RAGF Nature Camp Scholarship
“Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go.” T.S. Eliot
For more than a decade, we've been sending students from Loup City, Arcadia, and Litchfield to nature camps in Colorado. Our hope is that this experience - a completely different environment, strapping on a backpack to explore the beautiful mountains, and getting to know kids from other parts of our country, even different countries altogether - will have a lasting and positive affect on them.
This scholarship is open to any student who attends Loup City, Litchfield, or Arcadia Public Schools and will be in grades 7-8 in the fall of 2023. RAGF pays for the camp, and for transportation to get the student to and from the pick-up/drop-off location. We can also help with gear if any is needed.
The scholarship opportunity for 2023 will be to attend a week long camp session in the Colorado mountains. The recipient will be able to choose a session from one of the following camps:
YMCA Camp Santa Maria near Bailey, CO
http://ymcacampsantamaria.org/csm/camps.html
Avid 4 Adventure near Bailey, CO (the 1 week options in Colorado)
https://avid4.com/expedition-camps
Stone Canyon Outdoor Edventures in Larkspur, CO
https://www.stonecanyonedge.org/summercamp/
We recommend choosing the session that is most appealing and then having 2-3 alternates as the camps do fill quickly. Campers will spend their days exploring their environment and learning fun skills while making new friends and learning to embrace the mountains. We hope that it will be a week that won't be forgotten!
Application deadline Feb 11, 2023. Please note: For 2023 we will be selecting only one scholarship recipient - not one from each school.
For more than a decade, we've been sending students from Loup City, Arcadia, and Litchfield to nature camps in Colorado. Our hope is that this experience - a completely different environment, strapping on a backpack to explore the beautiful mountains, and getting to know kids from other parts of our country, even different countries altogether - will have a lasting and positive affect on them.
This scholarship is open to any student who attends Loup City, Litchfield, or Arcadia Public Schools and will be in grades 7-8 in the fall of 2023. RAGF pays for the camp, and for transportation to get the student to and from the pick-up/drop-off location. We can also help with gear if any is needed.
The scholarship opportunity for 2023 will be to attend a week long camp session in the Colorado mountains. The recipient will be able to choose a session from one of the following camps:
YMCA Camp Santa Maria near Bailey, CO
http://ymcacampsantamaria.org/csm/camps.html
Avid 4 Adventure near Bailey, CO (the 1 week options in Colorado)
https://avid4.com/expedition-camps
Stone Canyon Outdoor Edventures in Larkspur, CO
https://www.stonecanyonedge.org/summercamp/
We recommend choosing the session that is most appealing and then having 2-3 alternates as the camps do fill quickly. Campers will spend their days exploring their environment and learning fun skills while making new friends and learning to embrace the mountains. We hope that it will be a week that won't be forgotten!
Application deadline Feb 11, 2023. Please note: For 2023 we will be selecting only one scholarship recipient - not one from each school.
2020/2021 Nature Camp Scholarship Winner!
Malynn Boyles of Litchfield won our 2020/2021 Nature Camp Scholarship! She attended the YMCA Camp Santa Maria Outdoor Adventure Camp and loved it! In her words:
I went to camp Santa Maria.
It was way different than I imagined . As soon as I got there it took my breath away. It is a huge place with a basketball court, swimming pool, very nice cafeteria and beautiful mountains.
I stayed in Pioneer Village and even though they were canvas tents they were very nice inside and the cots were comfortable to sleep on. I was very nervous at first. I had never been to Colorado before. But the campers and counselors made me feel welcome.
We did lots of activities. Since I was in Outdoor Adventure Camp 2, we hiked up the mountain to a beautiful tree grove called Aspen Grove and camped out for a few nights. We also rock climbed, swam, went kayaking/paddle boarding in the lake, and did arts and crafts.
My favorite thing was making friendship bracelets for my new friends.
We had normal meals, like for breakfast one day we had pancakes, eggs and bacon. For lunch one day we had chicken nuggets and french fries. And for supper one day we had sloppy Joes and chips.
We didn't have schedules like traditional camp so we could play soccer or go swimming with our group whenever the counselor’s said we could.
Some things I learned were how to purify water, rock climb, and how to pack these giant backpacks to hike.
