About 70 students from across the Waco area have spent their week at Baylor University's iEngage Civics Summer Institute to learn about community issues, politics and what it takes to make a good U.S. citizen.
"Being a good citizen really means more than just recycling or picking up trash, it means being an informed citizen," said the institute's co-founder, Dr. Karen LeCompte.
Campers learned first-hand what exactly it takes to be informed about the world around them.
"They look at statistics, they look at it around them at the community, they interview people," Dr. LeCompte said.
"All of those communication skills help them understand what an informed citizen is and what they do."
The camp introduced students to topics they may not have learned yet through guest speakers, group projects, and interactive games.
This is the first year that Joejoe Williams attended the camp and he said he really enjoyed it.
"It is a very fun week," Williams told 25 News.
Williams said his favorite part was learning what it takes to be president of the United States through a computer game.
"You have to see what the country needs and talk about that," Williams said.
"If you get the wrong answer, they won't vote for you. If you say the right stuff, you get states and all that."
While he doesn't dream to be a politician when he grows up, Williams said what he learned at camp will benefit him for years to come.
"This was a really good time to learn about being a good citizen and will help me in class," Williams said.
"This camp is something they can come to, have fun and learn the importance of being an informed citizen," Dr. LeCompte said.
"My favorite part is watching the students realize that they have a voice and even though they are young, they can make a change too."
The camp will end on Friday with presentations to show off everything the campers learned during the week.
