INA, Ill. (August 10, 2026) – Rend Lake College offered kids an opportunity to unplug from devices and to learn through exciting, fun activities. RLC’s Community and Corporate Education offered camps for children in kindergarten to 7th grade. This year’s camps included Minecraft Camp, Golf Camp, Blastoff Camp, Bertie Ham's Chefs of Tomorrow, Sparks & Splatter, LEGO camp, Outdoor Life Camp and Future Health Care Warriors.
Greg Hollman, RLC Dean of Arts and Sciences, led campers in building, decorating and launching their own model rockets, which reached heights of up to 1,000 feet at Blastoff Camp. Campers also viewed videos produced by NASA, discussed the possibility of life beyond Earth, and participated in activities that brought the scale of the solar system to life.
RLC Head Golf Coach Corey Phillips, alongside Assistant Coach Casey Rhine, covered the fundamentals of golf, including grip, stance, backswing and through-swing. Golf Camp participants practiced their skills through interactive drills, learned course etiquette, and took to the golf course.
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Instructed by Matt Jackson, Director of Competency-Based Education, the one-of-a-kind Minecraft Camp introduced campers to 3D design. Campers built real-world structures within Minecraft, developed spatial awareness, and explored the basics of 3D modeling and printing.
At Outdoor Life Camp, campers joined Park Rangers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to learn essential wilderness skills, including fire building, shelter construction, basic knot tying and fishing. The week concluded with campers celebrating their new skills with a meal cooked over an open fire.
From colorful chemical reactions to hands-on projects turning recycled materials into masterpieces, Sparks & Splatter got campers' imaginations buzzing. Participants mixed, built and designed while discovering how science and art collide.
Campers learned kitchen safety and how to cook lunch for themselves at Bertie Ham's Chefs of Tomorrow, led by RLC Chefs Jeff Fairbanks and Daniel Brock. Each participant took home samples of their creations to share with their families.
Bertie Ham was well-known for her love and passion for education, cooking and children. Bertie Ham’s Chefs of Tomorrow is being sponsored in Bertie’s memory, by her family and friends. Each camper will receive some of Bertie’s famous recipes.
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In the LEGO Camps, offered in partnership with Metro East Bricks, campers explored the mechanics of robotics and spatial design. Using LEGO bricks, they constructed motorized models and figures inspired by popular games. Every camper built and brought home a personalized LEGO mini-figure
LEGO® is a registered trademark of the LEGO® Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse these programs.
Interested in other workshops and events? Visit rlc.edu/community-corporate-education to register for upcoming courses!
