Area Summer Camps

April 13, 2020 by Katie DeRosa

–Sponsored–

Camp Evergreen

Founded by the Loscutoff family in 1964, Camp Evergreen has rustic country charm to spare. In addition to being surrounded by nearly 3,000 acres of beautiful state forest, the 53-year-old Andover community linchpin rests where an old farm once was — and its buildings are still in use by the camp today. If your kids have some trouble “unplugging,” this is the place for them: with ponds, marshes and woods to explore on all sides, they won’t have time to think about cell phones or video games. Of course, they’ll also get to enjoy a whole host of traditional camp activities including arts and crafts, drama, woodshop, horseback riding, boating … and more sports than you can shake a stick at! Plus, daily Red Cross swimming lessons from trained water safety instructors ensure your little ones are right at home in the camp’s two huge pools. Perhaps best of all, you can rest assured knowing that the camp’s 1:5 staff-to-camper ratio is among the best in the region.

Andover, Mass.  l  (978) 475-2502  l  CampEvergreen.com

Camp Gottalikachallenge

Camp Gottalikachallenge is a fast-paced adventure in problem solving! Campers’ days are filled with hands-on learning and challenging activities guaranteed to get their creativity flowing. Our program empowers participants to approach life’s challenges with confidence. Campers and Staffers are encouraged to share their talents, to take risks, to recognize their similarities and differences, to be inclusive, become leaders, and to have fun! At Camp Gottalikachallenge, campers form lasting friendships with their teammates and dorm buddies. This year’s Day Camp is July 20-24 in Manchester, NH, open to ages 9-14. Overnight Camps are Aug 2-7 and Aug 9-14 in Wolfeboro, NH open to ages 10-14. Financial assistance is available.

Manchester & Wolfeboro, N.H.  l  (603) 315-9219  l  CampGottaLikaChallenge.org

Dance New England

Located in North Chelmsford, Mass., Dance New England’s School of Dance has been providing quality classes for dancers of all experience levels for 24 years. Our studio boasts over 8,000 square feet of beautiful mill space, which includes five studio spaces and a Ballroom Cafe. Within these studio spaces, students of all ages can immerse themselves in a multitude of dance styles. DNE offers classes in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Contemporary, Irish Step and much more, and each style has various classes that cater towards specific age groups. DNE School of Dance is devoted to creating the best possible environment for dance instruction and social ballroom dancing. At DNE, students of all ages are welcome to study and practice the art of dance. Give us a call or visit our website for more information.

North Chelmsford, Mass.  l  (978) 251-1700  l  DanceNewEngland.com

 

Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s Young Company

MRT’s Young Company is a professional theatre training program for high school students interested in all aspects of performing arts and new play development as a career. Nationally recognized playwrights, actors, and directors will work closely with students to develop their own voice in their scripts and learn about performing  improv,  musical theatre, and modern approaches to acting and auditioning. Young Company is designed to prepare students for college theatre programs and careers in  the field. Students of all experience levels welcome! Summer program: For students entering grades 9–12, July 6 – July 24, Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM. [ Update: 4/14/20: Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s Young Company Program will be virtual this summer! You can find more info here. ]

Lowell, Mass.  l  (978) 654-7567  l  MRT.org/YoungCompany

Merrimack Valley YMCA Camps

The Merrimack Valley YMCA offers children, teens and families fun-filled summer experiences. Camp Lawrence for boys ages 8-16 and Camp Nokomis for girls ages 8-16 are overnight camps, located on Lake Winnipesaukee’s Bear Island, in Meredith, NH. Campers choose their schedules from a wide range of athletic, creative and instructional activities that are designed to challenge campers according to their age, interest and skill. Camp Otter is a day camp for boys and girls ages 6-13, located on Captain’s Pond in Salem, NH. Campers enjoy swimming, boating, basketball, archery, ropes course, and arts and crafts. Road Rangers travel day camp is an extension of Camp Otter and consists of themed day trips for boys and girls ages 10-14. Transportation is provided to Camp Otter from Andover, North Andover, Lawrence, Methuen, Atkinson, Salem and Windham. The Merrimack Valley YMCA also offers a Family Camp on Bear Island for 10 days in late August. Families can rent cabins and enjoy a wide variety of camp activities for the entire family.

