Oct. 28 fifth-grade students from PISD will load onto school buses bound for adventure. According to camp veterans (sixth-graders), the class is in for a treat when they arrive at a three-day science-filled experience at Collin County Adventure Camp in Westminster.

 

However, as excited as the students may be as camp approaches, the question pressing on science teacher Danny Derden’s mind is how many students will be left behind.

 

Each student is responsible for paying his or her own tuition for the camp: $165. The cost covers two nights and three days of lodging and food. Unfortunately, there are families who cannot afford that kind of cost, particularly in the present economic conditions, Derden said.

 

Though last year was the district’s third time to take students to the adventure camp, it was Derden’s first trip, and his experience was filled with mixed emotions.

 

When PISD moved the fifth-grade classes from Huddleston Intermediate to the three elementary campuses, Derden was asked to jump from teaching math to science. He said the initial transition was nerve wracking, but serving as a camp counselor caused even more concern. 

 

Unsure what it would be like taking care of about 150 students in unfamiliar territory, Derden said, “I was nervous ... lots of trepidation.”  But as it turned out, he not only survived the experience, he lived to share its joys.

 

“It was just really, really wonderful,” Derden said. “And I’m excited about going again.” 

 

However, there is one thing Derden finds disconcerting, and that is “the sick feeling of leaving kids behind.”

 

Describing the day they left for camp last year, Derden said, “There were kids literally crying.” The students left behind were devastated that they were unable to attend camp, he said. “I absolutely hated leaving kids behind last year, hated it.” 

 

Last year, Derden and his fellow teachers started a campaign to raise money for students who could not afford the camp tuition. “We raised a good bit of money last year, but not enough for everybody that needed it,”  he said. 

 

This year, there will likely be even more students in need, Derden said, and that is why he has already begun seeking support.

 

By letting people know about the need, Derden said he hopes  people in the Princeton community will “step up to the plate” and help.

 

Jean Ann Collins’ son Colt attended science camp last year. Like his classmates, Colt said he had a great time. In fact, a year later Colt was still quick to list the activities he enjoyed while at science camp, and his mom was quick to praise his experience.

 

“It was definitely one of the highlights of his elementary career,” Jean Ann said. “It gets the kids excited about science.” After talking about how camp had been beneficial for her son, Jean Ann, like Derden, then turned her attention to the students who were unable to attend.

 

“Every single kid wants to go. I can’t imagine how the kids who get left behind, how bummed they must be,” said Jean Ann. “The kids talked about it all year long after they went,” she said, encouraging the community to sponsor students in need. “It’s not like sending a check off ... it’s benefiting the kids that are here,” she said.

 

In addition to the scientific benefits of attending camp,  Derden said he believes the camp is also helpful in allowing the students opportunities to mature.

 

Being at camp teaches the students about science but also about responsibility, Derden said. “They’re out there away from home, interacting with their peers ... They just intuitively understand to have adventure and fun they have to be responsible.”

 

Camp becomes a helpful tool in growing up, Derden said, and for “some of these kids, this could be their one and only shot.”

 

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