Local students may be out of school this week, but some still are learning valuable lessons through day camps.
For 26 fourth- through sixth-grade students enrolled in the Liberty County 4-H Spring Break day camp, the week is filled with healthy-living instruction, grasshopper dissection and community service.
“4-H is a ‘learning by doing’ organization, so we love to get the kids out and about — learning about things that are literally in their backyards,” Liberty County 4-H Agent Kasey Bozeman said.
The group also is slated to take trips to the Burton 4-H Center on Tybee Island, Flatland Farms in Sylvania for an agriculture-awareness class and the Cay Creek Wetlands Interpretive Center for lessons in wetlands ecosystems.
“We also want kids to see themselves as an important part in their community,” she added.
On Monday, students participated in a downtown-Hinesville scavenger hunt that encouraged them to become familiar with the businesses and buildings that make up the community’s core.
Armed with a list of community items to find and iPads to photograph their discoveries, the students ventured out in search of things like the downtown sundial and city hall and to discover which three parishes became Liberty County.
On Thursday, the students are slated to conduct a community cleanup of the same area.
Fifth-graders Shamauri Davis, LaAsia Love and Camille Sanchez worked together Monday to locate items on their scavenger-hunt lists.
The girls, who did not know each other before teaming up for the hunt, said the experience taught them about their downtown community and gave them a chance to make new friends.
The trio shared what they most look forward to about spring break.
“Getting more time to prepare for the CRCT,” Camille said.
“The flowers are pretty,” LaAsia added.
“What I like about spring break is that it’s always nice outside,” Shamauri said. “You can go to the pool, hang out with your family — you can do a lot of stuff.”
As for the 4-H camp, Shamauri and Camille said they’re eager to visit the farm.
“It’s going be awesome,” Shamauri said.
“It’s good because we learn more about teamwork,” Camille said.
“We learn to respect each other more,” Shamauri added.