Camp Scholarships Available

lschultz • February 25, 2022

As camp registration rolls on, we wanted to share two scholarship opportunities available for children to join us down at Cedar Lake this year. The Riley Wilderness Youth Camp scholarship and the Connor Shea Memorial Scholarship both provide full scholarships for one week at camp. Applications for either scholarship can be found  here .

Riley Scholarship Opportunity:

Photo from 2015 when Mr. George Riley visited camp to have the lodge named in his honor

At the  Riley Wilderness Youth Camp  hosted by the Michigan Out-of-Doors 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 have 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 through 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. 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 60 boys and girls to connect with nature and to learn about hunting and conservation.  

The youth are provided a full scholarship to attend one of two sessions of camp depending on age. 

The Riley Jr. Camp is for youth ages 9-11 and focuses on a sampling of outdoor activities, ranging from archery and canoeing to fishing and hunter safety classes.

The other camp option is the Riley Advanced Camp for youth aged 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 techniques, as well as 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 3D archery course during their week at camp.

Connor Shea Memorial Scholarship:

Connor Shea was a camper at the Michigan Out-of-Doors Youth Camp. After his passing in 2021, the Shea family set up a fund to sponsor campers with military connections (Someone in their family: mom dad, grandpa, uncle aunt grandma, currently serving or has served in any branch). There are 3 scholarships available for the 2022 season. To be considered for this scholarship campers must have some military connection and write a brief essay about why they would like to attend camp. Applications can be filled out  here . 

These scholarships are available to youth who are interested in connecting and learning more about the outdoors and all are encouraged to apply.

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