Spring into action to snag spots at Edible Schoolyard camp

If your children are looking to get their hands dirty and learn a thing or two, there is still room at the Edible Schoolyard Kern County’s Spring Camp, which starts later this month.

The camp is currently filling spots in the four remaining sessions of its winter camp for either first- through third-graders or fourth- through sixth-graders.

“Spring Camp is an engaging and academically grounded opportunity to teach students about the importance of health and wellness,” said Dylan Wilson, ESYKC program manager, in a news release. “These topics are even more important in light of the challenges posed by COVID-19 and distance learning, and we’re proud to offer students and families in Bakersfield the opportunity for a safe, hands-on educational experience.”

Edible Schoolyard Kern County provides hands-on learning and sensory experiences to students through garden and kitchen classroom programs, community events and educational partnerships. It is a program of the Grimm Family Education Foundation, which works with students, teachers and parents to support initiatives that improve education and community wellness in the county.

The eight-week program provides students with a hands-on garden and kitchen learning experience in a safe environment. For two hours each week, campers divide their time between two sectors: the garden classroom outdoors, where they learn the basics of gardening and the seed-to-table cycle, and the kitchen classroom, where they learn to cook recipes using fresh produce from the garden.

“I love watching our students come alive in the kitchen,” Kelsie Holman, a kitchen educator at ESYKC, said in the release. “There’s nothing like the inspiration and discovery in their eyes as they slice, mix and cook using ingredients they’ve helped grow and harvest.”

Safety protocols, instituted when the camps resumed last fall, help protect the health and safety of every camper and staff member. Each session is capped at 12 students, temperature checks are conducted upon arrival, social distancing is observed in the garden and kitchen classrooms and all are required to wear masks. Dropoff and pickup times are also staggered.

Camp will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on designated days starting March 15 and running through May 14. The Monday session is full but spots remain for the following: Tuesdays or Thursdays for fourth- through sixth-graders and Wednesdays or Fridays for first- through third-graders.

Cost is $325 for the Tuesday or Wednesday sessions and $275 for the Thursday or Friday sessions (reduced due to blackedout dates).

Register at esykerncounty.org/ spring-camp.

PHOTOS COURTESY GRIMM FAMILY EDUCATION FOUNDATION ABOVE: A student and instructor measure olive oil during a session of the Winter Camp at the Edible Schoolyard Kern County. Enrollment is open now for the Spring Camp, which starts later this month. RIGHT: Students tend the garden during the Winter Camp at the Edible Schoolyard Kern County. Enrollment is open now for the Spring Camp, which starts later this month.

GRIMM FAMILY EDUCATION FOUNDATION A student befriends a hen at the Winter Camp at the Edible Schoolyard Kern County. Enrollment is open now for the Spring Camp, which starts later this month.