Lawrence, Mass.  l  (978) 975-1330  l  Camp.MVYMCA.org

Middlesex Community College: College for Kids

College for Kids at Middlesex Community College is designed to provide children with unique, fun and challenging opportunities to explore careers, gain new knowledge and skills, and boost confidence. College for Kids provides up to six weeks of engaging summer programs for children ages 8 to 17. All programs are taught by certified public school teachers or by professionals who are experts in their fields and have experience working with children. Summer programs explore subjects such as film production, aviation, web design, writing, science, veterinary medicine, children’s theater, culinary arts and fashion design. Year-round College for Kids offerings include after-school and school vacation programs. Programs are offered on the Bedford and Lowell campuses.

Bedford and Lowell, Mass.  l  (781) 280-3669  l  Middlesex.mass.edu/CollegeForKids

Filed Under: Community, Education, Health & Wellness Tagged With: 2020 Summer Camps, camp evergreen, Camp Gottalikachallange, Camps, Dance New England, Kids Camps 2020, Merrimack Repertory Theatre's Young Company, Merrimack Valley Summer Camps, Merrimack Valley YMCA Camps, Middlesex College Community College For Kids, Summer Camps 2020

Science! Nature! Cooking! Concept Camps in the Merrimack Valley

March 16, 2019 by Jaden Mendola Leave a Comment

Summer camps and classes are a great way for youths to continue taking part in constructive activities during school vacation. Active Science, designed by Merrimack College professor Kyle McInnis, is a nationwide program that promotes physical fitness and STEM skills for kids. Several Merrimack Valley YMCA branches, including the Andover/North Andover location, serve as national testing centers for the project. During Active Science sessions, kids spend about 45 minutes engaging in physical activity while wearing devices that monitor their steps and the distance they travel. They then take their data to apply it to a STEM lesson. Active Science is open to kids in kindergarten through fifth grade and is among the summer camps offered by the YMCA.

For the fifth year, the Francis College of Engineering at UMass Lowell is hosting two weeklong summer camps for high school students in July. The Future Engineers Camp is offered to students entering the 10th, 11th or 12th grade. These overnight sessions introduce participants to engineering through projects, guest speakers and field trips. 

Students learn about different types of engineering and related concepts, from the internet, to sustainability, to infrastructure and more. There is a second session for women only.

During the summer STEM program at Code & Circuit in Amesbury, participants delve into computer science, engineering and technology. Participants will be introduced to the Scratch 3.0 programming language, robotics, 3D printing and more during the four-day sessions. The camp is open to students in grades K-8 and participants are given the flexibility to focus on a specific area or subject. “Each student can choose to work on what they are the most interested in,” says Ken Aspeslagh, owner of Code & Circuit.

Merrohawke Nature School is a year-round nonprofit organization that connects children to land and sea. Fishing, tracking, building and boating are among the skills taught here. The school’s summer offerings include a weeklong Coyote Overnight program that introduces young people ages 12 and over to nighttime navigation, advanced fire making and the ability to identify poisonous plants. At Merrohawke, children as young as 4 may register for a range of earth- and sea-based programs. 

Nestled within Harold Parker State Forest of Andover, Camp Evergreen has maintained a firm commitment to nature-based education for 55 years and offers an eight-week summer camp for children ages 6 and up. Activities and skills offered at Camp Evergreen include animal tracking, fort-, shelter- and fire-building, archery, swimming, maple tapping, horseback riding, wild edible foraging and learning about Native American history and culture.

“We’re committed to introducing our campers to nature in a way that is fun and bolsters their independence,” says Program Director Jim Loscutoff. “Oftentimes we think of nature as our backdrop, but we try to bring it front and center.”

Closing in on their 50th anniversary, Roudenbush Community Center is an integral part of the Westford community and offers children of all ages a place to take part in pottery classes, gymnastics and preschool. Roudenbush also offers a collection of culinary events for aspiring chefs ages 4 and up. Special themed activities for young children include “Harry Potter Dessert Decorating,” “Patriotic, Handmade Treats,” and more. 

Cheryl Holbert, owner of Nomad Bakery, was raised enjoying the traditional bread-making of her Polish grandmother. After teaching herself how to bake, Holbert discovered a passion for producing delicious breads and now wishes to share her knowledge with others. Holbert offers students of all ages an opportunity to prepare and decorate their own delicious breads, all in the same kitchen where she produces her own striking loaves. [Sound interesting? You can learn all about Holbert and area bakers in the January/February 2019 issue of mvm]. Classes are twice a month and discounted for family members. 