Everyone there was just so amazing and fun to be around. Camp Santa Maria was so interesting and a great life experience. I 10 out of 10 recommend going there.
I went to camp Santa Maria.
It was way different than I imagined . As soon as I got there it took my breath away. It is a huge place with a basketball court, swimming pool, very nice cafeteria and beautiful mountains.
I stayed in Pioneer Village and even though they were canvas tents they were very nice inside and the cots were comfortable to sleep on. I was very nervous at first. I had never been to Colorado before. But the campers and counselors made me feel welcome.
We did lots of activities. Since I was in Outdoor Adventure Camp 2, we hiked up the mountain to a beautiful tree grove called Aspen Grove and camped out for a few nights. We also rock climbed, swam, went kayaking/paddle boarding in the lake, and did arts and crafts.
My favorite thing was making friendship bracelets for my new friends.
We had normal meals, like for breakfast one day we had pancakes, eggs and bacon. For lunch one day we had chicken nuggets and french fries. And for supper one day we had sloppy Joes and chips.
We didn't have schedules like traditional camp so we could play soccer or go swimming with our group whenever the counselor’s said we could.
Some things I learned were how to purify water, rock climb, and how to pack these giant backpacks to hike.
Everyone there was just so amazing and fun to be around. Camp Santa Maria was so interesting and a great life experience. I 10 out of 10 recommend going there.
2019 Nature Camp Scholarship Winners' Experiences:
Read about Sam's Experience at YMCA Camp Santa Maria!
Read about Tyra's Experience at YMCA Camp Santa Maria!
Faith's Camp Photos
Read about Tyra's Experience at YMCA Camp Santa Maria!
Faith's Camp Photos
2018 Nature Camp Scholarship Winners' Experiences:
Click here to read about Jestin's experience at Outdoor Edventures!
Click here to read about Chloe's experience at Avid4Adventure!
Click here to read about Chloe's experience at Avid4Adventure!
Our 2016 Camper!
Bryce Placzek attended the Camp Cal-wood Eco Engineers session in July of 2016 and had a wonderful experience!
In the words of prior campers....
Haylee Miller - Camp Cal-Wood Participant, 2015 Scholarship Winner
The trip out to Colorado was a long and exciting one. It was my first time out of the state of Nebraska and I didn’t know how to feel when I crossed into Colorado. In the first few miles it finally hit me that I was in Colorado but at the same time it wasn’t that different as Nebraska until all you saw was sagebrush. Everyone told me that the trip up there would be so pretty and that I wouldn’t forget it. Well I was shocked that everyone thought that miles after miles of sage was so pretty but then you look up and there’s just this long line of black ahead of you. Slowly the mountains came into view and I realized that they are a lot bigger in person then you would think. The drive through the mountains was very twisty and busy. There was so many bikers that we pulled off the side of the road to let them all pass. Once I got to the camp to check in they told me that they don’t use our real names and that we have nature names. I had to pick something that is related to nature to be called for an entire week. When they told me this, I thought that it was going to be a disaster but I went ahead and pick a nature name. Ever since I was born everyone called me bug so because I knew that name I decided to use it. For a week I was now called by my nature name bug. It didn’t take long for the twenty-two other kids and the five leaders to realize that I was from Nebraska and a complete husker fan. It was very different to have a conversation with someone who didn’t know what a husker was. It was interesting to talk to the kids from Colorado and learning about their state. Some of them tested me to see what I knew about Nebraska and what I knew about Colorado. At lunch we would have questions about Colorado and some of the state symbols like Colorado’s state dinosaur is the stegosaurus. There was so many adventures that I got to do while up in the mountains. Almost every day we would take a little hike to a nearby waterfall and swim in the little dam that we created with rocks. The little pool that we made was freezing from the melted snow that came off of the other mountains. On alpine day half of us went to Rocky Mountain National Park and hiked up the mountain to a glacier lake. Once we got there we changed into our swimming suits and climbed over some logs to the other side of the lake. We walked onto a rock that drops right into the lake and we jumped into the thirtyfive degree lake. When your body hits the water, it is immediately put into shock for two