Families immerse themselves in culture at Taylor County summer camp

GRAFTON, W.Va. (WBOY) — Even if you can’t travel abroad, you and your family can immerse yourself in different cultures right here in West Virginia at a summer camp in Taylor County.

For three days, Blanca Skaggs – a Spanish teacher with over 20 years of experience – gave ten students and their families an unforgettable experience.

“Oh, we already made homemade tortillas, so yeah, and the empanadas and all that, that’s definitely coming because they loved it,” said father Peter Clay.

On the last day of camp, students were able to show their families what they had learned, such as Spanish greetings, cuisine from different countries such as making tortillas and arepas from scratch, and traditional dances such as merengue and salsa.

“All four of our children are homeschooled… We always want to expose them to different cultures and languages,” Clay added.

And for parents like Jennifer Wolfe and Wayne Parker, who drove an hour and a half every day to take their daughter Lilly to a camp not often found in rural areas, it was all worth it.

“I’ve just always felt that when we travel somewhere, we need to be able to speak the language and be respectful of the place we’re traveling to. We can’t just assume that if we’re guests in their country, just because English is the predominant language, they should be able to communicate with us,” Wolfe said.

Wolfe said she and Parker made a conscious decision early on when they were pregnant with their daughter that they wanted to provide their daughter with extensive cultural experiences.

“We wanted to convey experiences rather than material things and felt it was very important that we be fluent in at least two other languages ​​besides English, hopefully more,” Wolfe said.

“I was really excited to see that she (Skaggs) is teaching them not only basic words, but different cultural aspects like cooking and dancing and all those things. This is a great opportunity for the kids in the area,” Parker said.

Skaggs, who is originally from Venezuela and has taught hundreds of students in Taylor County, said she is passionate about sharing Latin American culture.

“It makes me really happy and makes me feel like I’m making a difference to the kids by exposing them to different things and letting them try things they haven’t tried here in West Virginia,” Skaggs said.

Also helping her throughout the camp were former Skaggs students, including Nathan Castle, who was a student of Skaggs for six years and said he received his Seal of Bilingualism thanks to her teaching.

Castle will attend WVU in the fall and told 12 News he plans to become a veterinarian, relying on his Spanish skills. “It can be a little scary going into an English-speaking environment when it comes to something as important as your pet’s health, so I want everyone to feel comfortable,” he said.

Parents and students alike expressed a desire for the camp to continue, and Skaggs said she hopes it can be a week-long event and that there may be a winter camp in the future.

To learn more about Skaggs and the programs they offer, click here.