This summer, thanks to a Green Partners grant from Hennepin County, Reuse Minnesota partnered with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board to offer two separate weeks of sustainability-focused summer camps for youth ages 8–13. The camps were held at Powderhorn and Beltrami Parks.

Campers explored the many ways reuse can help protect our planet—learning essential skills like sewing and mending, diving into hands-on upcycling projects, and discovering creative ways to reduce waste. Through engaging workshops and activities, students gained the tools and inspiration to become environmental changemakers in their communities.

Highlights from the camp included:

• Upcycling T-shirts into tote bags, making patches, and assembling mending kits with RETHINK
• Exploring building material reuse with Hollow Oak Consulting
• Creating decorative picture frames from reclaimed materials with Loose Parts Laboratory
• Learning basic repair skills with the Minnesota Tool Library
• Repurposing scrap wood into bird feeders with Elpis Enterprises
• Making reclaimed journals and bookmarks with artist and Hennepin County librarian Cami Anderson
• Assembling reusable utensil kits for waste-free meals
• Watercolor painting using ink made from discarded markers with artist Micah Westby

  

We thank all of our instructors and community partners who helped shape these weeks of camp! It was fun seeing the creativity and engagement from the campers who participated in these camps.