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ACE Camp & Virtual Classroom

Home Education ACE Camp & Virtual Classroom

ACE CAMP - Adventure Camp about the Environment

CALLING MIDDLE SCHOOL NATURE FANATICS! Get Ready for an Epic Outdoor Adventure!
Date: ACE Camp 2026 will be June 21-24 (Sunday-Wednesday)
Location: Kamp Kaleo, 46872 Willow Springs Rd, Burwell, NE 68823

At camp, you'll dive into the wonders of Nebraska’s incredible natural resources through hands-on activities like:
🦅 Wildlife Exploration  💧 Water Adventures   🌱 Soil Discoveries  🌳 Forestry Fun

But that’s just the beginning! Your adventure continues with: Atlatl Throwing, Fishing, Geocaching, Bird Watching ...and so much more! Don’t miss out on this unforgettable journey — where learning meets adventure and memories are made! ACE is open to all youth in Nebraska who have just completed 6th or 7th grade.

ACE Camp is a four-day, three-night summer camp that gives students the opportunity to explore Nebraska’s natural resources through hands-on learning and outdoor adventure. Camp sessions introduce youth to Nebraska’s water resources, wildlife, soil, trees and plants, range, grasslands, and more. Students spend their days outdoors discovering the natural world around them. Activities include fishing, collecting macroinvertebrates, close encounters with educational animals, swimming, campfires, learning about edible plants, and archery.

Throughout the week, campers also learn about careers in natural resources from professionals who work in these fields every day. Presenters include representatives from Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts, the University of Nebraska, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and other conservation organizations.

Registration Cost: $235
Scholarships: Central Platte NRD offers a $150 scholarship for students residing within the District. All youth living within CPNRD are eligible to receive this scholarship; it is not based on financial need. The CPNRD Board of Directors proudly supports youth natural resources education and asks scholarship recipients to submit a brief note about their ACE Camp experience by August 1, 2026. Scholarships are mailed to parents after camper has completed the camp.

ACE Registration: Online Form               CPNRD ACE Scholarship Application


What Campers and Parents Say About ACE Camp
ACE Camper:
My favorite parts of camp were swimming at Calamus, tubing, career stations on the last day, finding/netting river organisms, and the snake encounters. I loved swimming at Calamus because the water felt cold and nice.   It was also really nice getting to meet new people in a relaxed setting.  I am also on a swim team so I love the water.   I liked going over the rapids during the tubing and going really fast.   The best thing about the career stations was the entomologist was really awesome.   She really listened to what I had to say and she could tell that I was really invested. It was really nice talking to someone that has the same interests as me and being singled out by her for an invite to UNL to see their classroom. The river organisms were really interesting. Finding organisms that I have never seen before and learning about them. I was also the only one that has ever caught a turtle in the history of the camp.   I catch them all the time and I couldn't believe that no one else ever had. Lastly, I loved the snake encounters.  I love snakes and turtles so it was really cool seeing them, but even better holding them and learning about them. I have always loved animals, but it was nice to learn about them and know how to be safe with them.
I really enjoyed  this camp because there were kids like me. My group was the best group I had to work with because they listened, they were funny, we didn't fight, and we worked together. The other students there were nature lovers like me and I felt like I could be myself around them and the adults.   When I got home I told my mom that yes, I missed her, but being at this camp was like me blooming from my cocoon into a beautiful butterfly.  Being outside, which I am a lot anyways, with other kids and adults that have the same interests in me and learning more about nature is something extraordinary and I will never forget it. I felt accepted by people and not worried about being seen as weird for loving the outdoors, fish, snakes, turtles, being dirty and bugs.  I was myself!
Parent of ACE Camper:
As a camper's mom, I was nervous about sending my child off to her first camp and hoped that she would of course have fun.   But hearing how much she grew and  had to problem solve on her own and come into her own was an extra bonus.   I am so proud of her for becoming such an amazing individual and growing as a young adult.   I am also proud of myself for letting go and recognizing that camps are GREAT for kids to learn how to speak up for themselves and provide for themselves and not rely on someone else to do it for them.   I loved this camp for the fact that there was no technology.  Roxy isn't much of a tech kiddo anyways, she has always been a talker with other kids and adults.    Being able to hold conversations with adults and other children is a skill that is being lost amongst our young population.   Roxy had all great things to say about this camp and I couldn't be happier with the way the camp was organized, the communication, nurse, and care of my child. Thank you so much for everything that you do.

Need new ideas for your classroom?

Central Platte NRD provides FREE natural resources materials for classroom activities on any natural resource: trees, water quality, water quantity, water cycle, soil health, flood control, native prairie, wildlife, pollinators, prescribed fire, etc.

And...our staff are available to present the activities for you. Just let us know what you need! Contact Central Platte NRD at: (308) 385-6282 or email Marcia Lee: lee@cpnrd.org or Brody Vorderstrasse: brody@cpnrd.org

Virtual Classroom Resources

Need new ideas for your classroom? Check out the links and resources below for students & teachers below on water, soil, plants, trees, wildlife & habitat.

NRD Education Videos – Lower South Platte NRD

5-Minute Activity: Click anywhere in the U.S. and follow where a water drop travels to the ocean.  This new tool was designed for water science communication based on USGS data.

USGS River Runner

Water
Soil
Plants
Trees
Wildlife
  • Aquatic WILD aquatic wildlife-focused conservation education program for K-12.
  • Environmental Education for Kids (EEK!)– Sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Fun and games about water, trees, wildlife, environment.
  • Flying WILD fowl wildlife-focused conservation education program for K-12 educators and their students
  • Growing up WILD early childhood ed curriculum that builds on children’s sense of wonder about nature and invites them to explore wildlife and the world around them.
  • National Geographic Kids – Engaging with Nature
  • Project WILD – wildlife-focused conservation education program for K-12, hands-on education program. Available in both English and Spanish.
  • Science for Kids – Air, Water & Aquatic Environments Science Program with the US Forest Service Research and Development
Habitat
  • Carly’s Kids Corner connecting kids with nature. From the Arbor Day Foundation.
  • Environmental Education for Kids (EEK!)– Sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Fun and games about water, trees, wildlife, environment.
  • Just for Kids Learn more about wildflowers on our National Forests and Grasslands, and about pollinators, gardening, invasive plant species, and ethnobotany. Enjoy our puzzles, coloring pages, and fun activities!
  • National Geographic Kids – Learning about Nature
  • Nature Explore – help nature become an integral, joyful part of children’s daily learning.
  • Platte Watershed in Motion – Learn about the Platte Watershed
  • Science for Kids – Air, Water & Aquatic Environments Science Program with the US Forest Service Research and Development