HIGHLANDS RANCH– The prospect of summer break may not always be an exciting one for middle school-aged students. Too often, boredom sets in faster than they thought it would. Hanging out at an elementary school Before and After School Education (BASE) camp is usually not appealing either.
That’s where Teen Scene U comes in. It’s a BASE camp specifically built for middle school students in Douglas County.
“This is that age where they’re too young to stay home,” says the camp’s co-director Sterling Decosta. “You still want to have that comfort going to work knowing that your kid’s having a fun time, they’re getting a great experience, and they’re safe.”
Decosta and co-director Mike Leon just completed their second summer of Teen Scene U.
“We basically tripled our numbers. Our registrations went from about 60 to what, about 180?” Decosta asks. “About 165, 169, somewhere around there,” replies Leon.
It’s a growth that’s happened mostly from word-of-mouth.
A typical day at the camp includes classes like Spanish, cooking, and technology. They play floor hockey and the very popular game “Ditch ‘Em” - a sort of advanced hide and seek.
The most popular activities, however, are the field trips.
“We went on probably about 25 field trips this summer,” says DeCosta.
Waterworld, Dave and Busters, and the MAC were just some of the spots they went to this summer.
“Half the things here I’ve never been to,” says 7th Grader Isaac Cook, who attended the camp with his brother over the summer.
Camp was held at Cresthill Middle School. The directors are hoping to expand to middle schools in Parker and Castle Rock in time for next summer.