about our youth camps
Elawa Farm is the place to be for summer and fun! We offer various week-long youth camps for kids in grades 1–6. Each week takes full advantage of the farm’s greenery and opportunities for learning, such as harvesting vegetables and “tasting the rainbow”, visiting the beehives to learn about bees and pollinators, creating nature-based art, snagging an egg from our chicken coop, and more!
The paramount goal of our youth camps is for campers to have fun, while also fostering self-confidence in oneself, curiosity for the natural ecosystem, and appreciation for gardening and food. Additionally, our youth programs emphasize socialization, team-building, group projects, arts & crafts, experiential & sensorial learning, and language development.
Note on Accessibility: Elawa Farm Foundation fosters inclusive, welcoming, and supportive programs for children and adolescents of all abilities. Our Discovery Garden is ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliant and our programming is adaptable to meet the age-specific physical and social developmental needs. To learn more, please contact our Education Manager, Jesús Angel Cuezzi, at jcuezzi@elawafarm.org or call 847-234-1966 ext. 802.
Farm-to-Table Cooking Camp
Farm-to-Table Cooking Camp
Farm-to-Table Cooking Camp
We're thrilled to expand our program, Farm-to-Table cooking camp! Calling all aspiring chefs to learn, cook, and enjoy kid-friendly dishes. In this cooking camp, Junior Chefs will explore our gardens and greenhouse to learn how food is grown, visit our kitchen during production to learn how meals are prepared in a commercial setting, and create meals to share with family and friends each day.
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Farm Camp
Farm-to-Table Cooking Camp
Farm-to-Table Cooking Camp
Ready for Summer at Elawa Farm?Join us for an exciting week-long exploration and discovery of Elawa at Farm Camp! Through interactive and cooperative activities, Farm Explorers will get their hands dirty and enjoy all things farming, including collecting chicken eggs, harvesting fruits & vegetables, team building, learning about bees & pollinators, and creating arts & crafts to take home.
¡Verano con Elawa!
Farm-to-Table Cooking Camp
¡Verano con Elawa!
¡Verano con Elawa! (Summer with Elawa!) is a cultural experience that integrates Spanish language & Latin cultures. In this camp, Campistas will learn basic Spanish vocabulary, name a gallina, enjoy bilingual story time, explore Latin-inspired recipes, create Mexican arts & crafts, and more! There will be bilingual activities led by guest educators. No previous Spanish-language knowledge required!
2023 Youth Camp Dates & Pricing
All camp sessions run from Monday - Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Price for each camp is $400/camper.
This year, our youth camp offerings are:
Farm-to-Table Cooking Camp (Grades 4-6) | Week of March 27 (Spring)
Farm Camp | Session I (Grades 1 & 2) | Week of June 12
Farm Camp | Session II (Grades 3 & 4) | Week of June 26
Verano con Elawa | Session I (Grades 1 & 2) | Week of July 10
Farm-to-Table Cooking Camp (Grades 1 - 3) | Week of July 24
Farm-to-Table Cooking Camp (Grades 1-3) | Week of August 7
Farm-to-Table Cooking Camp (Grades 4-6) | Week of August 14 (Summer)
About our education & Youth Camp manager
Meet our Education Manager, Jesús Angel Cuezzi. His passion for growing food, lifelong learning, and environmental stewardship come from his seminal years at Chicago Botanic Garden and the Waukegan Public Library, working as a Farm Grower and Reference Assistant respectively.
Prior to joining Elawa Farm, Jesús served in the Peace Corps in Madagascar for three years as a Food Security Advisor. Along with a group of female counterparts, he developed a small-scale farm and plant nursery at a nature preserve to demonstrate the feasibility of growing a wide variety of fruits and vegetables for a community that lacked a market. Jesús and his counterparts utilized the community garden as a place of resource for high-school age students at a local agricultural school and a women's farming association by means of providing hands-on experiences and workshops.
Jesús has dedicated his life to practicing, learning, creating, and teaching — through thoughtful classes on growing food and horticultural activities. When he and his wife are not traveling internationally, he enjoys biking, photographing, and making, "The best crème brûlée in Lake County."