Tis the Season!

Yes, it’s camp season again and we at the Y are going full throttle to get our 20 camp sites ready for our over 3,500 campers and families! As our website totes, summer at the Y means a summer of fun! It's a time for children to grow, make new friends and learn lessons that last a lifetime!

The Y is the leader in summertime fun because we literally invented summer camp! At the Y, children get to bask in the sheer joys that define a child's summer at its best: getting wet, playing hard, being silly, making new friends, tackling new and challenging skills, learning and growing all along the way.

We pride ourselves in making Y camp the summer fun adventure it should be for all our children, but we also take pride in knowing that we are serving an even greater purpose…

Did you know that?

· Research spanning over 100 years shows most children score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than at the end of the school year, according to Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Summer Learning.
· A University of Missouri study shows that the average child loses one month’s worth of instruction in reading and math during summer vacation. Math computation and spelling skills suffer most — at times the equivalent of more than two months of progress — resulting in an estimated four to six weeks of review in the fall, researchers say. This gap is further widened for low income students.
· Children lose more than academic knowledge over the summer. Most children – particularly children at risk of obesity - gain weight more rapidly when they are out of school on summer break (von Hippel et al. 2007)
· Parents consistently cite summer as the most difficult time to ensure their children have something productive to do. (Duffet et al. 2004)

Well, how does the Y’s “fun and the sun” camp plan address such chronic issues:

· Our camp curriculum is infused with daily literacy learning opportunities – from reading to journaling - with weekly themes such as “Wacky Science” and “Lights! Camera! Action!” Peg Smith, American Camp Association's chief executive officer, says the solution to summer learning is "not to confine children to classrooms for year-round school," but instead "the answer lies in much more natural, developmental settings that promote experiential learning, improve social skills and physical fitness, teach kids to take calculated risks in a safe environment, and expand the creative mind allowing for the possibility of innovation" (Smith 2009) – which is exactly what Y camp does. Further, Y camp is filled with opportunities to develop essential social skills. Our camp offers the opportunity for children to gain a wide exposure to different people in different walks of life. Our campers come from diverse socio-economic classes, different backgrounds and different family structures. Therefore, children quickly develop compassion and empathy for fellow human beings - and what a wonderful by-product this is.
· To address the physical fitness challenge – well, that’s not only what the Y does, but it is core to who we are. The children literally begin with physical fitness in the morning, have repeated games and “test of endurance” throughout the day, and end with a high-energy physically- charged closing rally. Now, you see why they fall asleep before you make it off the parking lot!
· In terms of the parent’s concern, we pride ourselves in being a safe place for kids. Our camp day runs from 7 AM to 6 PM (including before and after care hours) allowing the working parent to go off to work worry free, knowing their children are not only in a safe place, but are actively engaged in fun-filled activities that support spirit, mind, and body for all.

All this clearly disguised as good ‘ole fashion fun! Who could ask for more?

Well, I guess I can! Join us for camp this year – and if you can – help send other children to camp. Donating is as easy as going to http://www.ymaryland.org/ and clicking on “Donate Now.” Your kids will have a great summer – and we can keep that “learning thing” between us…

Posted by Michelle Becote-Jackson, Senior Vice President, Y Journeys for Children & Youth, Y of Central Maryland