Dunes Learning Center is a premier environmental education center located in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. This center provides numerous fun and educational programs for people of all ages that teach about the natural wonders of the south shore.
Some of the programs that the center offers are summer camps, day camps as well as overnight camps for kids ages 6-17.
“Dunes Discovery Camps” are five day/four night camps offered at various points throughout the summer for kids ages 9-13. Here, campers experience traditional camp activities like hiking and campfires paired with educational programs and environmental discoveries that only Dunes Learning Center can offer.
The center also offers summer camps for teens as well as younger children. These camps are packed with age-specific activities such as kayaking for the older kids and crafts for the younger campers.
In addition to summer camps, Dunes Learning Center offers programs all year-round that educate people of all ages on various aspects of the environment at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
One of these programs is “DuneSCOPES” which challenges high school students to think about the greater effects of climate change on the region. These students participate in species monitoring and restoration activities and even test hypotheses they have generated based on their studies of the environment.
Dunes Learning Center also offers a program called “Winter Ecology in the Dunes” where students study seasonal changes made by various species. Students in this program also have the opportunity to cross-country ski through the park.
In addition to these on-site programs, Dunes Learning Center works with schools in Northwest Indiana to bring environmental education to them. “Dunes to You” is a program in which Dunes educators visit schools to teach the students about the environment of the region.
“Mighty Acorns” and “Calumet Is My Backyard” are programs for elementary and high school students, respectively, that allows them to participate in Dunes education throughout the entire school year.
Young people who are educated about the environment are more inclined to make environmentally-friendly decisions as adults. With all of these programs, Dunes Learning Center is helping to preserve the integrity of the south shore for generations to come.
