Welcome

We are excited for you to experience the 2020 Virtual Academic Summer Camp experience! Each week campers will have the opportunity to engage in educational projects in your own home, experience visits and development from the farm, participate in virtual tours to museums and colleges, community visits from camp director Jordan Bell, and more! 

Virtual academic summer camp program content will be posted on this website. Videos will be hosted on our YouTube channel. All “Other Videos” listed on this webpage are from external sources. 

Some information will be shared on our social media pages. Be sure to follow, like, and subscribe to our pages!

Virtual Camp at a Glance:

Camp Start Date: Monday, June 22

Week 1 (June 22): Planting and the Life Cycle of a Seed, with virtual field trips to the Zilker Botanical Garden and The University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Week 2 (June 29): Photosynthesis, with field trips to Space and George Washington University

Week 3 (July 6): Weathering and Erosion, with virtual field trips to the Grand Canyon and Virginia Western Community College

Week 4 (July 13): Life Cycle of a Frog, with virtual field trips to the Amazon Rainforest and Vanderbilt University

Week 5 (July 20): Life Cycle of a Butterfly, Pollinators, and virtual field trips to the Butterfly Conservatory and Johnson and Wales University – Charlotte Campus 

Week 6 (July 27): Harvesting and Chemical Mixing, with a virtual field to Hawaiian volcanoes and The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, Georgia

Week 6 - Harvesting & Chemical Mixing

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park | History & Facts | Britannica

Photo Source: Brittanica.com

Hello Campers! Welcome to Week Six, our last week together. This week will explore harvesting and chemical mixing. Join Ms. T as she harvests  on the fruitful Apple Ridge Farm. Make some clay with Mrs. Brittany and build a volcano. Don’t forget to join her as she harvests the seeds she planted five weeks ago. Check out the last week message from Mr. Jordan on his old-new bike! Join us as we virtually visit volcanoes in Hawaii and the beautiful Savannah College of Art and Design.

Weekly Message from Mr. Jordan Bell
Project & Experiment Videos with Mrs. Brittany Penn

ARF Videos

Chemical Mixing Videos – This is a three part video series to demonstrate how to make a volcano. 

Part 1 – Making the Clay

Part 2 – Making the Clay Mountain.

Part 3 – This video demonstrates the chemical mixing necessary for the volcano to react

Other Videos

Learn how to make your own slime here! 

Add some color to your slime! Check out this video to learn how to make fun colors!

Visit from Apple Ridge Farm with Ms. T

ARF Videos

Harvesting Video – This video shows growth in one of the gardens at Apple Ridge Farm.

Watch this video to see what kinds of wonderful produce can be grown and sold in community gardens in Roanoke! This video shows produce grown in the George Washington Carver Community Garden located at 6th Street and Loudon Avenue in Roanoke, VA.

At the beginning of virtual camp, we planted seeds. Some of you may have seeded various greens and other vegetables. Now is a great time to check if your vegetables are ready for harvesting! Check out this video on how to harvest greens grown in your garden!

Virtual Tours

 

This week we take virtual tours to the largest volcano in the world and to The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). This college virtual tour is for our older campers exploring colleges and universities!

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park – See the Largest Volcano in the World.

Virtual College Tour – The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) Savannah

 

Follow your dreams at SCAD Savannah, where you’ll be surrounded by passionate creatives and advanced technology in a beautiful city where SCAD is everywhere. Explore SCAD Savannah at https://www.scad.edu/savannah.

Week 5: The Life Cycle of a Butterfly & Pollinators

Droughts, pesticides and loss of habitat are seen as reasons for the Western monarch's decline.

Photo Source: www.cnn.com

Hello Campers! Welcome to Week Five. This week we will explore the life cycle of and habitat of the butterfly. Ms. T will take us to see beautiful butterflies at Apple Ridge Farm. Mrs. Brittany will examine the habitat of a butterfly by building a cool diorama and explore the Life Cycle of the Butterfly by designing a wonderful poster. Mr. Jordan will deliver his welcome week message from the new mural in downtown Roanoke, VA. Join us on a virtual field to the Butterfly Conservatory and Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Weekly Message from Mr. Jordan Bell




Project & Experiment Videos with Mrs. Brittany Penn

ARF Videos

Life Cycle of a Butterfly Video – This video will demonstrate how to illustrate the Life Cycle of a Butterfly  using a poster board and household art supplies.




Butterfly Diorama Video  – This video will model how to use household items and items from nature to recreate the habitat of a butterfly.




Other Videos & Activities

Need to make butterflies for your poster or diorama. Check out these videos!







