Summer Already!!!

Wow! It seems like I was just blogging about last year's summer camp and here we are at the beginning of another! Every year I really look forward to the close of the madness of public school for a refreshing break at Circle of Support summer camp where I have worked for the past four summers. This year, interestingly enough, the camp will be held at H.S. Thompson Learning Center, which is the elementary school down the street from Turner Courts where all my ASA kids used to go. I spent a lot of time visiting kids and volunteering there when I worked at CDM, so it's a familiar place. But what is so strange is driving down the street to where Turner Courts used to be and there is NOTHING. It is completely gone. That always leaves me with a strange feeling because on one hand, I have a lot of great memories of people and kids and the after school program and playing basketball and meeting people like Wyshina and Khris' family that have been a big part of my life. But on the other hand, I know that Turner Courts had a myriad of issues and problems and that a revitalization was needed. However, it doesn't look like much is happening in that area right now. But I digress. I was talking about summer camp.

I really feel fortunate every year to have this opportunity. I am more and more concerned all the time about the lack of options for kids during the summer in this area. Even though I did not grow up participating in sports teams or traveling to summer camps or enrolling in enrichment activities, the community I lived in was very different than the one these kids live in. My mom was home with us. It was safe and sheltered. We visited the library every week and I read voraciously, which was my way of learning about the world outside of Farwell, Texas. My family also took a trip each summer where I got to see lots of different places and environments. But the kids that I work with every day live in a much different world. It is not always safe and sheltered. Parents aren't always home. They have limited knowledge and exposure to anything other than the immediate culture around them. And while there are many positive things in communities like South Dallas, there are also a lot of negative things that easily entice young people into lifestyles that ultimately trap them right where they are at. That's why I have come to believe so strongly in just giving kids experiences as part of their education. I hate that there are so few options for parents in South Dallas as far as quality programming for their kids. There are a couple of city recreation centers and a Boys and Girls Club, and even though what they provide for the kids has value, I feel these kids need so much more. They need camps like the ones at CDM and the one I work for at Circle of Support. Programs that provide academics and enrichment, programs that allow kids to try new things and meet new people and just get glimpses of other lifestyles and cultures. Last year my 5th and 6th grade girls got to learn lacrosse, got to go kayaking, got to learn how to make sushi, got to learn about the history of blues music at the House of Blues....and so much more. All of these experiences add to their schema and enrich their understanding and help give them a foundation for dreaming dreams and setting goals for their life that extend beyond the limited opportunities around them. I just love being a part of that so much and wish that we could include more kids!!

Every spring I have the intention of doing a lot of preparation in advance so I can make my class super-powerful...and every year I find myself a week before camps starts with just a big collection of stuff I've gathered that I might want to use and then faced with task of figuring out how to work it all together. So now that today is the last day of school and camp starts on Monday, I will be spending the weekend feverishly putting together my plans, making copies, and getting ready for my favorite 8 weeks of the year! Hopefully I will have some interesting posts throughout the summer about all the things we are learning and experiencing at camp!