In 2011, the School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science at Ball State University partnered with the Blackford County Community Foundation and the Blackford County YMCA to provide a Health and Wellness Camp for thirty Blackford County 3rd through 8th graders June 20-24, 2011. The message of the camp was living a healthy lifestyle through physical activity. Dr. David Pierce, an assistant professor of Sport Administration, led the camp along with a group of Ball State students from multiple disciplines participating in this immersive learning project from Ball State University.

The Ball State students developed indoor and outdoor activities, educational and teambuilding activities for the local students to carry out during the course of the week. The highlight for many participants is the geocaching activities that have students using GPS (Global Positioning System) units within their small groups to locate hidden caches and perform the required activities at each cache’s location while tracking their own levels of physical fitness. Geocaching is a real-world treasure hunting game. The players try to locate hidden containers called geocaches using their GPS units.

For more information on the program, contact Dave Bustos at the Blackford County YMCA, 1709 N. Walnut St., Hartford City, IN 47348, or by phone at 765-348-9622.