April 10, 2013
Still exploring summer activities for your kids? Are they eager for imaginative adventure? In the 38th year of the Museum of Northern Arizona’s (MNA) Discovery Program, its summer camps connect kids with local art, natural environments, and the region’s cultures. Summer camp online registration will open to Museum of Northern Arizona members on April 8 and to the general public on April 12 at musnaz.org/discovery.
Discovery Village sits at the base of the San Francisco Peaks, in a grassy meadow on the Museum of Northern Arizona’s 217-acre campus. From June 10 through August 2, Discovery Village will be buzzing with campers ages 4 to 13, who will be exploring topics from forest ecology to ceramics, and story writing.
Discovery Manager Jennifer Glennon says, “With an emphasis on hands-on learning and an average ratio of one teacher to eight students, Discovery summer camps allow students to develop their artistic imaginations and scientific research skills in an exciting environment. Through MNA’s science-based programs, campers will have the opportunity to continue learning STEM initiatives beyond the academic school year.”
MNA Discovery campers come back year after year for hands-on camps, where they get to spend most of the day outside, make new friends, and forge lifelong connections with the Colorado Plateau. Parents bring their kids back because Discovery camps are educational and they keep students’ minds and bodies active over the summer, with the right balance of play, exploration, and learning.
The 2013 Discovery summer program offers 40 camps to satisfy every child’s passions, from young artists to budding archaeologists. In Pollinators, campers will join a NAU bumble bee researcher and become real citizen scientists, discovering the world of pollinating insects. And in Volcanoes!, students hike Sunset Crater and the Lava River Caves, as they explore the exciting, explosive San Francisco Volcanic Field.
Classes for younger students include Plateau Predators and Scaly Safari, where students learn about the web of predators and the importance of spiders, bats, and wolves through songs, stories, and crafts while searching for scaly vertebrates.
Now in its sixteenth year, the Discovery program’s Summer Among the Peaks camps will offer overnight adventures sure to be remembered for a lifetime. Campers spend the Summer Solstice rafting a mighty river, with nights on sandy banks under the stars during the annual San Juan River trip. Wild Canyons and Hike and Bike are other popular classes that will be returning in 2013, as well.
The third annual Discovery exhibit will open at MNA in October of 2013 and will showcase artwork, scientific research, and collaborative projects created during the 2013 summer camps.
For reservations or information, visit the Discovery website at musnaz.org/discovery, or contact the Discovery Office at 928.774.5213, ext. 241 or discovery@mna.mus.az.us. Scholarships are available and are awarded based on financial need and student interest.
The following sponsors support MNA’s Discovery 2013:
Anonymous Contributors
Arizona Commission on the Arts
Arizona Community Foundation
Coconino County
Flagstaff Community Foundation
Flagstaff Cultural Partners
Forest Highlands Foundation
The Stillwater Foundation
The Museum of Northern Arizona is surrounded by tremendous geological, biological, and cultural resources in one of Earth’s most spectacular landscapes. With a long and illustrious history, MNA evokes the very spirit of the Colorado Plateau, inspiring a sense of love and responsibility for the beauty and diversity of the area. Its educational programs encourage students to collaboratively and individually contribute to the investigation and interpretation of their homeland.
The Museum is located three miles north of historic downtown Flagstaff on scenic Highway 180, scenic route to the Grand Canyon.