Unlocking the Magic of STREAM: Camp Hogwarts Recap

The three-day camp was held at Oldenburg Academy.

Photo provided.

(Ripley County, Ind.) - On Tuesday July 15 through Thursday July 17, Genesis: Pathways to Success furthered its A Summer of STREAM (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) programming with Camp Hogwarts. 54 students from across Southeast Indiana gathered at Oldenburg Academy to learn traditional STEM concepts through the lens of the of the fictional Young Adult series Harry Potter.

The term at Camp Hogwarts commenced with new students undergoing the “Sorting Hat Ceremony,” where they were sorted into the various Hogwarts houses: Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Hufflepuff. These houses were used to sort the students into their groups for the duration of camp. Following this ceremony, students began their lessons with a trip to Ollivanders—the wand shop in Harry Potter. During this activity, students painted a large chop stick that had been decorated with a hot glue design, thus fostering their artistic minds. Afterwards, students demonstrated their teamwork skills through the Moaning Myrtle challenge! Students stood in a line with their Houses and were tasked with passing a cup of water down the line to overflow a bucket with a picture of Moaning Myrtle, with Gryffindor leaving as victors.

On the second day of the term, students attended a recreation of Hogwarts classes! Students learned botany through herbology, where they learned about and planted succulents. In Ancient Runes, students learned about linguistics by deciphering codes written in Nordic Runes! Students continued their classes with Care for Magical Creatures, where they made their very own pygmy puff (a small toy made of yarn, googly eyes, and construction paper.) Additionally, the budding wizards honed their teamwork and communication skills through Defense Against the Dark Arts, where they navigated a blindfolded maze with the help of their peers. Lastly, students learned the unique applications of 3-D printing through Transfiguration, where they used 3-D Printer Pens to craft their very own House Badge! “My favorite class was herbology because I liked that I learned how to care for plants and what nutrients they need. I also liked how I got to take home my own plant!” said Benton Skinner, an incoming 6th grader at Batesville Middle School.

The term concluded with students being rewarded with a trip to Gringotts Bank and Honeydukes—the candy store in the Harry Potter universe. Students were allotted coins at Gringotts for them to “purchase” Harry Potter themed treats and goodies! Following their stop at the sweet shop, students participated in the final All House Challenge; the Daily Prophet Newspaper Relay. In this challenge, students were given two newspapers and had to use them to cross the Oldenburg Academy gym while only standing on the newspaper, with Slytherin claiming the victory. The final activity was Harry Potter trivia, where students showed off their knowledge of Harry Potter.

Throughout the term, students participated in Quidditch—the sport played by Hogwarts students. In Quidditch, the students score goals in two ways: throwing a frisbee into a mini soccer goal, or catching the Golden Snitch—a yellow lacrosse ball. The aim of Quidditch is for students to understand the importance

of teamwork, and how each position plays a crucial role. In Quidditch, it is imperative that the Chasers—the students responsible for passing the frisbee—to communicate as they were unable to move if they held the frisbee. While their teammates passed the frisbee, the Seekers were responsible for catching the Golden Snitch. These two distinct positions were only able to score through their designated method, thus requiring the students to place trust in their teammates. On the final day of camp, a Quidditch championship was played, with Hufflepuff claiming the Quidditch cup.

In an interview, Faith Lafary—a middle school teacher at South Ripley—stated, “Camp Hogwarts is my favorite part of summer break! It allows the students to be immersed in a fictional world that they know and love while doing activities that stimulate both their bodies and minds.” Genesis is committed to finding unique avenues to encourage learning and fostering creativity within the younger generation.

In addition to creating a fun learning environment, Camp Hogwarts aims to instill quality values within our students. Throughout camps, students were awarded “House Points” through various methods such as demonstrating kindness to others, maintaining good sportsmanship, quality teamwork, and maintaining a positive attitude. The House with the most House Points was awarded the House Cup, which Gryffindor claimed. Through the House Points, the students learn that these qualities are imperative to success and will take them further than skill alone.

Genesis would like to thank Oldenburg Academy for their hospitality and allowing us to bring Camp Hogwarts to life. Genesis would also like to thank all of our wonderful volunteers: Faith and Kris Lafary, Leslie Rennie, Sarah Dobson, Emili Uden, Laura Beck, Katie McCord, Justin and Brooklyn Hartman, Rebekah Porter, and Sammi Hardebeck. We would also like to thank all of our student volunteers. Genesis would not be able to bring unique opportunities such as Camp Hogwarts without them. Genesis looks forward to bringing Camp Hogwarts back in 2026! If you would like to learn additional information about this summer camp, please visit www.genesisp2s.org. If you have questions regarding A Summer of STREAM, please contact the Genesis: Pathways to Success Office by emailing info@genesisp2s.org, calling 812-933-1098, or visiting 13 E. George Street, Suite B, Batesville, IN 47006.