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So, the following is a press release (you have the privilege of special pictures) for the project Keshian and I have spent working on every possible moment in the last weeks. It was tons of work, tons of fun, and totally worth it! Although…we’re glad we don’t have to do it every day! This project has been one of my favorites as an intern, so read on to find out why!

On Tuesday, July 27, 2010, sixteen students gathered at the Campo Community Building for the 2010 Connecting Kids to Community day camp for fourth through ninth graders. It was a day filled with fun activities, door prizes, surprises, and a focus on leadership, entrepreneurship, and service.
Led by Ogallala Commons interns, Megan England and Keshian Hoeffner, the students began their day with some unique icebreaker games and a tour of Campo.To explain the picture below...We started the day with some new icebreakers...so of course Keshian and I had to show them how to play!
Throughout the tour, the students were asked to write down, then share ideas of things they love about Campo, and things they would like to see changed. Although everyone knew a lot about Campo, most learned something new. As one student said, “[Campo is] a little town, but there’s a lot of things people don’t know!” The picture below was taken during the tour while we discussed how important history is to our town. The group also learned about volunteerism from local community volunteers, EMT/Fire Chief LeRoy England and EMTs Esther England and Cherilyn England. Then everyone headed back to the Community Building to learn about Service-Learning and how young people can make a difference, too! Below is a photo of the students as they listen to the EMS volunteers.The morning ended with an introduction to the “Super-Secret Surprise Business Adventure”—a lemonade stand competition! Students were split into three teams; the Green Team, the Blue Team, and the Purple Team. Each team was given a table, table cloth, cooler, poster-board, markers, tape, and twenty-five dollars. With these items, the teams could do whatever they wished for their business.
Over a lunch of pizza, the students planned their businesses and created a shopping list. After lunch, all the students and sponsors loaded up on buses for a quick trip to the store in Boise City to buy supplies. The next hours were spent learning about running a business by creating one! The three teams did well in the competition, and the final results showed the Green Team taking the prize for most money raised, with the Blue team coming up second, and the Purple Team in third. The picture below is the winning lemonade business-owners. (Their sign says; "Lemonade- $0.50, and I'm a Cutie") The day ended with a reflection game, where students shared what they’d learned throughout the day and what they might do differently next time. Overall, the event was a great success, and the interns extend their thanks to Sponsors/Leaders Mrs. Nikki Johnson, Mrs. Sherrie Ownbey, Mrs. Vickie Baeza, and Bradly Johnson; Guest Speakers Miss Cherilyn England, Mrs. Esther England, and Mr. LeRoy England; and all the customers who visited the lemonade stands. A special thanks to Bird City, Kansas intern, Sydney Busse, for the many ideas and suggestions from a similar event she hosted in her hometown.