seconds before you realize that you’re in freezing cold water and need to get out. As you swim back, it feels like your body is rusty all over and you can’t move. During the camp we did multiple activities such as archery,community service, canoeing and rock climbing. On the second day of camp we split into two groups. One would go mountain biking and the other would do archery. Archery was different then what I expected. We didn’t have a release like what I use and you had to use a longbow but it was great to try something different for once. It took me a while to get the hang of shooting a longbow instead of a compound bow. We had to learn all gears and what they meant before we could go mountain biking. The first hill was the worst. It was so steep and big that most of us had to walk down it. The ride to the end of the trail was extremely long and tiring but the ride back was so fast yet fun. Rock climbing was a bit of a thrill and very scary. The walls and bars of the things we had to climb were really high and tested you. We didn’t spend a lot time kayking because it was pretty cold that day. The community service was gathering and stacking logs for people to have for winter. It also helps to keep pathways clear from fallen trees. You got to see tons of wildlife wherever you went. Several times we would walk back to our tents and there would be deer standing right by them or attacking your tent in the middle of the night like a doe did to mine. While at the Rocky Mountain National Park all we saw were chipmunks and elk. The animals there were just amazing and everybody thought that I was crazy because I was just mesmerized by the different animals that I had never seen before. At the end of the camp I truly believe all the people that said Colorado was beautiful. The ride back was great because I slept most of the way but I got to meet Rebecca Green’s entire family and enjoyed talking to them and creating new friendships with her kids. Overall the the camp was amazing and I definitely would recommend sending other kids to this camp. They would be able to meet tons of different kids and see an amazing place that they would love. I know I did. |
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My name is Joe Hervert and I was chosen to go to the Yampatika Wilderness Pioneers Camp in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The Rebecca Adams-Green Foundation sponsored my trip and some of my teachers at school nominated me for it. I was really excited to be chosen to go. I love being outside and being a part of nature. I love to learn new things and I’m pretty adventurous. I plan to be a herpetologist someday. A herpetologist is a zoologist that studies amphibians and reptiles. I am particularly interested in turtles and lizards.
Going to Steamboat Springs and Yampatika was awesome! I got to learn about a whole new environment in the mountains. Colorado and Nebraska share a lot of native species but there are still a lot of new things to see and learn about in the mountains. I met some new interesting people, one of the campers was originally from Africa!
While at camp we spent one night camping on the mountain. We hiked up to the Little Causeway Lake, carrying everything we needed in a pack on our backs. The packs were all 30 to 45 pounds when they were full. I got to cross the Devil’s Causeway, which is 1,000 feet down on both sides. It was very cool. A moose visited our camp early the next morning and that was pretty cool too.
When we weren’t at camp we visited lots of other parts of Steamboat Springs and really got to know the Yampa Valley. It’s a really cool place and we can see why Rebecca, Rod, Kade and Rachel really loved it.
My trip to Steamboat Springs and Yampatika is one I will never forget! Thanks!
Going to Steamboat Springs and Yampatika was awesome! I got to learn about a whole new environment in the mountains. Colorado and Nebraska share a lot of native species but there are still a lot of new things to see and learn about in the mountains. I met some new interesting people, one of the campers was originally from Africa!
While at camp we spent one night camping on the mountain. We hiked up to the Little Causeway Lake, carrying everything we needed in a pack on our backs. The packs were all 30 to 45 pounds when they were full. I got to cross the Devil’s Causeway, which is 1,000 feet down on both sides. It was very cool. A moose visited our camp early the next morning and that was pretty cool too.
When we weren’t at camp we visited lots of other parts of Steamboat Springs and really got to know the Yampa Valley. It’s a really cool place and we can see why Rebecca, Rod, Kade and Rachel really loved it.
My trip to Steamboat Springs and Yampatika is one I will never forget! Thanks!
