A dozen excited campers were focused on decorating a small pizza box with a special clear window on the front. Inside were carefully placed marshmallows and chocolate-dipped cookies. “A lot of these campers have never made a s’more before or stood next to a campfire,” Morgan Sopko mentions, Camp and Enrichment Programs Coordinator at Metroparks. “Their expressions are usually ‘whoa’!”

A foil sail will complete their s’mores solar oven, and the excitement is palpable. Campers then placed their solar oven in the sun to bake, melting the chocolate and marshmallow, creating a s’more from the heat of the sun. 

“We want them to make the connection of feeling the sun’s heat and that the sun provides heat. We then continue that idea with the s’mores ovens.”

Solar s’mores ovens are part of Metroparks Connections Camp week: 100 campers a day (over 1,000 sign up for the summer) from underserved zip codes. Metroparks partners with community organizations and local area schools to bring students to camp for free. “The week long Metroparks camp provides immersive experiences, including kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding, archery, fishing and outdoor survivor skills.“

But this summer, the curriculum came with a twist: a new Department of Energy grant, in partnership with Greater Toledo Community Foundation, aims to broaden local students’ access to solar energy education. This specific initiative is part of a larger consortium of seven nonprofits and school districts in Toledo that are all teaching area school children about solar energy through the 24-25 school year.

The need is great when it comes to educating the next generation of professionals. “I hope they start thinking differently about the world around us. These campers are our future engineers and we’re exposing them to the outdoors, to boats, to a water mill, and to solar energy.” When asked what her best moment has been as a camp counselor, Morgan doesn’t hesitate. “I’ve heard three different campers tell me, “This is the best day ever.”