Children's Program

Entertaining and educational activities are planned for children ages 5 to 11. Their days are filled with field trips to local parks and historic sites, campus exploration and recreation, music, art, storytelling, games, swimming at Decorah's marvelous municipal pool, and much more. Assisting with the art programming each day will be Lea Donhowe Lovelace '97, director of the Little Masters Art Studio and Co-Director of Decorah's Arthaus. The art classes are designed for specific ages and abilities of children, empowering them to succeed in their creative process at all levels. Children are divided into age-appropriate groups and led by certified teachers and college-age assistants. Normally, there are three groups with 10 to12 children in each group. The 10- and 11-year-old group will also be invited to Eagle Bluff's high-ropes course!

The children will also take a tour of the Decorah Trout Hatchery at Siewer Spring with one of the fish hatchery biologists, and spend some time learning about the raptors of Northeast Iowa and Southeast Minnesota with well-known naturalist Robert Anderson. Robert is the founder of the Raptor Resource Project in Decorah, and is responsible for the popular internet Decorah Eagle Cam. Anderson, Dave Kester and several other Decorah area residents were featured in the 2007 documentary "Raptor Force," which was co-produced by the public television program "Nature," and by National Geographic. Anderson's work was also featured in the 2008 "Nature" documentary, "American Eagle." The children will view the film, "Raptor Force," and other videos produced about the Decorah eagles and other area raptors and have the opportunity to talk with Robert and ask him questions about the eagle cam and Decorah's famous eagles. The children will take a motor coach trip to Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center near Lanesboro and  meet a number of live birds of prey including a red tailed hawk, a barred owl, and an American kestrel or Peregrine falcon. Karla (Sylling) Bloem '94, director of the Houston (Minn.) Nature Center and her feathered friend, Alice, a permanently injured Great Horned Owl will also join us in Lanesboro. The close relationship between Karla and Alice led to an in-depth vocal study on Great Horned Owls, an annual International Festival of Owls, and plans for a North American Owl Center in Houston. In 2005, Karla testified before the Minnesota House and Senate environment committees to gain protection for Great Horned Owls. In 2007, she presented her research at the World Owl Conference in the Netherlands, and won a Bush Leadership Fellowship for her work in 2008. Raptors from the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota, will also come to Eagle Bluff and the children will meet an American bald eagle face to face.

Childcare

On campus pre-school child care will be provided for children ages four and younger during the class periods from 8:15 a.m. until noon and again from 1:15 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. each day. The children will be involved with age-appropriate activities throughout their time in care, focusing on all areas of development. Each day, weather permitting, will also include outside movement time in a space attached to the care center. Snacks will be included throughout the day and a nap/resting period will be necessary for each child. The children will be in the care of Chantel Olufsen '07, an experienced early childhood educator and mother with years of experience working with young children.