When I was in seventh grade, my school tasked all the middle school students, in groups, to come up with an "impact project", literally any project that would benefit our community in some way. Of course, no one was really looking forward to this assignment. There aren't many middle schoolers who have a dream to change any world other than their Minecraft world. So naturally, my group just picked the first the idea that came to mind to get it over with. A math club. Little did we know, this would be the spark that ignited my forever hyperfixation.
It only took a couple of weeks running our Math & Homework Club and we had a myriad of positive comments from parents about how amazing we were. Math & Homework Club progressed into STEM Club, which progressed into our very first summer day camp, AOBC 2019 (Art & Out Bible Camp). I still can't believe that a middle school assignment was what started this full on passion project and business, but here we are. I can't stop wondering where I would be today if we hadn't been assigned that project.
When February 2020 came around, I started thinking "It's time to plan another summer day camp!" This time I thought it would be real cool to do a science camp, because I think lots of kids would love to go to science camp and I wanted to make that dream affordable. This camp ended up being super popular, and I have included science-based learning in at least one summer camp every year since then. To think that as a 13-year-old entrepreneur I managed to navigate COVID-19 restrictions, cancel events last minute with significant profit losses, work extra hard to keep kids safe, and still keep my business running smoothly is a huge accomplishment!
Still navigating the ever changing COVID-19 pandemic restrictions and safety recommendations, in 2021 we had our first ever day camp that was completely outdoors, Adventure Camp! This camp was a huge hit, and since then many camps
The Way I Learn - By K-J Doell
We go crazy.
We laugh.
We have fun.
And in the end, we learn.
Imagination runs wild,
Creativity fills the air,
We explore nature’s wonders,
We take risks,
And in the end, we learn.
As I look outside the window, trapped in the confines of a desk and chair,
I wonder.
What it would be like to be free.
To run, to jump, to dance, to soar!
And in the end, to learn.
Running through the forest,
streams calmly flowing nearby
as we hop over logs, run our hands through the brush, lay down and observe
the tiny creatures on the forest floor…
But this dream fades away,
Reality jolts back.
“Children are not meant to be free”, they shout.
I sit up straight in my desk, staring at a hand writing on a board,
Knowledge which I will never understand.
They promise, “In the end, we will learn”
If only they taught in a way I could learn.
Hands-on, in a forest, running free, I could learn.
A pebble hits the water,
A ripple starts to form,
It reaches for the edges,
The boundary can transform,
It becomes a capillary wave,
It doesn’t have to end.
What if in the end, this is really how we learn?
Small Towns Didn't Used To Glow - By K-J Doell
My town didn't used to glow,
In school zones, people knew to go slow.
Children ran home to play in the snow,
And tons of snowballs they would throw.
Chunks of ice would make great forts,
And hills of snow were the best of sorts.
Frozen ponds were great for skating,
and forests for hiding were just amazing.
Once upon a time, you know,
People met in person, not over the phone.
Buildings were scarce, and closed on a Sunday,
And groceries were bought from a real somebody.
Now I look out, and no one is there,
Just lineups of cars, backed up to who knows where.
Toboggans and Nerf Guns spread out on the lawn,
But I am left wondering, where have the children all gone?
I know the children are here, but where?
Inside? Watching TV? On a day like today?
The snow has fallen, the sun is out,
A perfect day to muck about.
Why are the children still inside?
What makes an iPad so much greater than a slide?
Maybe I will never know.
But I can say with full assurance,
That my town never used to glow.