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Summer camp often calls to mind visions of youth adventuring daringly as they hike through rugged terrain or aspiring nobly as they master sailing or kayaking in open water. However, teens in hardhats wielding shovels and power tools are an equally accurate image as they serve humbly and give back to camp.

Vice President of Infrastructure Andy Mulcahy said service learning continues to be a cornerstone of Miniwanca and Merrowvista summer programs. “Each summer, we entrust our oldest campers with impor tant construction projects that not only teach them valuable life skills, but also enrich the Miniwanca and Merrowvista communities,” he said.

The Wayfinder campers at Merrowvista (entering grades 11 and 12) and the Avail campers at Miniwanca (entering grades 9 to 12) complete three-week in-camp pro-grams focused on leadership development, community building, and service learning. The teens work under the careful supervision of the skilled facilities teams to complete projects that leave lasting legacies.

This year, the Merrowvista Wayfinders replaced an aged outdoor cooking area with a new pavilion, fire circle, and prep table with firewood storage. This project, designed by longtime facilities seasonal staff member Jim Davis, repurposed six 30-year-old telephone poles from the high ropes course as supports for the structure. Wayfinders measured, cut, and installed the poles, as well as the roof framing, rafters, collar ties, and metal roofing panels.

New skills abound during these projects. When constructing the fire circle, the teens learned how to use a transit, providing a level area for the base of the fire circle and a minor slope around the rest of the site to provide proper drainage. They also learned to mix and pour concrete when creating the tabletop.

Meanwhile, the Miniwanca Avail campers helped complete several projects, including renovating Duneview Cottage. They dug out the southwestern corner of the building where the dune had encroached on the structure, as well as removed saplings and underbrush surrounding the building. They also helped remove the front deck and stairs, as well as prepped the exterior for new paint.

Inside, they helped the facilities team gut the interior. They also replaced the floor joists and floor decking and dug a trench for a new water supply line.

Service learning extended to other parts of camp. Avail also got a chance to try their hands at trail maintenance, a critical part of maintaining overall safety and beauty at Miniwanca. They trimmed back significant overgrowth around the Michigan Trail near the Well Site, where campers often enjoy overnight campouts and practice for Four Trails trips. They also brought the nearby tent platforms back to life, replacing rotten railroad ties and adding new sand or dirt to the platforms.

Mulcahy made several visits to both sites to check on the progress of the projects and was impressed with the campers’ enthusiasm, dedication, and work ethic – though there was one situation he’d never encountered in his career.

“We did have to stop on more than one occasion due to dancing,” he said, laughing. “Never in my life have I had to halt work on a job site because of an impromptu dance party.”