Butterfly Coloring Pages – Click here

Butterfly Games – Click here for game 1 and here for game 2

Visit from Apple Ridge Farm with Ms. T

ARF Video

Ms. T plays a game of I Spy at Apple Ridge Farm! Check this video to learn more about pollinators. Do you recognize any of them in your community?




Other Videos

Yoga like a Butterfly – Watch and participate along with the video to practice mindfulness. You can practice mindfulness and yoga at anytime. Indoors or outdoors, and with friends and family members!




Virtual Tours

This week we take virtual tours to Butterfly Conservatory and to Johnson & Wales University, Charlotte Campus. This college virtual tour is for our older campers exploring colleges and universities!

Butterfly Conservatory




Virtual College Tour – Johnson & Wales University – Charlotte Campus

 

 

Visit Johnson & Wales University’s Charlotte Campus: http://www.jwu.edu/charlotte 

Week 4: Life Cycle of a Frog & Aquatic Studies

tree-frog-flying-frog-shut

Photo Source: Free Frog | Shutterstock

Hello Campers! Welcome to Week Four. This week we will explore amphibians, reptiles, and the life cycle of a frog. Ms. Twill walk us around Apple Ridge Farm to introduce us to the watershed there and then will take us to the pond at Apple Ridge Farm to see live frogs and salamanders in action.  Mrs. Brittany will explore the life cycle of the Frog by designing great posters. While also examining the habitat of a frog by creating an outstanding diorama of a frog. Join us on a virtual field trip to the Amazon Rainforest and the Ivy League school of the south, Vanderbilt University.

Weekly Message from Mr. Jordan Bell

Available soon!

Project & Experiment Videos with Mrs. Brittany Penn

ARF Videos

Drawing the Life Cycle of a Frog Video – This video will demonstrate how to use a poster board and household art supplies to create the Life Cycle of a Frog. 

Creating a Diorama of a Frog Video –   This video will demonstrate how to use household items and items from nature to recreate the habitat of a frog.

Other Videos

Life cycle of a frog! – Check this video out and explore a day in the life of a frog. Come hop, eat, and live with a frog!!!!

Visit from Apple Ridge Farm with Ms. T

Aquatic Studies & Watersheds – This video explores aquatic studies and watersheds at Apple Ridge Farm.

Virtual Tours

This week we take virtual tours to the Amazon Rainforest and to Vanderbilt University. This college virtual tour is for our older campers exploring colleges and universities!

Amazon Rainforest – Take a trip to the Amazon RainForest to see different species and plant life.

Virtual College Tour, Vanderbilt University


 

 

At Vanderbilt University, first generation college students– those who are the first in their family to go to a four-year university—are an integral part of our diverse and inclusive university community. Watch as some of our first-gen students talk about their experiences in choosing Vanderbilt and how they contribute to the cultural and intellectual life of our campus community. To the first-gen college students, we want to celebrate your abilities, your strength, and your resilience. We want to ensure that your transition to Vanderbilt is smooth and seamless and we strive to connect you and your family to our many resources. www.vanderbilt.edu

 

 

Week 3: Weathering and Erosion

erosion | National Geographic Society

Photo Source: www.nationalgeographic.org

Hello Camper! Welcome to Week Three! Joins us as we explore Weathering and Erosion around us.  Mrs. Brittany will explore weathering and erosion with a tasty Skittles Experiment. Ms. T will lead us on a hike in the woods at Apple Ridge Farm. We will also take a virtual field to the Grand Canyon and witness how weathering and erosion created this beauty. Don’t forget the Virtual College Tour to Virginia Western Community College.

Weekly Message from Mr. Jordan Bell
Project & Experiment Videos with Mrs. Brittany Penn

ARF Video

Skittles Erosion Video  – This video will show the effects of weathering and erosion with the use of yummy Skittles.

Other Videos

Our Grand Canyon was Created by Weathering and Erosion – This video illustrates how weathering and erosion was the main force in the creation of the Grand Canyon.

Visit from Apple Ridge Farm with Ms. T

ARF Video

Hike in the Woods at Apple Ridge Farm – Ms. Inge takes campers on a hike on the Moonshine Hollow Trail to explore the types of plants that grow year-round.

Hiking or walking is a great way to be active, explore, and learn outdoors! There is so much to see, a lot of natural beauty. You can listen to and see the birds, compare different trees and leaves, look for small creatures, look at and play with rocks and more! You can walk in your neighborhood and hike on nearby trails. Hiking is family friendly and great for your health!

Virtual Tours

This week we take virtual tours to the Grand Canyon and to Virginia Western Community College. This college virtual tour is for our older campers exploring colleges and universities!

