Camp Tecumseh YMCA offers experiences that will last a lifetime! Located on the scenic Tippecanoe River just north of Lafayette, Indiana, Camp Tecumseh has been serving school groups for over 30 years with their renowned outdoor education programs. Currently over 150 schools attend every year!

Camp Tecumseh YMCA
12635 W. Tecumseh Bend Rd.
Brookston, IN 47923

Phone: 765-564-2898
Fax: 765-564-3210

Contact: Tom Elliott or Luke Ulrich

TomE@camptecumseh.org

Letter to Educators

Click here to view photos of P.A.L. at Camp Tecumseh

Project American Life is an exciting educational experienced that deals with citizenship, history and character development. From the moment students arrive at Camp Tecumseh they are swept up in the excitement and intrigue of the program. They are immediately placed into a caste system and by the end of the first day they have learned about the freedoms the Declaration of Independence offer, they vote to adopt it as their standard and the dreaded caste system is abolished!

From there the students participate in games and activities that develop the ideas of the Declaration of Independence. What are self-evident truths? What does it mean to be endowed by a Creator with certain unalienable Rights? What is Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness?

The culminating activity on the last night of the trip is called "In Search of America." In this realistic simulation game students "escape" from East Germany to the American Embassy. They are forced to watch a communist re-education film, hide in the woods from Communist soldiers, escape in a school bus, are helped by sympathetic strangers and eventually are welcomed by a U.S. Marine to the United States of America! It is a thrilling adventure the students will never forget, nor will they forget the precious gift of freedom we have in this country.

These activities are specially designed to stimulate the cognitive process, build character and a spirit of teamwork, as well as foster understanding of the noble principles upon which our nation was founded -- principles for which thousands have since given the ultimate sacrifice. These core virtues unite us as that “shining city on a hill.”

Textual foundations of the program are The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution. From these cornerstones, the program is able to address questions related to personal meaning and purpose, as well as examine the way we relate to one another-the way we fit into the greater historical context-the way principle forms our moral identity as a people. As a guideline, we use The Four Pillars of Citizenship: Character, Compassion, Courage, and Commitment. Project American Life simply uncovers historical facts and the life-inspiring truth therein.

Our culture has been obviously corrupted because of many factors, not the least of which is moral apathy. Our goal is to “Reclaim the Culture…One Child at a Time.” The goal of Project American Life at Camp Tecumseh is to reach schoolchildren with the Eternal Truths that make this land the virtuous republic that was dreamed of by our Founders.

For more information about Camp Tecumseh, please visit www.camptecumseh.org