Fort McKavett SHS came alive this Sunday afternoon as 52 youngsters, ages 9 to 12, arrived to begin a week long intercultural camp, called Old Stories, New Voices.   The program spotlights the contributions of African Americans, American Indians, Hispanics and Anglos to Texas' history and culture. 

The program not only provides multicultural history lessons, it aims to enhance participant's confidence through team building exercises, physical challenges, and messages that emphasize staying in school and refraining from drug-use and gang involvement.  Activities will include archery, traditional crafts, native animal and plant identification and archeological investigation.

Established by the Colorado Historical Society in 1996, Old Stories, New Voices received the 2005 Coming Up Taller Award, which recognizes community arts and humanities programs that praise young people's creativity and provide them with chances to contribute to their communities.  The program's success in Colorado led to its expansion into Texas, Pennsylvania and New Mexico.

"This program gives boys and girls a deeper understanding of how people of past generations and diverse cultures lived in the American West", said Laura Bush at the January 25^th Coming Up Taller Awards Ceremony held at the White House.

The participants are from Austin, Menard, Eldorado and Fort McKavett.

Since Fort McKavett was a US Army post, the children were assigned to one of 4 activity "companies".  They were then issued shirts, hats, canteens, and canvas activity bags.  Their first activity was to put their names on everything.  They then were assigned bunk locations.

Each day, we will bring you pictures of the children's activities.