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 General Background
Outdoor Education Laboratory - A
Nature Discovery Program - started its first year of operation in summer of
1976. It was developed by teachers in the local Kansas City area, many
of whom also had a hand in the Summer Enrichment program at Shawnee Mission
South. Those teachers became the first Directors and helped form the
backbone of how the camp would operate for years to come. Some of what
they originally created has been lost through the sands of time while other
aspects linger on. Throughout the years, Campers have come and Campers
have gone, Counselors have come and Counselors have gone, but Outdoor
Education Laboratory has been going strong.
OEL serves mostly the Shawnee Mission School District, Blue
Valley School District, Olathe School District, and other nearby surrounding
areas in southern Kansas City and is open for Campers between the grades of
kindergarten (must be 6 years old by June 1 for the summer enrolled) and sixth grade. Today,
OEL operates two campsites: Red Cedar and Sycamore Springs. Red Cedar, located one mile west of 183rd and Metcalf,
is one of the most scenic natural areas of Johnson County. The
sheltered valley includes mature woodlands surrounding a clear rock
stream. Sycamore Springs, located at 183rd and State Line, is a former Boy Scout Camp and is the site of
the original OEL program. The pond, stream, woodlands, and native
prairie provide an ideal location for OEL. A camp day starts at roughly 9:00AM and runs till around
3:30PM. Campers are signed up on a weekly basis on a first-come availability.
Weeks usually fill quickly, so make sure to sign up before letting too much
time pass.
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 Activities
The average group size at camp are
seven students per instructor. Campers are grouped with others their
own age but are always allowed to be with their friends. They will be placed into groups while at camp. Weekly
activities are scheduled to take advantage of weather and wildlife
conditions. Campers will participate in 16 - 20 activities each
week. Activities vary depending on staff expertise and weather
conditions. All activities stress interaction in nature and human
interaction with them.
On
the first day, Campers will form their activity groups that they will
participate with all week. They will be assigned a Morning
Counselor. Each Camper will spend more time with their Morning
Counselor and will check in with him or her each day. Any group
activities will also be done with this Morning Counselor. The Camper
groups will rotate through the staff and activities of that week to have a
chance to work with each Counselor and learn that Counselor's
activities. For a partial list of the activities that we cover at
camp, check out the Activities page.
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 What to wear?
Campers should be prepared for a
day in the forest. It is nature. Campers will get very dirty and
wet. They should not wear a new outfit. Campers should be
dressed in long pants to protect their legs, comfortable boots or tennis
shoes -- no sandals -- to protect their feet, and possibly a hat to protect
their head. If it looks like it is going to be a colder day or a rainy
day, please make sure the Camper is properly dressed and that they have what
they need for the day. Camp does not stop due to less than perfect
weather conditions.
We do not offer bug-spray so you may want to spray your child before they arrive out at camp. If your child is sensitive to the sun, you should apply a layer of suntan lotion and include their lotion in their bag they take to camp. Camp does not supply any suntan lotion. If they have any problems re-applying the lotion, they can ask any counselor for
assistance, but it is preferred they do it themselves.
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 Safety
Safety is one of our highest priorities.
We want each camper to feel safe and to be safe. We also want our
staff to feel and be safe. One of the first things that we do on
Monday morning when the campers first get to camp is to go over the camp
rules. Since there are usually around 80 or more people at a given
campsite each week, we need to make sure that certain ground rules exist so
that everyone can have a fun and enjoyable time learning about nature.
If any Camper is having problems with another Camper or needs some sort of
first aid, they should talk to either their Morning Counselor, any other
Counselor, or the Director for help.
Each camp site has at least one first aid kit, a cell phone,
a landline phone, and an automobile. Campers are only allowed to do
certain aquatic activities with a certified lifeguard on duty. The
Counselors are trained in basic water safety. During the hotter weeks, Campers are encouraged to drink
lots of water as they will need it. If your child complains of being
tired, has a headache, or of an upset stomach, these could be signs of
dehydration and they should drink more water. During any week, Campers
are allowed to carry water with them from activity to activity. They
will not be allowed to drink soda pop as in it does not help the body with
dehydration.
If you would like to review the
camp rules, you can do so by clicking here.
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 Who is in charge?
Each campsite is staffed by Counselors
who are usually either in junior/senior status high school students or are
in college, Staff Assistants members (commonly called Grubs) who are middle
school students and freshman/sophomore status high school students, and
overseen and run by a Director who is a certified teacher in the Greater
Kansas City area. If for any reason a Director must leave the campsite
for emergency reasons, the campsite is left in temporary control to a Counselor
above the age of 21.
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 Everything stays out at
camp...
As the Campers go from activity to
activity, they will have many opportunities to grab stuff in the
forest. They will see many beautiful things and may want to share them
with their family. They may see a flower and have the urge to pick it
to take back to admire while eating their lunch. We do not allow
this. Everything that is found at camp stays at camp (unless they have
their Counselor's permission). This is because if we allow every child
to take what they will from camp, then there will be nothing left for future
campers to see. Campers come out to learn about nature and to respect
it, not to destroy it.
