Boys and Girls Club kids experience Camp Aqua at Mississippi Aquarium

Mississippi Power Foundation and the Bacot McCarty Foundation partnered together to send kids in the Boys and Girls Club to Camp Aqua.

Over 30 kids from the Boys and Girls Club in Pass Christian and Gulfport spent all week getting the opportunity to learn about marine life at Mississippi Aquarium’s Camp Aqua. Todd Trenchard with the Bacot McCarty Foundation said, “This is something that we try to focus on as bringing an opportunity to kids that maybe would never have this opportunity. You don’t know who you might reach and who is going to take this to heart one day and become a marine biologist.”

The hands-on camp allows the kids to get up close and personal with many different species. Mississippi Power Foundation Executive Director Steven Dick said, “Our hope for this week’s campers is that they are inspired to learn a little bit about our wildlife and ecosystems and they take that curiosity with them as they continue their educational journey.”

The kids were able to enjoy various activities including the Ship Island Excursion, going to the beach, and even dissecting a squid. Boys and Girls Club member Kylie Whitfield said, “I have been having lots of fun watching the dolphins and playing with my friends, going to the beach.”

Boys and Girls Club Chief Operating Officer Wayne Buchanan says he hopes each child can gain something from this experience. “They may be thinking one of these days they can do that and so it is opportunities like this that we are very grateful for that.”