Wayzata High School senior Grace Larson is working to give kids an experience that she always wished she had as a child. As a summer volunteer with Discovery Day Camp, she works with kids, in conjunction with camp staff, to help out and keep watch over campers as they dive headfirst into numerous outdoor activities. Larson wears many hats as a volunteer at the camp, but she humbly says that she mainly works to “keep everything running smoothly.”
Larson was initially drawn to the day camp because “If I was a kid, that seems like something I really would’ve wanted to do.” Giving local kids an experience that she knows she would have enjoyed is what makes the job fun for her, as well as what keeps her sane as she holds court over various crafts and outdoor games.
Discovery Day Camp is held at French Regional Park. Located on the northern shore of Medicine Lake, the day camp offers kids the chance to explore by land and water. Larson has contributed a total of 270 hours over the past two summers and volunteered this past season. This isn’t always a walk in the park; she says that the challenge lies in “figuring out how to get kids to listen to you, and figuring out different ways to communicate.”
Larson is unfazed by the impressive feat of volunteering hundreds of precious summertime hours as a part of Plymouth’s Summer Teen Volunteer Program. “I just really like volunteering there,” she says. “It’s a nice thing to do in the summer and it’s something that I look forward to.” She says her brother has also participated as a volunteer coach for youth baseball. Most of the teen volunteer programs assist with children’s activities in the community. Opportunities range from drama workshops to youth gardening programs, with one-day programs for preschoolers in between.
Interested in applying for next summer’s program?
Call 763.509.5230 for more information, or download an application here. Applications will be due in April.
