Camp Finland 2022 would not have been possible without the generous support of: The Duluth Superior Community Area Foundation – Silver Bay Charitable Fund, Northland Foundation, North Shore Collaborative, Cliffs Foundation, Tracy Family Foundation, Beaver Bay and Crystal Bay townships, Trestle Inn, and many other individual donors. Many thanks our amazing staff: Lucy Carlson, Amber Klinker, Kenny Albrecht, Kyler Knaffla, Kelly Ulrich, Ryan Dietz, McKain Lakey, Andrew Norcross, Jenna Pollard, Layla Popp, Honor Schauland, Robin Sunquiet, Heather Brown, LJ Merkel, Abby Zak. All these folks get paid, it’s true, but they also go above and beyond to give the kids and teens an amazing Camp experience. Kids Camp would like to thank Nancy Olson, Julie Meyers, Deb Birkeland, Sue and Daryl Jolson, Jennifer Yandrasits, Elise Bouvy Coldwater, Kaare Melby, and Jeff Dickson. Teen Camp would like to thank Margaret Sager and Zoe Smith for help on set-up days and for…
Spanish Camp 2022 is back at the Clair Nelson Center in Finland from July 18-20! Children 5 – 13 years of age are welcome to join us for 3 fun-filled days of learning basic Spanish words and phrases, fun language activities, cultural arts and crafts, and outdoor adventures. The cost is $30 per child (waivers available). Spanish Camp is made possible by a grant from the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation – Global Awareness Fund. Register for Spanish Camp 2022 below!
The sun is peeking out from the clouds, and like the yellow dandelion blossoms that line the front lawn of the Finland Community Center, the kids at Youth Night are eager to play outside. Laughter and screeching tennis shoes rule the air on Thursdays. Colorful plastic cups covered in stickers and scribbled names can be found all over. Though they are often empty, they are relics of a full night. With an updated fleet of colorful LED lite tricycles, the gym area has been lit up with words like, “Wow! It glows!” and… “Wook at the kowas!” (“kowas” is a 5 year old’s interpretation of the word, “colors”.) Like Times Square on the fourth of July, Heather delivered an epic grand finale snack display before passing the, “snack person” baton back to Sheryl for the season. Our teenage staff employees Ryan and Layla seem evenly matched when put on opposing…
Dear Finland Community, Camp Finland is back June 20th-24th for another week of local arts, exploration and adventure for kids 5-17! Kids Camp serves the 5-11 year-olds as a day camp with one overnight. The theme for Kids Camp this year is “Northern Explorations” as we will be heading north to explore the Grand Portage and Grand Marais area. We will start in Grand Marais by visiting Joy & Co, and Yellow Bird Gallery. In Grand Portage we will visit the heritage site and explore around the beautiful Canadian Border. Teen Camp serves the 12-17 year-olds as a week long overnight camp out of our own Teen Base Camp. This year we’re heading up north to sail on the great ship Hjordis out of the bay of Grand Marais, a day trip into the Boundary Waters near Ely, and tons of art, youth empowerment, swimming and nature based activities from our base…
As the pandemic recedes and makes way for new hope, our hearts will be warmed to see new life in the form of a long awaited equipment shed that reflects the values of our community. This May 21st we’ll be sending off an old friend of the Finland community and welcoming a new one. That old sinking ship that once housed our tennis, skateboarding, and hockey equipment will finally be let to founder for good into the seabed of our hearts as it makes way for this new tall masted replacement. This new creation will be a more fitting structure to adorn the scene at our bustling little community center and will allow our Youth Program, Farmers Market and tennis court users the space to grow into the future. The design and construction are happening at the old Finland school (#5) on the Heffelfinger Road as a weeklong workshop using…