Teen-aged children of military members from throughout the country found adventure in the Northeast Kingdom

 Teen-aged children of military members from throughout the country found adventure in the Northeast Kingdom last week. Vermont State University at Lyndon hosted the Northeast Kingdom Military Teen Adventure Camp, welcoming children ages 13 to 18 whose parents or guardians are or were members of the National Guard or regular military. Such camps are yearly held in various parts of the country, but this was the first time a camp has happened in Vermont. The local university campus provided two weeks of camp, with the first happening in June and the most recent last Monday through Thursday. Promotional material for the camp noted what registering teens would find there. Physical activities included climbing, high ropes, disc golf, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and fitness training. Also, social-emotional engagements with leadership and resilience training, team building, self-confidence, and mental well-being. The activities on Thursday morning were Willoughby-based, with instructors directing racing competitions to include swimming, kayaking and canoeing with no paddles. Giving the military teens a proper NEK adventure meant taking them to Kingdom Trails for mountain biking. It was one the activities that several of the teens mentioned as a highlight of the week.