Camp Teaches Kids About Farm Life
by Rodney Dunigan

SUMMERTOWN, Tenn. - A group of kids from Hong Kong are in Middle Tennessee experiencing life on the farm for the very first time.

The group of ten kids are accustomed to steel, concrete and sky scrapers. They are visiting Summertown in Lawrence County for "Kids To The Country". The program gives them the opportunity to experience the beauty of nature.

Some of them had never even touched an animal until this week. The students are learning about a new culture and sharing theirs as well.

"This is quite new and this is a wonderful opportunity, and these kids are also teaching our kids things they wouldn't know, like the Chinese calligraphy," said program director Mary Ellen Bowen.

Lenora Carlson spearheaded the idea for the trip. For the past few years she's taught English at their school in China.

"No one has a farm in Hong Kong that's just unheard of, it's even unheard of to have a back yard," Carlson told NewsChannel 5.

For many of these students this is a once in a lifetime experience, one they'll never forget. The program combines summer sports like swimming and horseback riding with confidence building exercises and training in conflict resolution.

The "Kids to the Country" program has been an annual event since 1986. Most of the participants are children from urban areas. More than 4,000 kids from Middle Tennessee homeless shelters, refugee centers and low-income neighborhoods have been a part since its inception.

Email: rdunigan@newschannel5.com

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/12793567/2010/07/12/camp-teaches-kids-about-farm-life

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