Author: Heidi Jeter

Ninth grader Ivy from Fountain City says participating in the My River Adventures summer camp at UW-La Crosse was one of the highlights of his entire summer.

“It was a really good balance of fun and learning. It was great to learn about the many careers in the field,” he says. “I also liked exposure to many different ways to get scholarships for college and to experience campus life at UWL!”

Ivy was one of 24 students from 18 high schools who participated in the weeklong camp. The camp is one of the university’s pre-college summer programs and is supported by the Freshwater Collaborative. It is open to incoming 9-12 grade students.

Campers visit rivers in the Driftless region for hands-on fieldwork and lab activities with UW-La Crosse faculty, local educators and community members. Camp organizers have collaborated with many external partners to develop the curriculum, including the Ho-Chunk Nation and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Many of the students saw the Mississippi River for the first time.

“The UWL MRA camp was such an enriching experience for my son. He loved the hands-on field trips with the faculty along the Mississippi River,” says Rebecca, Ivy’s mother. “We are grateful for this unique camp experience and the ways it has broadened his view of college and career opportunities!”

A Week of Hands-On Learning

A full day of hands-on activities at Camp Decorah, run by Scouting America, taught students about land stewardship, taking care of waterways, water management, and the importance of recreating safely. They also had fun practicing fire building and archery skills.

A day spent near campus included visiting Myrick Park to learn about local marsh species and how they connect with other species. A campus tour included a stop at the Office of Multicultural Student Services where students learned about the university’s student support services and the majors and minors that support freshwater initiatives. A riverboat cruise on the La Crosse Mississippi Queen taught them how tourism affects Wisconsin’s major waterways.

The highlight of the week was research vessel day. The group traveled on the new R/V Prairie Springs to Goose Island County Park (on the Mississippi River) for a full day of hands-on learning. The high school students and camp counselors — undergraduates majoring in psychology, education, math or business — learned how to use state-of-the-art equipment, worked with a stream table and analyzed water quality.

Throughout the week, students learned about the Grand Water Challenges, particularly contaminants such as PFAS and lead. Students learned how these contaminants affect water quality and food webs and actions they can take to minimize risks.

Increasing Career Awareness

Sadie Kuhl, assistant director of College Pathways and camp organizer, notes that the program may inspire students to incorporate more science into their high school curriculum. And it introduces them to careers in water that they may not have heard of.

Surveys taken on the first and last days of camp indicate students are significantly more interested in freshwater studies and careers at the end of camp. On the first day of the 2025 camp, none of the students indicated they would pursue a freshwater career. At the end of the week, more than 60 percent of participants said they might consider it. Seventy percent said camp participation increased their desire to attend college. More than 90 percent said the program was a good experience, and they would recommend it to a friend.

“The data indicate that students are learning and becoming more interested in freshwater as the week goes on,” Kuhl says. “Having a weeklong residential camp is an experience these kids will remember for the rest of their lives.”

Learn about more programs for high school students across the state.

Written by Heidi Jeter, Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin