Summer programming is underway at Confederation College’s Rainy River District campus.

Camps around cooking, baking, and the trades are aimed at young people.

Campus Manager Brian Tucker says it provides students with an opportunity to learn new skills in a fun way.

“The camps are all about learning how to have fun in the area that they’re learning in a safe way, learn practical skills for everyday life, but also give them kind of a little bit of an introduction to maybe trades or different fields of work, or even just maybe the start of a lifelong passion for the students,” says Tucker.

The campus introduced the programs several years ago.

Program Officer Kathy Egan says it was a request from the public that led to their development.

“When the camps started, it came directly from Thunder Bay,” says Egan.

“(The College’s Thunder Bay campus) was offering the camps, and we had parents come here and say, how come you don’t offer them here? And we just went from there.”

The camps have been well-received, with some young people attending year after year.

A new camp was added this year, focusing on Bath and Home Products.

Egan says participants will learn how to make their own bath bombs and green-based cleaning products.

Local teachers and others with expertise provide the instruction to the camp participants.

The College also makes use of rooms at Fort Frances High School to run the camps.

“We have a great working relationship with the Rainy River District School Board and our shared facilities here,” says Tucker.

“It makes it really nice for our students who come to the camps. Really convenient. Really nice for parents and fantastic for our teachers to be able to use facilities like that.”

Youth preparing to make cookies at a baking camp at Confederation College’s Rainy River District Campus, July 22, 2025. Image: Randy Thoms/Acadia Broadcasting

There are still a few spaces open for some camps.

To register or for more information, contact the campus directly or click here.