Summer Camp

A couple weeks ago we brought 17 students to UGM camp. Of that number, more than half had never been to an overnight camp before. Brandon and I stayed in a cabin with the boys and had an incredible time connecting with them. There was something special about sharing space like that that brought the whole group closer. On the first day we split up the students into three groups and we participated in the camp’s challenge course. Some students loved the idea of a challenge and jumped at the opportunity to engage in a difficult task while others withdrew when given the chance to engage in such an activity, but we encouraged every student to give their 100 percent effort. This is different for everyone and when one student stepped aside several times during these activities, we encouraged him to join us. Although he didn’t do 100 percent of the activity, he did his best and he did participate to the best of his ability.

 The cool part for me was when we spent time reflecting on these challenges. In the cabin later in the evening, we took turns pointing out the good we saw in each other throughout the day. One boy said of the boy that struggled, “we wanted to finish the challenge as a team and the fact that you tried made me really proud.” As the next two days unfolded, I saw that group of boys, two from Ness and three from OC, gel into a real group of friends that liked each other and learned to be vulnerable with each other, which is more than I can say for myself at 9 or 10 years old! 

Written By: Program Director, Jeremy Clark