This year we kicked off our Summer Camp for the first time! We had five volunteers joining us for between 5 weeks to 3 1/2 months. They taught a range of classes including pre-school, painting, ceramics, dance, sports, drama, drawing, and cooking.

 

In pre-school, the volunteers introduced the children to 15 new things every weekday that class was held. The kids would play detective and go searching for things they were learning about. The children explored everything from letters, numbers, shapes, animals and bugs, to understanding and expressing their emotions, learning about being kind, and practicing how to share. They also expanded these adventures and went on a few field trips, including the zoo!

The Summer Camp volunteers attended graduations, helped tutor on school subjects kids struggled with, read books 1-on-1, and played board and card games at the kids’ houses. They ate meals with them several times a week, they chatted with them about life, and played endless games of tag.

In addition to teaching the kids hard and soft skills, the volunteers spent down time eating junk food and watching movies with the kids. They had ice cream parties on Sundays to dedicated to the celebration of all the birthdays within the month’s time. 

They also brought books of all grade levels to start a library. They also shared legos with the children, which was a huge success! The relationships these kids formed with the volunteers was impactful and meaningful. In fact, the children cried when the last of our Summer Camp team left to return home.

The mom of the house for the baby dorm said, “They had so much fun! They played a lot and learned many things. Everyone in pre-school learned something they didn’t know before. They learned about their geometric figures, children’s songs, letters and numbers. They always returned happy.”

In the evening, our on-site Program Director, Samantha, would debrief with the volunteers on how their experience was going. They would gather at her house, discuss the day and what went well and what didn’t. The Summer Camp team would encourage and praise each other. Sam gave them counsel on how they might overcome a struggle they were having in class. This allowed the volunteers to not only teach in their classes but to also gain insight on how they could improve their experience as well.

When we asked our volunteers how they felt the Summer Camp went, we were excited to learn that they took away as much as the children did! 

“Loved every minute of it. There were ups and downs of course, but it was an incredible experience making close friends and pushing myself out of my comfort zone.” -Rachel 

“Volunteering down in Mexico was a dream come true! I worked hard to give everything I had to the experience and felt I received so much more in return. Through the Summer Camp, I got to know the kids and they will now forever hold a special place in my heart.” -Emily

“When I think back on my Internship with A Child’s Hope Foundation tears come to my eyes. The relationships made are eternal. Amazing opportunity to learn how to interact with and teach children and teenagers and be a mentor.” -Joelle

If you are interested in joining us next Summer as a mentor, we would love to have you! You can learn more about the programs, the qualifications, and application information at https://achildshopefoundation.org/trips/summer2020/

We can’t wait to meet you!