In 1990 the Isanti County Historical Society offered its first annual Swedish Language and Culture Day Camp for children and youth. It used the 1898 one-room school for language classes, the 1864 Edblad Family log cabin for crafts, and the canopy of trees covering a grassy knoll for outdoor games and songs.

While the buildings and grounds remain much the same today, some of the teachers have changed from the first year. Sometimes they are alumni who went on to develop their skills, others have sent their children and grandchildren to camp for several years, and director Valorie Arrowsmith has been there every year helping to guide campers on their journey of language learning. She is a credentialed language teacher, with a K-12 Minnesota Swedish teaching license. Kathy Olson and Morfar Mike Johnson will offer crafts based on traditions. Johnson works on a woodcarving project all year and is ready to share cultural items with the participants. Olson varies her activities to include old favorites and new renditions of Swedish cultural items that help reinforce language learning. Riana Ries will support vocabulary development through songs and games. This year she'll arrive hot on the heels of her four-week high school program at the Concordia Language Village program in Bemidji.

To register for camp contact the Isanti County Historical Society at www.ichs.ws or call 763-689-4229. The 2015 daycamp program for ages 5-13 runs Monday through Friday, beginning August 10 at 9:30 a.m. to noon. On Saturday pre-school children and their significant adult are invited to attend from 9:30-noon to get a taste for what camp is like.

Cambridge is located one hour north of the Twin Cities on Hwy 65. The camp is one mile west of Cambridge on Hwy 95, and then one mile north on County Road 14.