Alaska Sea Grant: Coastal Connections Camp

Coastal Connections Camp About Coastal Connections Camp (CCC) is a "Camp-In-A Box" summer program designed for middle school students in Alaska’s coastal communities. Guided by the Whole Being Teaching framework, CCC nurtures students’ cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development while giving them opportunities to explore and learn about their local coastal environments. Camp activities include outdoor exploration, hands-on science, art, team-building, cultural connections and personal resilience. The framework provides daily themes across several key areas. Group themes support each stage of team development. Personal themes scaffold resilience skills. Scientific and art themes develop observation and scientific inquiry skills that align with local environments and cultural connections. Together, these themes structure the week into a cohesive experience. Photo by Leigh Lubin/Alaska Sea Grant. The Camp-In-A-Box format brings two community leaders to Seward, Alaska for a four-day intensive 3-credit training hosted by Alaska Sea Grant in collaboration with the Kenai Mountains Turnagain Arm Heritage Area. This model provides training in the facilitation tools and techniques that make the camp successful, offers a flexible curriculum, sends leaders home with supplies and aims to serve communities in need of high quality summer programming for youth. A key goal of the camp is that trained  leaders return to their home communities to facilitate camp, but also have the skills and resources to use in other aspects of their community.  Originally piloted in Valdez in 2022, CCC has grown more than sevenfold, expanding to include multiple sessions in Valdez and Seward. Camps have been offered in collaboration with partners like KMTA, Valdez Parks and Recreation, the City of Whittier, and the Ocean Discovery School. Some camps now feature “Reconnection Camps” for returning youth, where they continue the curriculum and enjoy longer local explorations or overnight expeditions. This opportunity is funded through the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council and CORaL Network.  Reach out to Leigh Lubin, Alaska Sea Grant Marine Education Specialist for program questions. Photo courtesy of Carrie Stander. Photos courtesy of Carrie Stander.