"Let the children come to me..." by David Horvath, PSN

Called “the coolest summer camp in Louisville,” Camp Odyssey immerses children entering grades 1-6 in the three main aspects of the Passionist Earth & Spirit Center mission: spiritual practice, compassion for others and connection to the Earth.  As they explore the woodlands and meadows of our 27-acre campus and nature sanctuary, as they work and play with our artists, garden and environmental educators, chefs, yoga and meditation instructors, musicians and many others, kids come to understand how ecosystems work, where their food comes from, and how to be more mindful and compassionate toward themselves, their bodies, other people, and their surroundings.  Truly ecological education.

This year the Earth & Spirit Center hosted over 131 campers and about 55 high school students doing their service hours. We were able to provide full scholarships to 25 campers, many from Backside Learning Center at Churchill Downs, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) and Family Scholar House. The goal at camp is to bring children together across cultures and teach them to take better care of themselves, the planet and each other—Laudato Si’ in action.

To learn more about the Earth & Spirit Center and the programs they offer for children and adults, visit https://www.earthandspiritcenter.org/.