The courses listed below on this page are a sample of courses offered over several years.
They may not all be available during the upcoming camp year.
Somewhere between climbing the rock wall, hurtling down the zip line, and actually teaching a class of 3 to 9 year olds, it hits you---this is WAY MORE than just another OWjL Class! In this class we learn skills, traits and techniques of effective leadership by DOING! Come join us on high and low ropes course elements, team challenges, rock climbing and more.
Welcome to Anatomy 101! Where learning about body systems is incredibly fun. I will lecture and you will learn. Therefore, a privilege you will earn. Using scissors to dissect, body systems you will inspect. With laboratory safety always in use, only the non-squeamish we need to recruit. Calling all campers! Please jump in! Anatomy 101... Let's begin!
Chet Snouffer is the most decorated US Boomerang thrower in history. With 3 World Championships and 12 US National Championships to his name, Snouffer has travelled the world throwing, competing, and promoting this fascinating sport for 40 years! In the Boomerang Class you will learn how to make and throw several types of boomerangs, from short range tri-bladers to mid-range wood models and specialty competition ‘rangs! We study the Aboriginal influence on these flying wonders, and even learn to play dijeridu (well, you’ll at least TRY to play dijeridu!) We spend our time making, decorating and throwing “sticks” all week long, culminating with the now-famous Boomerang Competition on Friday, complete with prizes and more!
The techniques of a calligrapher are the same today as they were of scribes centuries ago. Learn alphabet styles that were developed in Medieval times when books and documents were lettered by hand. Italic and Old English are written with a broad edge pen and have many applications with contemporary lettering artists. Learn terminology that applies to these fascinating characters that make up our alphabet. Calligraphy introduces you to the techniques of ancient scribes, combined with modern materials, colors and variations. Design and make calligraphic items that will reflect your skill as a scribe. Calligraphy is an art anyone can learn.
Ever wondered how Mozart would write his music in today’s high tech, computer-generated world? Well, let’s explore the cool things you can do with a computer and your creative, musical ideas. We will learn some basic music theory and print publisher-quality sheet music that you will write! We will even record your composition from the computer so you can take it home and show it off to mom and dad! No previous musical experience is needed, just a desire to learn and some creative ideas!
Learn how to prepare quick, easy, and great tasting foods for you and your family. Join us for this enjoyable hands-on experience, working collaboratively in small groups. We will focus on nutritious, healthy recipes, and examine individual ingredients for inclusions and substitutions. We will prepare from scratch to make tasty meals a success, and there will be plenty for everyone to taste.
Students will study areas of fiction including: character, dialogue, details, planning and plotting, sentence patterns, and journaling. Students will work on a journal that will encourage and facilitate future writings. Mini-lessons on various aspects of fiction will be covered, with some focus on improving knowledge and skills the students already possess.
Classical War Gaming is much like the game of chess, but war games don’t use a 64-square chessboard or stylized pieces. The game board is a geographical replica of an actual battlefield and the game pieces are the historical units that participated in the battle. Classical war games depict real and imagined battles from early history all the way to the future. With new knowledge of strategy and tactics, you'll be able to rewrite history!
It’s time to challenge all those myths you’ve heard about the microscopic world! Is it really OK to eat a cookie that you dropped on the floor if you pick it up within 5 seconds? Do those liquid hand sanitizers really work? Are there really as many bacteria on a computer keyboard as on a toilet seat? Is “double dipping” in the chip dip bowl a big deal? We will use light microscopes, dissecting microscopes, even a scanning electron microscope to explore these questions and others. After analyzing your data, you might have the opportunity to say, “Myth - BUSTED!!”
Have you ever felt butterflies in your stomach? Or you had a feeling something weird or strange was going to happen? In this course we will explore just how intelligent our physical bodies really are. We will explore more through using our breath in connection with moving our bodies through various yoga poses. We will learn how certain life experiences affect our physical bodies via the energy we possess, how we carry our bodies, and why we are the 'way we are'. We will use our breath as the main vehicle to connect our brain to the rest of our body. We will learn about the Chakra system and how it applies to ourselves, our relationships, and our lives.
There’s evil lurking in the lab, murder most foul and you’ve been assigned to the case! Come and solve this chemical “whodunit” by performing experiments and analyzing patterns in chromatography, chemical reactions, flame tests, pH tests and invisible inks! Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple, or Hercule Poirot… who knows? You just might be the world’s next great detective!
Premier Chess provides students of all ages and experiences the opportunity to enhance their chess knowledge, tactical brilliancy, and abstract thought. In the span of one week, students will receive the necessary tools to create their own chess puzzles, formulate positional ideas, recite world champion openings, and perform endgame combinations. As a result, these tools will prepare them for our annual camp tournament; students will not only learn the rules but also become tournament-ready participants.
Through hiking, wading, sampling, and testing, students will explore and discover the wonders of the Olentangy River watershed. Participants will examine the physical, chemical, biological, and human factors that affect the Olentangy River and its tributaries. Each day, we will travel by van to a different location along the river. Bring your sense of adventure (a must!), willingness to get wet (and a little dirty), along with a desire to learn and be one of the River Rats! This is a fairly physical class – we will be hiking (up to 2 miles with elevation changes), wading, and descending/ascending 100 stairs. Students must have a pair of old tennis shoes (no flip-flops, open toe shoes or water shoes) for wading.
The name of the game is simple; outwit, outplay, outlast. The class will be divided up the first few days into tribes that will compete against one another. Contests of the brains as well as brawn will determine which of the tribes are able to survive (make sure you bring a swimsuit for the water challenges). The last two days students will compete in individual contests to determine once and for all who is the ultimate survivor.
Experience the excitement of arguing a case in front of a judge and jury! Stand up to the pressures of the witness stand in a court of law! In this class, you will prepare for and participate in a mock trial that will teach you about our legal system. You will become a defendant, lawyer, witness, or bailiff in a criminal case that will be presented before an impartial judge and jury. The first three days of class will be spent preparing the case and planning strategies. The final two days of class will be the trial itself, which is held in an actual courtroom. Join us on an adventure through the criminal justice system!