Boogie Aboard OC camp

Peanut butter and jelly milkshakes are part of the menu when the new session of Odessa College’s Boogie Aboard camp starts Monday.

Boogie Aboard gives children the opportunity to do a variety of things in class, from creative writing and art to dance and cooking.

“We have four different classes a day, and they rotate about every 45 minutes,” Director of Community Services Lisa Cline said.

The afternoon is spent doing field trips, sports or swimming.

“Learning and fun is first, then afternoon is about the activities,” she said.

Students get to do a variety of things in their classes as well. Those cooking actually created and cooked a menu for each day — with such kid-friendly items as personal pizzas, those PB & J milkshakes or pigs in a blanket as staples. Cline said about 35 students take part in the camp now, but they still have room for more.

Classroom teachers lead most of the courses, with the exception of a few. Next week, the junior master gardeners will teach kids about working the ground. Keep Odessa Beautiful is teaching a section on recycling.

Studying the seven sources of litter, kids colored a poster detailing the ways people build trash like at work or home.

“It’s the main thing we want to get across,” Keep Odessa Beautiful Executive Director Patti Reakes-Collins said.

Kids grew plants using composted soil and developed a worm farm.

“I’ve learned how important recycling is to keep the Earth clean,” Hannah Lemons, 9, said.

In the art class, Garrett Beets, 10, took time to build a dinosaur using Popsicle sticks.

“I love building stuff, and dinosaurs are cool,” he said.

Peyton Fotis, 7, created a clown from pop cans, using red, green and blue cotton balls for hair. She said art excites her because of what she can do.

“I wanted to do crazy hair,” she said.

Kristina Rios just finished her final semester at OC and will transfer to UTPB in the fall. She is helping with the camp by making sure kids get to their rooms and assisting teachers. She wants to become a teacher herself, possibly teaching science or physical education.

“I get to meet a lot of kids and see their personalities. The kids have something to do and feel special,” Rios said.

GETTING ON BOARD

>> Odessa College’s Boogie Aboard camp costs $225 for the final two weeks starting today and ending Aug. 7. The camp goes from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and children from ages 5 to 12 are welcome.