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 T-shirts
Each year, OEL offers t-shirts for
the Campers to purchase. The shirts are made of high quality preshrunk
cotton and will
last for years to come. The prices of the shirts are low and as OEL is
a 501(c)(3) corporation, we are not making any profit off of them -- we only
cover costs. Your child will be told about the t-shirts while at camp
and they will also be told the price.
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 Cookout
Each week on Friday starting at
12:00 noon, OEL invites the parents out for a campfire cookout. The
cookout usually lasts one hour. OEL provides the fire, Campers and
their families provide the rest. While out at camp, you and your child
may take a hike through the forest, hold the animals, talk with the staff
and other families, among other things. All family members that go out
to camp are expected to follow the camp rules.
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 Bus Stops
The camp has several bus stops
which it uses as pick-up and drop-off points for certain areas. Each
bus stop is managed by one of our Counselor staff members. They
usually arrive ten minutes before the time indicated to leave in the morning
and will stay at the bus stop in the afternoon until all Campers are
picked up and accounting for. On the first day, your child will be
required to give the Counselor in charge their confirmation form which will be
e-mailed or mailed to you upon receipt of your payment. Your child is expected to get on
and off at the same bus stop each day. If certain arrangements must be
made, they need to be in writing to the Counselor as soon as you know
of the change.
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 Swimming Pool
The Red Cedar campsite is currently
the only campsite to feature a working pool. An American Red Cross
certified lifeguard or other equally trained certified lifeguard is on duty
at all times during any pool related activity. The pool ranges from 3
feet in the shallow end to 5 feet in the deep end. Since it is so
shallow, there is no diving, no 'belly flops', and no flips. Campers
also must be wearing proper swimming attire. Regular camp clothes will
not be allowed. The lifeguard on duty may require the Camper to have a
towel if the weather is cold. Also, the lifeguard may decide to close
the pool for safety reasons if there is a storm or if it is too cold.
The Campers will go over more aspects of the pool out at camp.
For a list of the posted Pool
Rules, click here.
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 Inclement Weather
Outdoor Education Laboratory does not cancel camp due to inclement weather. During light rain, camp continues normally so campers should come prepared. During severe weather, campers will be protected appropriately and camp will continue in an adapted fashion. On hot days, campers are encouraged to carry water as they can do normally everyday. |
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 Withdraw
If you find that you will be unable to attend a session enrolled, use the online Request Withdraw option. Using your Enrollment Account, use the View Registration option, then Request Withdraw for each week desired. To receive a refund of any payments, you need to request the withdraw no later than two weeks before the start of the session. Even though our program is popular, we cannot find replacements on short notice since many people on the waitlist make alternative plans. Eligible refunds will be done by our director responsible for financial aspects and usually happen within a two week time window from the request. |
Locations
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Red Cedar
Forest - Located one mile west of 183rd and Metcalf, Red Cedar Forest
is one of the most scenic natural areas of Johnson County. The sheltered
valley includes mature woodlands surrounding a clear rock stream. The
Outdoor Education Laboratory has operated summer programs at this site since 1989.
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Sycamore Springs
- Located at 183rd and State Line Road, this former Boy Scout Camp is the site of the original Outdoor Education Laboratory Program. The pond, stream, woodlands, and native prairie provide an ideal location for our programs.
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 Bus Stop Information
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Bus Stop Information |
Shawnee Mission South High School
107th and Lamar
Overland Park, KS 66207
Departs 8:20am - Returns 4:15pm |
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Regency Place Elementary
13252 Greenwood
Olathe, KS 66062
Departs 8:40am - Returns 3:55pm |
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Blue Valley Baptist Church
8925 W 151st Street
Overland Park, KS 66221
Departs 8:55am - Returns 3:40pm |
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No Bus - Camp
Drop off 9:05am - Pick up 3:30pm |
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Shawnee Mission East Highschool
7500 Mission RD
Prairie Village, KS 66208
Departs 8:15am - Returns 4:15pm |
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First Church of the Nazarene
11811 State Line Road
Kansas City, MO 64114
Departs 8:35am - Returns 4:00pm |
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Christ Community Church
14200 Kenneth Rd
Leawood, KS 66224
Departs 8:55am - Returns 3:40pm |
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No Bus - Camp
Drop off 9:05am - Pick up 3:30pm |
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| Activity Set A |
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Activity Set B |
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Activity Set C |
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Activity Set D |
Camouflage |
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Animal Babies |
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Animal Defenses |
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Bird Identification |
Dead Tree Ecology |
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Cycles |
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Animal Locomotion |
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Butterflies/Insects |
Dinosaurs |
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Fishing |
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Backpacking |
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Creek Ecology |
Fishing |
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General Plants |
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Biodiversity |
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Dangerous Animals |
GPS |
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Grasshoppers |
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Environmental Impact |
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Fishing |
Insects |
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Insect Cages |
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Fishing |
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Flower Identification |
Leaf Prints |
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Map and Compass |
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Nature Sounds |
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Fossils |
Microscopic Life |
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Paint with Nature |
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Seining |
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Microhabitats |
Natural Communities |
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Predator - Food Chain |
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Spiders and Webs |
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Lizards |
Scavenger Hunt |
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Reptile Search |
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Tracks |
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Seining |
Seining |
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Seining |
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Tree Books |
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Tie-Dye |
Snakes Alive |
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Tree Game |
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Turtles |
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