What’s recently happened?
While the Morgan Township school is closed for the summer break, it is still being used for other community and school events.
From June 10-14, Morgan Township Elementary School (MTES) hosted Camp Invention, a week-long STEM camp for students in kindergarten through sixth grade with different programs across the United States. The Camp Invention theme for this year was “illuminate.” During Camp Invention, students participated in a variety of modules which allowed them to creatively problem-solve and invent.
The modules included:
In the Game, where campers learned about what it takes to create a game and got to design their own special game boards.
Operation Hydrodrop, which taught campers about the earth’s water and allowed them to build their own lab on wheels.
Prototyping Studios, which had the campers invent their own tools and design individual toolboxes.
Let’s Glow, which had the campers create their own light boxes and learn about how light works.
Other Porter County students in seventh and eighth grade participated in the program Leadership Interns in Training (LIT) and helped instructors guide the campers through the modules. High school students in grades nine through 12 participated in the program Leadership Interns (LI) and were assigned an age group to guide and help throughout the day.
“Camp is a special place for me. When I was in my first year of being an LI, I was so out of my comfort zone and even a little scared,” Jake Lange, an LI, said. “Over the weeks I’ve spent at Camp Invention, I’ve fundamentally changed as a person, not only through putting myself out there, but also interacting and forming lasting bonds with my campers. It’s an awesome feeling to walk through the halls of MTES and get multiple greetings accompanied by high fives and fist bumps. It’s just been such a cool experience and I’d recommend it to anyone!”
On the final day of Camp Invention, June 14, all campers received prizes and were allowed to take their various inventions home. Inventions ranged from cardboard tools to Skee-Ball type games that required engineering and design skills.
What’s coming up?
The Porter County Fair is coming up in July and is on many people’s minds. To the 4-H members who have to show their livestock and the many vendors who set up shop during the week of the Porter County Fair, July is a busy month.
“I’m so excited for the best 10 days of summer! I’m even more excited for the wonderful opportunities to learn more about the Porter County Fair while running for Porter County Fair Queen,” said Reagan Weitzel, 10-year 4-H member and contestant for Porter County Fair Queen.
The Porter County Fair will be held from July 18-27 at the Porter County Fairgrounds. It will open at 8 a.m. and run to 11 p.m. on weekdays and to midnight on weekends. Food vendors will start preparing food around 11 a.m. and rides will open at 1 p.m. daily.
The Porter County Fair will have a variety of music artists performing including Sawyer Brown, Riley Green, Jeremy Camp, Old Dominion, and Nelly. Each music artist plays on a different day, beginning on July 18 with Sawyer Brown and ending on July 22 with Nelly.
There are more than just rides and food at the Porter County Fair. A large part of the Porter County Fair centers around 4-H and its members. These members work year-round to prepare their projects and animals for the fair. This year, Porter County has 966 4-H members that look forward to the Porter County Fair each and every year.
Community member spotlight:
Dana Kriger is a vital member in the Morgan Township community. She can be found teaching fifth grade during the school year, coaching eighth grade girls volleyball in the fall, and being the director of Camp Invention in June.
“As a teacher, I teach fifth grade science, social studies, and English language arts at MTES and have been since 2013,” Krieger said. “I also volunteer as a coach for Girls on the Run, and I am active in my church, St. Paul Lutheran Church, in Thornton, Illinois.”
Krieger is very busy in the summer, especially during the week of Camp Invention. During Camp Invention, she referred to herself as the principal of camp and is in charge of all the staffing. Krieger also organized games for every day of Camp Invention, which included relay races and water games.
“I love all of the innovation that happens during Camp Invention at all ages, kindergarten through sixth grade. I also love that there are opportunities to grow in becoming an LIT then an LI. I get to see so many kids grow from summer to summer,” Krieger said.
Outside of her many commitments, Krieger enjoys walking along the beach of the Indiana Dunes and collecting beach glass. She also likes to take trips with her family and spend time with them by volunteering in her children’s activities.
“I try to be a positive role model in all that I am involved in. Life isn’t always going to be good or easy, but you always have a choice to be positive,” Krieger said. “I believe that how you frame your mind is just as important as the actions you take to be successful.”