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Founder of Fresh Air Family pitches outdoor summer camps for Gadsden children
Summary
Verna Gates, founder and executive director of Fresh Air Family, described a nature-based summer camp model that the nonprofit plans to bring to Gadsden, stressing outdoor, hands-on learning, a sliding-fee scholarship policy and full-day hours to support working families.
Verna Gates, founder and executive director of Fresh Air Family, told the Gadsden City Council on Jan. 14 that her nonprofit plans to bring an outdoor, hands‑on summer camp model to the city after 19 years operating camps elsewhere in Alabama.
Gates said the program, which she called “Gross Out Camp,” emphasizes field biology, time in creeks and woods, and an “unschooling” approach that follows children’s interests rather than a rigid daily schedule. “If your child finds a salamander, we’re not gonna say put that thing down, honey,” Gates told…
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