360 View of the Grand Canyon

 

Virtual College Tour, Virginia Western Community College (VWCC)

Virginia Western Community College is located in southwest Roanoke, Virginia. It is a two-year college that offers associate degrees. Some programs include Business & Professional Services, Visual Design, Culinary Arts, Health Professions, Information Technology, as well as Engineering, Mathematics, Mechatronics & Manufacturing. VWCC serves first year, transfer, and returning students. VWCC is an affordable in-state college. Upon completion of program, students can transfer to a four-year university of college in Virginia. Visit www.vwcc.edu to learn more!

Week 2: Photosynthesis & Community Gardens

      

Hello Campers! Welcome to Week Two! This week we will examine Photosynthesis. Join Mrs. Brittany as she designs a cool Photosynthesis Poster. Join Ms. T as she explores the Photosynthesis occurring at our beautiful Apple Ridge Farm in the forest. She will also show you about the George Washington Carver Community Garden in Roanoke. Engage with Mr. Jordan while he visits communities in Roanoke. Join us on a Virtual Field Trip to Space and George Washington University.

Weekly Message From Mr. Jordan Bell
Project & Experiment Videos with Mrs. Brittany Penn

Photosynthesis Poster – This video demonstrates how to use a poster board and art supplies to make the Cycle of Photosynthesis.

Additional Videos

Photosynthesis from SpaceThis video provides the viewer with a glimpse of the photosynthesis process from outer space. Take a look from  an out of this world perspective!

How to Make Oxygen at Home – Watch this video to learn how to make oxygen at home!

Community Gardens with Ms. T

ARF Video

George Washington Carver Community Garden (GWCCG) Tour – Now that we have seen what the Apple Ridge Farm Greenhouse #1 Garden looks like (in Week 1), let’s take a look at an example of a community garden in the City of Roanoke, the George

 

What is a Food Desert? – Watch this video to learn about Food Deserts.

Community Gardens: Different Types – Watch this video to find out about different types of community gardens that people can create: https://youtu.be/OeHgrIIPF9M 

Virtual Tours

This week will we take a field trip to The George Washington University! This virtual tour is for our older campers exploring colleges and universities!

Virtual College Tour, The George Washington University

Our campus sits at the virtual pulse-point of world affairs, in a high-energy city where people from across the country and around the world live and work side by side. Our students get a front-row seat to democracy in action, with internships on Capitol Hill, presidential town halls held on campus and numerous inauguration events taking place at GW and down the street. Not only does this foster unparalleled networking and learning opportunities, but it also creates a lively demand for the best in culture and entertainment, with concerts, gallery openings, book-signings, plays and exhibitions filling every day of the year. There are thousands of acres of park space and hundreds of athletic facilities that span the District, offering an abundance of sports, recreation and fitness opportunities. GW also plays an active role in shaping life in the city we call home, hosting renowned guests and events that inform national dialogues. There’s always something fun to do in the nation’s capital and, best of all, it is all accessible by metro, bus, bike or on foot.

Week 1: Planting and the Life Cycle of a Seed

      

Hello Campers!! Welcome to week one of virtual camp. Come with us this week as we explore plants and gardening. This week Ms. T will take us to the garden at Apple Ridge Farm and show us how to begin a garden outdoors. Mrs. Brittany will explore how we can garden from home. While Mr. Jordan will engage us with an empowering meditation and exciting TikTok Video. Don’t forget to attend the virtual field trip to Zilker Botanical Garden and The University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

You can go through the camp materials at your own pace! Please click on the links to access materials. Younger campers may need the assistance and support of family members.

Weekly Message From Mr. Jordan Bell

 

Project & Experiment Videos with Mrs. Brittany Penn

Planting with Seeds  – This video explains the process for planting using store bought seeds.

 

Visits from Apple Ridge Farm & Other Gardens with Ms. T

ARF Videos

Tour of the Apple Ridge Farm GreenhousesThis video introduces the campers to ARF’s two greenhouses and what is growing in Greenhouse #1 in late spring.




Virtual Tours

This week we take virtual field trips to the Zilker Botancial Garden and The University of Maryland Eastern Shore. This virtual tour is for our older campers exploring colleges and universities!

Virtual Field Trip to the Zilker Botanical Garden   – This is a virtual tour of a beautiful garden. Please explore and see what your Garden could look like after your start planting.

Virtual College Tour, The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES)

 

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore. A beautiful campus, an impressive array of academic programs, an environment rich with talented faculty, staff and students. Enjoy getting to know our campus and the UMES family in this video called Become a Hawk 4 Life. Hawk Pride! www.umes.edu

Co-Camp Directors

Mr. Jordan Bell

Mrs. Brittany Penn

Camp Staff

Inge Terrill (Ms. T), Camp Educator