StepOut Kids Eco-Camp

StepOut would like to invite parents who feel that the relationship with their kids has been put on hold due to the stresses of work, school and technology.

In the morning the kids will attend camp with a professional teacher to explore the environment that surrounds them. They will also be introduced to the turtle volunteer program as well as the use of solar power while learning through both art and science. In the afternoons, families reunite and spend time together exploring, relaxing, or doing whatever they choose to do!

CAMP DATES: July 5th to July 19th 2008.

Not available during this time? Not to worry, you can be a teacher anytime! Introduce your children to the experience of volunteering, solar power energy, horse riding in the wilderness, surfing the waves of the Pacific, and hiking in the remoteness of the rainforest. Take them into 'National Geographic' and let them touch the very nature that seems to be disappearing from their everyday lives.

They will come back with a new understanding and a greater appreciation for the planet in which they live. Join us as we explore nature in this exciting playground of Costa Rica.

Camp Details

Age of Participants

Ideally 5 to 13 (Older kids can work with the volunteer program directly or help assist the teacher with the kids camp).

Camp Schedule

Weekdays, 8:30 am to 12:30pm. Parents are welcomed to join in on adult hikes in the morning while kids are in camp. Afternoon and weekends free for families to be together!

Volunteer Program

The kids will be introduced to the local OSA Sea Turtle Conservation Program. Together, they will help save endangered sea turtles by patrolling beaches, collecting eggs, monitoring the hatchery, and releasing baby turtles that could live up to 150 years! Activities will be determined based on age and ability of the participants.

Special Activity

Optional day trip for families: Boat tour on the Golfo Dulce where you can watch and swim with 3 types of dolphins, snorkel the reefs, and visit a local animal refuge where you can get up close and personal with monkeys and more! You will be supporting the reintroduction of captured animals into the wild. (Price based on the number of participants. Please let us know if you are interested.)

Optional 3-day hike in Corcovado National Park for parents and older children. This hike is challenging and is not suitable for younger children. See our Corcovado page for more details.

What with they be doing?

Here’s a snapshot of some of the activities that will be going on during camp:

  • Rocks: collect, observe and describe texture, layers, colors, origin, hardness; build animal homes from rock collection
  • Ocean: observe tides, color, take water temperature in morning and evening; paint ocean/beach scenes.
  • Stream/river: erosion, smooth rocks, wildlife, smell, touch, taste.
  • 5 senses: smell, hear, taste, touch, see.
  • Clay/Sculpture: animals/wildlife, houses, cultural items, flowers, trees, leaves, houses.
  • Experiments: Hydrophobic sand, hydrophylic snow, Spectroscopy glasses
  • Animal tracking: Look for tracks/prints from birds, turtles, frogs, toads, snakes.
  • Animals/Wildlife: What do they like to eat? How can we study them?
  • Trees: Different species; Giant leaves (uses, purpose, nature for clothes fashion show)
  • Insects: poisonous vs. friendly (can we tell the difference by just looking at them? What does their color, size, shape, habitat tell us about the way they live or the job they do? Food chains)
  • Shells: collect, observe, build a wind chime
  • Hermit crabs: collect, observe, experiment (What do they eat? Where do they go? How big or small are they?)
  • Organic farm: fruits, vegetables, plants, herbs, medicinal plants and food (blind taste test)
  • Animal Habitats: Search for animal/ insect homes in area.

Prices

One Parent/One child: US $2,760
Family of 3: US $3.990
Family of 4: US $5,280
Family of 5: US $6,550

Check our Rates and Schedule page for more details.

The Teacher

Kristen graduated from Cortland College in New York in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a minor in psychology. Two weeks later, she traveled to Australia on a 3 month work visa, which turned into 7 months that changed her life.

In Australia, Kristen became immersed in the culture, the people, the environment…and began to appreciate a new way of thinking and living. Here she discovered her passion for science in scuba diving, skydiving, learning the flying trapeze, studying wildlife and plant life, and living in the outback. The opportunity to barter her time and artwork for living and training gave her an appreciation for giving back, while the rich culture and the fascinating relationships created a thirst for more experiences like this.

After returning from Oz, Kristen moved to Boulder, Colorado on a whim, where she became a restaurant manager. Although this may seem outside of her career path, it enabled her to build new relationships that would lead to exciting adventures like camping and boating in Lake Powell, white-water rafting down the Colorado River, and hiking the National Parks.

Next Kristen returned to New York to attend graduate school at Stony Brook University, earning her masters degree in elementary science education in 2005. For four years she was a Science Educator for Brookhaven National Laboratory on Long Island, teaching science to thousands of students per year in the fields of physical science, environmental science, earth science, genetics and biotechnology. In September, 2007, she began a career as a 5th grade teacher on Long Island.

In between, there have been many other adventures in Portugal, Italy, Mexico, Costa Rica, South Australia, and the Grand Canyon, which have focused on science, art, and culture. She also enjoys snowboarding, music, painting, crafting, and any other form of art that she can get her hands on.