OSU's KidSpirit programs offer alternatives to boredom

Sporting a Dora the Explorer-like brown bob and a pink polka dot shirt, Allyssa Newman marched toward Dixon Recreation Center's Climbing Center Tuesday afternoon. The 8-year-old was very enthusiastic about her KidSpirit climbing class, and wanted to pass along her excitement.

"You are going to love it," she enthused, blue eyes open wide. "It's awesome!"

She and a dozen other soon-to-be fourth-graders were heading into their second day of climbing at the center, one of many classes offered this summer in a 12-week summer youth day camp.

Students can go all-day or half-day, take one week or all 12, depending on their schedules and needs. The classes focus on health, physical education and the creative arts, and range from swimming and beadwork to archery and tennis.

Rock climbing is a popular course, especially now that the new climbing center is open. A group of trained KidSpirit leaders, all Oregon State University students, guided the group of 8-year-olds through a variety of climbing techniques, from rappelling down one wall to climbing another, all carefully roped and supervised.

The kids were already throwing around a lot of climbing vocabulary, using words like "belay" and "carabiner."

Group leader Athena, whose real name is Erin Elyea, prepped a small group of girls for a climb up an impressive "rock" face.

"No swinging, no hanging on the ropes," she said as they sat on a mat staring up at the steep wall face. "Don't use the metal hooks. Your fingers could get stuck. When you're ready to come down, what do you say?"

"Take!" everyone shouted.

One by one, the girls took turns scrambling up the manmade wall, finding foot and handholds like so many colorful monkeys, and getting boosted by a pull on their guide ropes when they got in a tight spot.

Gyu Yeun Kim, a Korean native who has lived in Corvallis most of her life, said she'd climbed the wall six times the previous day. She'd made it to the top three times.

"It was a weird feeling," she said of looking down on her friends. "They were really small."

Meanwhile, Athena demonstrated a figure-8 knot in the guide ropes.

"See, it's an alien," she said, wrapping the rope around in loops.

"Now you poke him in the eye. Ta dah!" she said having demonstrated a successful knot.

It was Gyu Yeun's turn to climb, and the petite fourth-grader made a good start before stalling about a quarter of the way up, her confidence suddenly evaporating.

"I'm scared," she said, falling back until she was swinging free, bouncing against the wall. Athena, who had the other end of Gyu Yeun's rope securely attached, let her swing until she calmed down, and then urged her to try again. A few more stalls and more words of encouragement, and she finally made it to the top.

"I want to go down now," she shouted, her voice tiny in the distance. "TAKE!"

"That was freaky," she said when she reached the ground and received Athena's praise. "My arms, like, hurted."

This is Gyu Yeun's fourth summer in KidSpirit, and many students return every year to participate.

"Enrollment is fabulous," said KidSpirit executive director Karen Swanger, known to kids as Big Mama K. "We actually turned people away for the first time."

The numbers are up between 50 and 75 students, depending on the week, as some students enroll every week, and some are more sporadic. On average, around 300 kids a week enroll in the fee-based program.

The kindergarten through third-grade programs are especially popular, and KidSpirit is also expanding its sixth-through-eighth grade offerings. The older kids are now separate from the younger groups.

"It's making them feel a little more mature," Swanger said.

KidSpirit is also a great way for kids visiting Corvallis relatives to spend time learning and playing. Swanger's nephew looks forward to visiting her each summer because she enrolls them in a variety of programs.

"He asks, ‘Aunt Karen, when do I come to your house?' " Swanger laughed.

This year, because school is starting later than normal, KidSpirit has added a 12th week of programs to carry students through the start of school. For more information on KidSpirit or to enroll, call 737-5437.

Theresa Hogue is the higher education reporter for the Gazette-Times. She can be reached by e-mail at theresa.hogue@lee.net or by phone at 758-9526.