My Summer trip to Yampitika and Steamboat Springs
By: Joeli Walrath
First off, let me begin by thanking the Rebecca Adams Green Foundation for making this trip possible. We left church on Sunday and began our journey, what a long car ride!! It was fun though, our sponsors stopped at some really cool places like the Wyoming State Penitentiary Museum, where the Sundance Kid did time! We headed on into Steamboat Springs on Monday, and arrived at a condo, a very cozy place to spend the week, it was right in front of Steamboat Resort on Longthong road. We went to Strawberry Springs, as Eldon had suggested, it was neat, I can’t say cool, because it was hot, too hot at first, but I had never seen anything like it with all the natural hot springs it was a very neat place to go. The next day we went to camp, and met people that I will never forget. I made friends with a girl who was originally from Kenya, now living Georgia, and some local boys, and Joe was there too, but someone who really inspired me was our camp counselor; Kelly “Causeway” Northcutt. I was a little apprehensive the first day, but she made me feel right at home, she taught us things all week that prepared us for our hike. On Thursday we hiked into the mountains, climbing up to an 11,000 feet elevation at the Causeway, Joe went out onto the Causeway, but with it’s 1,000 ft. drops on both sides, and it only being a couple of feet across, a felt safer just watching him do it! We hiked with at least 25 pounds on our backs (some of us brought more), caught lizards, fished, and cooked on the campfire while up in the mountains, it is so beautiful up there, I took a few pictures of the lake as dusk settled in, and as I stood atop the mountain, looking at the sun setting on the lake and it’s peacefulness, you can’t help but thank God for all the beauty he put on this earth, it is simply…breathtaking.
That night as I was trying to sleep my new friend and campmate went outside to use the bathroom, I heard some tromping, and thought to myself…that sounds like hooves…She came darting into the tent yelling MOOSE!! Sure enough a large bull moose was outside crashing our campsite, he ran around a while, between the tents, scaring us half to death, peed on the boys tent, and eventually took off. It was an experience! It was hard to sleep after that! In the morning we packed out and hiked back down the mountain, it was pretty somber, we all knew we were going to have to say goodbye to each other soon.
After we got back to Yampitika there were a lot of hugs and goodbyes. It was a great experience and I hope somewhere down life’s path I see my Yampitika friends again. That night we took our final tour of Steamboat Springs on bikes to say goodbye to the town, and it’s lovely mountains.
I had a great time, I hope that others will go and enjoy it as much as I did. Thank You for this experience.
Joeli Walrath
By: Joeli Walrath
First off, let me begin by thanking the Rebecca Adams Green Foundation for making this trip possible. We left church on Sunday and began our journey, what a long car ride!! It was fun though, our sponsors stopped at some really cool places like the Wyoming State Penitentiary Museum, where the Sundance Kid did time! We headed on into Steamboat Springs on Monday, and arrived at a condo, a very cozy place to spend the week, it was right in front of Steamboat Resort on Longthong road. We went to Strawberry Springs, as Eldon had suggested, it was neat, I can’t say cool, because it was hot, too hot at first, but I had never seen anything like it with all the natural hot springs it was a very neat place to go. The next day we went to camp, and met people that I will never forget. I made friends with a girl who was originally from Kenya, now living Georgia, and some local boys, and Joe was there too, but someone who really inspired me was our camp counselor; Kelly “Causeway” Northcutt. I was a little apprehensive the first day, but she made me feel right at home, she taught us things all week that prepared us for our hike. On Thursday we hiked into the mountains, climbing up to an 11,000 feet elevation at the Causeway, Joe went out onto the Causeway, but with it’s 1,000 ft. drops on both sides, and it only being a couple of feet across, a felt safer just watching him do it! We hiked with at least 25 pounds on our backs (some of us brought more), caught lizards, fished, and cooked on the campfire while up in the mountains, it is so beautiful up there, I took a few pictures of the lake as dusk settled in, and as I stood atop the mountain, looking at the sun setting on the lake and it’s peacefulness, you can’t help but thank God for all the beauty he put on this earth, it is simply…breathtaking.
That night as I was trying to sleep my new friend and campmate went outside to use the bathroom, I heard some tromping, and thought to myself…that sounds like hooves…She came darting into the tent yelling MOOSE!! Sure enough a large bull moose was outside crashing our campsite, he ran around a while, between the tents, scaring us half to death, peed on the boys tent, and eventually took off. It was an experience! It was hard to sleep after that! In the morning we packed out and hiked back down the mountain, it was pretty somber, we all knew we were going to have to say goodbye to each other soon.
After we got back to Yampitika there were a lot of hugs and goodbyes. It was a great experience and I hope somewhere down life’s path I see my Yampitika friends again. That night we took our final tour of Steamboat Springs on bikes to say goodbye to the town, and it’s lovely mountains.
I had a great time, I hope that others will go and enjoy it as much as I did. Thank You for this experience.
Joeli Walrath