BEMIDJI, Minn. (April 11, 2011) — Dan Evans, director of the U.S. Forestry Service, will discuss the Rabideau Civilian Conservation Corps camp as part of Bemidji State University’s Adventures in Lifelong Learning lecture series.

The lecture will be held Tuesday, April 19, from 10-11:30 a.m. at Optivation’s off-campus facility at 3801 Bemidji Ave. N. in Bemidji.

Camp Rabideau National Historic Landmark represents the best preserved of the Civilian Conservation Corps camps in the nation. Part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s mammoth “New Deal”, Camp Rabideau was one of the 2,650 camps established across the country in 1935.  The Civilian Conservation Corps gave more than a quarter of a million young men, many of them unemployed and just scraping by during the Great Depression,  some skills, some money and some happy memories. Camps were run jointly by the U. S. Forest Service, which manages the camps today, and the U.S. Army, which commanded the camps.

Evans will discuss the history of the camp through 2006, when it was designated as a National Landmark. Today, a youth academy and learning center is utilizing the camp, creating a pathway to jobs and higher education for youth and young adults alike. In many ways, the camp is being used for the exact purpose it was created for more than 75 years ago.

Adventures in Lifelong Learning was formerly known as the Academy of Lifelong Learning. The organization’s board of directors voted unanimously over the summer to transition the branding of the organization away from a formal classroom experience to reflect a less intimidating adult learning style.

Adventures in Lifelong Learning is organized exclusively to provide opportunities for continuing education in the Bemidji area. The program intends to help participants improve critical thinking skills and to appreciate the diversity of human experience through varied and lively discussions.

Spring 2011 Adventures in Lifelong Learning schedule:
April 19, “Camp Rabideau – Future and Present,” Dan Evans, director, U.S. Forest Service.

For more information, contact Optivation at (218) 755-4900 or optivation@bemidjistate.edu.

About Optivation
Optivation is an off-campus venture operated jointly by Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College designed to increase collaboration between the University, the college, and the business and technology sectors of the northwest Minnesota region. Staffed by veteran business and entrepreneurial professionals, Optivation delivers targeted training and education systems to help organizations succeed in a changing world. Through its affiliations with the University and the technical college, Optivation is able to tap into an unparalleled network of people and technology across the state of Minnesota.
For more information, visit Optivation at http://www.optivation.org.