Kaleidoscope is a nonprofit enrichment program that has engaged Merrimack Valley children with cultural and educational activities for nearly 40 years. Their curriculum is varied — from video game design to music to language skills. Want more? How about geology, mindfulness, dance and robotics? However, for aspiring kitchen wizards, their popular “International Young Chefs” course is perfect. That is, if you can snag a seat — they fill up fast so reserve early. Perhaps your child is interested in nutritional science? “Rainbow Food Fest” fuses edible artistry with organic foods. Sounds like a feast fit for Instagram.     

Filed Under: Arts & Entertainment, Community Tagged With: Active Science, camp evergreen, children, Code & Circuit, Concept Camps, Day Camps, fun, Future Engineers Camp, Kaleidoscope, Merrimack Valley, merrohawke nature school, Nomad Bakery, Roudenbush Community Center, STEM, Summer, summer camps

Pathfinding: Summer Nature Camps in the Merrimack Valley and Beyond

March 26, 2018 by Amanda Leahy Leave a Comment

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin. ~ William Shakespeare

There was a time when it was assumed that summer camps involved getting children in touch with nature. While cello camps and computer camps and tennis camps might be good options for some, most kids would benefit by adopting the pace of the great outdoors. Letting them play, learn and grow among the creeks and pines might be more than fun — it might prove vital to their happiness and dawning sense of their relationship, or lack thereof, with the wider world.

In this year’s special camp section, we’ve highlighted four nature-based camps. Two are located within the Merrimack Valley, and two are farther afield.

Merrohawke Nature School
Newburyport, Mass.  l  Merrohawke.org

Merrohawke Nature School is a year-round nonprofit organization that connects children to land and sea. Fishing, tracking, building and boating are among the skills taught here. The school’s summer offerings include a weeklong Coyote Overnight program that introduces young people ages 12 and over to nighttime navigation, advanced fire making and the ability to identify poisonous plants. At Merrohawke, children as young as 4 may register for a range of earth- and sea-based programs.

“Learning in nature is what we were born to do … that’s what we were hardwired for,” says Merrohawke co-founder and Executive Director Kate Yeomans. “Our brains aren’t built to run at the speed the world is running at.” To help children slow down and develop a richer understanding of nature, they learn to fish, track wildlife, recognize the language of birds and build shelters.

“Children today are information rich and experience poor,” Yeomans says. “But the hard skills, the practical skills — knowing how to light a match, knowing how to carve something or catch a fish — those are skills that children don’t always have access to, especially with the big push for everything to be virtual.”

Before adopting a wider mission in 2013, Merrohawke began as BOAT CAMP Nature School, and its popular oceangoing programs are still offered under that name.

Courtesy Photos from Camp Evergreen and Merrohawke Nature School.

Roots School
Corinth, Vermont  l  RootsVT.com

Roots School offers a variety of programs, courses and year-round workshops anchored in wilderness and earth-based living skills, including naturalist studies, tracking, carving, weaving, awareness and archery. A typical day at Roots might include tree and plant identification, gathering firewood and fire materials, cord making, and shelter building.

“The outcome that is most important to us is that the students find a way to have an authentic and more intimate engagement with the natural world,” says co-director Sarah Corrigan. “This could be through the avenue of any number of skills, such as woodworking and weaving, games of stealth and awareness. We want kids to be exposed to the many ways one can interact with the fields and forest so that they can learn more about the world.”

The Roots School offers programs to students 6 years old
and up.


Mass Audubon Camp Wildwood
Rindge, New Hampshire  l  MassAudubon.org

Throughout its 68-year history, Mass Audubon’s Camp Wildwood has been a leader in offering nature-focused overnight summer camp programs for children ages 9 and up, as well as leader-in-training programs. Wildwood hosts about 100 campers in each session (one or two weeks), and employs over 50 staff members.

At overnight camp, participants begin their day with an optional pre-breakfast jaunt that can include paddling, a bird walk or a polar bear swim before diving into camper-chosen activities and workshops covering topics such as wetland exploration, “Things with Wings” (a study of flight), sailing and archery.

Wildwood’s mission is to engage campers in fun outdoor programs they can use to strengthen their connection to the natural world. Welch Narron, Wildwood’s camp director since 2014, says, “After an experience at Wildwood, we intend for campers to better understand the environment around them, and to have a greater appreciation for their role in protecting it. As an overnight camp program, we also focus on building ‘21st century’ skills like resilience, confidence, and responsibility … while we offer a lot of very traditional overnight camp activities like swimming, archery, arts and crafts.”

