RILEY WILDERNESS YOUTH CAMP OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

The camp is one week from being open and the summer season is barreling towards us.  If you haven’t already thought about it, it is most definitely time to get your son or daughter registered to attend the Michigan OutofDoors Youth Camp for Kids!  If your son or daughter is new to getting outdoors or has little experience in hunting and conservation we have the perfect opportunity for them.  Come join us for a week of Riley Wilderness Youth Camp.

At the Riley Wilderness Youth Camp hosted by the Michigan OutofDoors Youth Camp in Chelsea, MI and sponsored by SCI-Novi with a generous donation from the Riley Foundation, children are given the opportunity to learn more about hunting and conservation and even get their hunter safety certificates. For 6 days and 5 night’s children ages 9-14 are given the opportunity to leave their cell phones, tablets, and other electronics at home and spend time learning about the environment around them. Our camp program focuses on teaching useful technical outdoor life skills. During their week at camp, campers will increase their knowledge of conservation issues though hands-on nature exploration. The campers spend the week living in cabins on a property that consists of 250 acres of white pine forest, bordered on one side by a bog and on another by the waterfront of Cedar Lake, known throughout the region for its production of panfish and bass.  Far away from the bright lights of the city this setting gives the campers a great opportunity to learn about and experience the outdoors on a personal level.

The goal of the Riley Wilderness Youth Camp is to provide the opportunity for 80 boys and girls to connect with nature and to learn about hunting and conservation.  Since 2005, when the Michigan OutofDoors Youth Camp, SCI-Novi and the Riley Foundation began their partnership the Riley Wilderness Youth Camp has sent over 700 kids to the camp.  Last year 76 of the campers got Hunter Safety certified through this program.

The youth are provided a full scholarship to attend 1 of 2 sessions of camp depending on age.  The Riley Jr. Camp is for boys and girls ages 9-11 and focuses on a sampling of outdoor activities, ranging from archery and canoeing to fishing and hunter safety class.

The other camp option is the Riley Advanced Camp for boys and girls age 12-14. This camp is focused on the skills and techniques of hunting in Michigan.  We focus on turkey, deer, small game and waterfowl hunting techiques, as well wildlife conservation.  Youth in the advanced camp will also have the opportunity to become hunter safety certified and will spend time shooting trap and on the expanded 3D archery course during their week at camp.

These scholarships are available to youth who are interested in connecting and learning more about the outdoors and all are encouraged to apply.  The candidates who most qualify for the award will meet the following criteria:  1. Youth with limited outdoor experience, 2. Lack of a mentor to help them get started and learn about the outdoors, 3. Not yet having earned a Michigan Hunter Safety Certificate, and 4. Lack of family financial resources to attend a camp like program.

Please visit www.scinovi.com/rwyc.html for an application. More information on the camp can be found at www.mucc.org/camp.

A big thank you to  SCI-Novi, the Riley Foundation, and all of our clubs who sponsor campers, help maintain our facilities, volunteer their time and skills at camp, and believe in protecting our heritage for future generations to come.