Featured Programs
— SUMMER BLAST —
July 19-20, 2019. Rain date July 26-27, 2019
You can print the flier above to invite your friends.
One of our longest-running events is Summer Blast! School is about to start, but you want one last blast of FUN in a seriously smart way. We have the perfect getaway for your bright friends and family! Join us on a private family beach in Plymouth, IN as we camp in tents on the scenic bank of Pretty Lake (Yes, that’s the real name of the lake!)
Activities include: Sailing lessons, canoeing, rowboat, swimming, fishing (bring your own gear and bait), Friday night smores around a campfire, outdoor activities at the beach on Friday night, nature hikes, outdoor games, science experiments , and PLENTY of hang-out time with fun, smart people!
Bring your own tent, tarp, sleeping bag, pillow, swimming gear, towel, lawn chairs, camera, fishing gear (if you want to catch and release fish), change of clothes, snacks (if you want), and sunscreen.
$25 per person covers Friday dinner, Friday s’mores, Saturday breakfast and lunch.
Catching Clams
Catching and collecting giant clams.
Air Cannon
Firing tennis balls out of the air cannon.
Buckets of Fun
Kids playing in the lake.
Drawing with Light
Drawing with light using a flashlight and a DSLR camera set to long exposure.
Snack Time
After playing hard all day in the hot sun, nothing beats a refreshing fruit Popsicle.
Reading
Parents, you get a chance to slow down and enjoy a good book if you want.
Sailing
Learning how to sail is a thrill that everyone should have a chance to enjoy.
2011 Camping Group
Group from Summer Blast 2011
Picnic
There is plenty of food to enjoy. You work up an appetite having this much fun!
Tubing Fun!
One of the neighbors offered to take us tubing around the lake. It was TONS of fun!
Lake Treasures
Sharing a discovery found in the lake.
Fishing
Hoping to catch a fish in the evening.
Relaxing
Parents get to relax while the kids have fun on the lake.
Swinging on Ropes
Rope swings are a ton of fun!
Boating
Having a party in the rowboat.
Rafting Fun
Having fun on the lake.
Relaxing
Parents get to enjoy the fun too, or have a day to relax on the beach.
Casual Day
It's great to slow down and enjoy floating in the cool lake water.
Roasting Marshmallows
Roasting marshmallows on the campfire by the lake.
Tents at Night
It was really cool to see the tents all lit up at night.
Inflatable Boat
Trying to row the big inflatable boat.
Tent City
This is the perfect summer getaway. It's hard to beat camping on the beach.
Sailing Solo
Sailing lessons are great, but the real adventure is your first time sailing solo.
Going Crazy
Swinging from the rope swing is a grand adventure.
Collecting Firewood
Collecting firewood to build a camp fire. Everyone pitched in to help.
Rope Swings
Swinging over the lake is a real adventure.
Picnic
Getting ready to enjoy some hot, yummy food from the grill.
Sailing Lessons
Don't know how to sail? No problem! We'll teach you.
Canoeing
Mother and daughters canoeing.
Rafting Fun
Rafting Vulcan style!
Rafting Fun
It seems that an air mattress has more than one purpose.
Outdoor Movie
Watching an outdoor movie on the beach is a lot of fun.
Canoe
Lots of fun canoeing.— SMART SCIENCE —
Our most popular program is the “Smart Science” series put on by Julie Tennell, Mensa member and Biology Teacher at Franklin Community High School. We’ve had as many as 200 parents, kids, and volunteers at these events. We divide the kids up into four groups and each group rotates through four events that night. Typically this event costs $10 to cover supplies. We offer a Smart Science event in the spring and another in late October with a “Spooky Science” theme.
This is a great hands-on experience for young people interested in any branch of science. We’ve done shark dissections, cricket respiration labs using computer sensors, puking pumpkins, magic tricks, theater science, forensic analysis, and a ton more! These events are held at Franklin Community High School in Franklin, Indiana which is about 30 minutes South of downtown Indy. It’s totally worth the drive!
Parent Feedback:
“Our son had an awesome time! Thank you so much for bringing this to our area. He really learned quite a bit! Each session had something new and different for him to experience. He is having a hard time deciding which part was his favorite. He thought the Puking Pumpkin was really fun and the instructor was super funny. He loved being able to make his own slime and Mrs. Blackwell was very engaging. The fake blood was something VERY new to him so he was very intrigued by that and it was fun to watch him and his friend use their imagination while creating their own crime scenes. The mirror experience was super cool (his words!). We loved that everything was hands on. It really kept him engaged. If I can help in the future, please let me know. Thanks again!”
“Thanks so much for all of your efforts to make sure Friday night was a fun and educational night for my kids. They absolutely loved it. That is saying alot considering one of them wasn’t too excited about going. We told them we would give it a try and stay as long as they wanted. We were there the entire evening! Highlights were Mr. Eskew and Mrs. Blackwell. It is obvious they both love science and teaching. I appreciated that they both shared some tougher concepts and didn’t dumb down the information at all. Thanks so much for a very fun evening for all of us, parents included.”
— LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT —
One of our goals is to put the brains, energy, and talent of our youth to work in practical and rewarding ways. We are forming a Youth Committee (Y-Com) and providing them an opportunity to share their ideas, dreams, and put philanthropy to practice. You must be between 8-18 years old and a current Mensa member to vote on this committee, but any gifted young person is welcome to attend meetings and share ideas.
Youth Committee (Y-Com)
The Youth Philanthropy and Leadership Workshop provides an opportunity for gifted youth to learn about leadership and teamwork techniques. We learn how to use our time, talent, and treasure for the common good.
— ARTS & EXPRESSION —
One thing that gifted people have in common is creativity. Throughout the year we offer a wide variety of activities that encourage individual expression through music, art, drama, and other creative outlets. When the kids get into it, everyone has a great time!
Improv Night: Have you ever met Dr. Kn0w-It-All? The audience gets to ask any question in the world and Dr. Know-It-All uses all three of his heads, one word at a time, to lay down the truth. The answers may not make logical sense, but it always fills the room with laughter. Enjoy this and many other clever activities at the next Improv Night.
Smart Art: Come ready to explore your artistic creativity.
Music & Giftedness: Have you ever tried to play the sound a squiggly line? What about improvising the feeling of the shade of a tree on a hot summer’s day? You’ll experience all this and more at the next Music & Giftedness Event.
— GAME NIGHT —
Mensans LOVE to game. Game Night is a fun, casual chance to check out some new games, play some familiar ones, and have a casual good time hanging out with a fun group. Bring your favorite game.
— GIFTED SURVIVAL 101 —
For Kermit, it ain’t easy being green. For us, it ain’t easy being gifted. Wouldn’t it be great if there were a survival guide to help us navigate the unique challenges we face? We offer many resources that may be even better than a survival guide.
The author of Speaking of Me: Stepping Stones to a Better Life gave a presentation to our youth and had an interactive discussion about being gifted. There was a lot of positive feedback.
We bring in experts to speak to our youth about the assets and burdens of being gifted. Psychologist, Dr. Jean Peterson from Purdue University is pictured presenting below.
We bring in experts in giftedness to present at concurrent parent sessions while the kids are engaged in their activities. We also hold parent nights for Q&A. Christine Turo-Shields, ACSW, LCSW is pictured below presenting to parents. You can view her Powerpoint: How to Talk so Schools Will Listen.
— AND SO MUCH MORE —
This is just a list of our featured programs. Check the calendar to see the other great programs and activities we offer.