Courtesy Photos from Camp Evergreen and Merrohawke Nature School.

Camp Evergreen
Andover, Massachusetts  l  CampEvergreen.com

Nestled within Harold Parker State Forest, Camp Evergreen has maintained a firm commitment to nature-based education for 55 years and offers day camp programs for youths ages 6 and up during school vacation weeks in February and April, as well as an eight-week summer day camp program. Activities and skills offered at Camp Evergreen include animal tracking, fort-, shelter- and fire-building, ice fishing, archery, maple tapping, wild edible foraging and learning about Native American history and culture. “We’re committed to introducing our campers to nature in a way that is fun and bolsters their independence. We want them to appreciate everything we have here: the frogs, snakes, bugs, everything,” says Program Director Jim Loscutoff. “Oftentimes we think of nature as our backdrop, but we try to bring it front and center.”

Camp Evergreen also hosts birthday parties, wilderness parties and nature-based retreats year-round.

 

Filed Under: Community, Travel Tagged With: camp evergreen, mass audubon camp wildwood, Merrimack Valley, merrohawke nature school, nature, New Hampshire, Outdoors, roots school, summer camps, Vermont

A Guide to 2018 Area Summer Camps

March 13, 2018 by Doug Sparks Leave a Comment

Sponsored

Brooks School Summer Programs

Established in 1971, Brooks School Summer Programs has earned the reputation as New England’s leader in summer programs. The historic 251-acre campus on the shores of Lake Cochichewick in North Andover bustles with young campers, academically focused students, aspiring leaders, young robotic engineers and computer programmers. More than just a summer camp, Brooks is the flexible option offering day camp, summer school, STEM opportunities, computer-based camps, and teen leadership development. In addition to extended day services, convenient transportation throughout the Merrimack Valley and North Shore makes Brooks the perfect option to accommodate working parents and busy schedules. Summer programs operate from June 25 through August 17, 2018, with various session start and end dates. Whether you choose to spend one or all eight weeks, children ages 4–18 create memories and partake in life-changing experiences. Be part of this 47-year tradition. Your summer begins at Brooks.

North Andover, Mass.  l  (978) 725-6253  l  Summer.BrooksSchool.org

 

 

 

Camp Evergreen

Founded by the Loscutoff family in 1964, Camp Evergreen has rustic country charm to spare. In addition to being surrounded by nearly 3,000 acres of beautiful state forest, the 53-year-old Andover community linchpin rests where an old farm once was — and its buildings are still in use by the camp today. If your kids have some trouble “unplugging,” this is the place for them: with ponds, marshes and woods to explore on all sides, they won’t have time to think about cell phones or video games. Of course, they’ll also get to enjoy a whole host of traditional camp activities including arts and crafts, drama, woodshop, horseback riding, boating … and more sports than you can shake a stick at! Plus, daily Red Cross swimming lessons from trained water safety instructors ensure your little ones are right at home in the camp’s two huge pools. Perhaps best of all, you can rest assured knowing that the camp’s 1:5 staff-to-camper ratio is among the best in the region.

Andover, Mass.  l  (978) 475-2502  l  CampEvergreen.com

 

Merrimack Repertory Theatre’s Young Company

MRT’s Young Company is a professional theatre training program for high school students interested in all aspects of performing arts and new play development as a career. Nationally recognized playwrights, actors, and directors will work closely with students to develop their own voice in their scripts and learn about performing improv, musical theatre, and modern approaches to acting and auditioning. Young Company is designed to prepare students for college theatre programs and careers in the field. Students of all experience levels welcome! Summer program: For students entering grades 9–12, July 16 – August 3, Monday – Friday, 9:00 am – 3:00 pm.

                                                                                  Lowell, Mass.  l  (978) 654-7567  l  MRT.org/YoungCompany

 

 

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Filed Under: Community, Travel Tagged With: 2018, academy of norte dame, brooks summer camp, Camp, camp evergreen, cedar land, directory, guide, hyde's summer leadership challenge, Mcc, Merrimack Valley YMCA, merrohawke, Middlesex Community College, MRT, pingree, pingree day camp, SHED children campus, summer camp, summer camps, YMCA

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