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Camp Fire USA Central Alabama Council Program Success Stories
A Gift of Giving
A Gift of Giving is designed to teach participants about the concept of “community” and to instill the value of volunteerism at an early age. It is also a goal that participants will continue to volunteer even after their program participation has ended. In a session being delivered at ***** Middle School, the group participated in planning and organizing a community service project for a local nursing home. The students chose to create cards and care packages for the residents. It was decided that when they delivered the cards and packages, they would also spend quality time with the individuals to whom they presented the gifts. Quality time could be anything from talking, watching television, or manicuring nails. During the visit, the nursing home staff told the group about other opportunities to volunteer on their own time. One student in particular lived down the street from the nursing home, but had no idea that there were opportunities to volunteer. She signed up to help and has been volunteering there on a regular basis. Because of the volunteer project she did through participation in the A Gift of Giving program, she learned that volunteering was something she enjoyed and gained exposure to needs and opportunities in her own community.
After School Care
The After School Care program is designed to provide quality, affordable child care during out-of-school time. Although many enrichment opportunities are available to youth participants, our organization is also providing a service to working families. Camp Fire adopted the family strengthening motto that “children do well when families do well and families do well when they live in supportive communities.” One working mother in particular has voiced that she is able to work, and perform effectively, because she has the piece of mind that her son is being well cared for in a safe environment. He has been enrolled in the After School Care program for several years, and she considers Camp Fire to be “part of her family.” She is also grateful for the transportation Camp Fire provides at no charge from her son’s school to the site, as it means she can afford to send him to a program and doesn’t have to leave work early. She insists that she “wouldn’t know what to do without the program at Camp Fire West.”
Career Development
The Career Development program provides participants with the opportunity to explore career paths through a series of exploratory sessions. Instructors visit classrooms and conduct aptitude and interest surveys, in addition to speaking about various types of employment opportunities. A follow-up visit with the class or school counselor consists of delivering and talking through the results from each student’s survey. In some cases students are enlightened regarding professions they never knew existed, and in others there inclination or passion is reinforced. For one young lady who participated in the program in her middle school class, the session and survey results confirmed that her interest in a professional modeling career suited her well. Many times the more creative careers are not pursued as educators and parents are quick to dismiss them as an option. The program gave her the confidence that her dream was a viable option. Program instructors learned of her thought process through the principal when back at the school later working with other classes. The girl had graduated and did pursue a career in modeling. She had landed her first commercial and revealed the impact of the Career Development program on her life when excitedly relaying the news of her “big break” to her former educators.
Character Development (Outside-In)
The Outside-In program utilizes trained high school peer mentors to work with small groups of middle school students in the same school system. The mentors are selected by school personnel. A junior boy was chosen to be part of the program. He was quiet and reserved, but demonstrated some characteristics of a developing leader. During the program he received word that his mother had passed away. He had to go and live with his sister. His sister died unexpectedly not long after. The program instructors were devastated as they saw these tragic events unfold in his life. He had made such dramatic steps toward becoming confident while involved, and they were worried he would not overcome these setbacks. However when they went back to the school the following year to again deliver the program, they asked if he would be interested in serving as a mentor during his now senior year. He eagerly accepted and they learned that he had grown so much since being chosen for the program the year before. It had given him the confidence to run for student office. Not only had he run, but he was elected student body president. He credits the Outside-In program with helping him find the strength and confidence in his own abilities.
Club is a Camp Fire program that utilizes volunteer leaders to meet with boys and/or girls throughout the school year. Groups complete service projects, hold social events (such as the Father-Daughter Dance) and emphasis is placed on leadership opportunities, teamwork and friendships. When a new family moved to town they inquired about Camp Fire’s club program at school registration. They had a son and daughter and were concerned about them starting a new school year in a new place. They signed up for the program, which gave them the opportunity to be a part of something established in the community and the children a chance to make friends outside of school. The added benefit was that they were able to grow stronger as a family because the projects and events required that they do many of the activities together.
Environmental Education Field Trips
Field trips at Camp Fletcher expose many children, parents and teachers to the natural world. The programs are designed to be educational, but sometimes they can have other effects on participants. We received a letter from a pleased mother after one such experience. Her handicapped child (in a wheel chair) had brought home a permission slip to attend the camp field trip. She had been immediately concerned about his ability to experience a field trip in a rustic setting such as camp. She signed up as a chaperon and hoped for the best. The day went very well and he was able to participate in all of the activities. Even when his group went on the hike, counselors helped her navigate the chair over the rough terrain on all points possible. She witnessed her son have a wonderful time and experience things that had not been possible before. The inclusion of her child and effort demonstrated by the staff left a lasting impression on this parent.
The Links-Up Mentoring program enlists and trains college volunteers to work with small groups in elementary and middle schools. Sometimes the students are selected to be a part of the group by teachers or counselors, and other times they are allowed to volunteer for the program. One middle school requested the program due to social issues prevalent on campus. One young lady with a terrible attendance record was present the day the counselor introduced the program and allowed them to sign up. The counselor mentioned the group would focus on topics such as friendships, teamwork and bullying. This particular girl signed up and was placed in the group. After sessions began, school staff began noticing that her attendance was improving. After some investigation, they realized that she was consistently present on Links-Up group day. The counselor pulled her aside and told her that if her attendance did not drastically improve on ALL days, she would not be allowed to attend the Links-Up group meetings. The very next day she was present and continued to come to school every day. She transformed into a model group member and a good student. Her improved attendance had a direct correlation to her academic performance. The Links-Up Mentoring program helped put this individual back on the proper track to a bright future.
In regards to the residential sessions, one particular camper stands out. Her name is *****, she is 14 and this was her 4th year at camp. During one of the night time activities called the blob, ***** casually pulled away from the group and remained at a picnic table alone. She didn’t seem to be bothered that no one else was with her. One of the counselors who was hiding as a blob brought this situation to my attention. I approached ***** and questioned her reason for sitting at the picnic table. She proceeded to tell me, they just left me… one minute they were there and the next they were gone (referring to her cabin mates). She continued telling me she was just not an outdoor kind-of-person and mostly stayed inside all day, played video games or watched TV and her feet were hurting, not surprising when you wear low top converse at camp. The program director, counselor and my self decided we would pull ***** aside the next day and talk with her. She described herself as socially awkward and the youngest of four children. Since ***** was a returning camper, we asked what her favorite camp activity is, but she didn’t know. This conversation seemed to lighten her spirit and allowed us to lead into the conversation of the importance of team participation. The remainder of the week, she was open to more interaction with the other campers, especially the girls. However, the best part of her week in my eyes, is when her parents arrived for the closing ceremony and she smiled from ear to ear as she hugged her mom.
Last year was the first year that the Self-Reliance program was delivered at ***** Elementary. Specifically, the “I’m Safe & Sure” program curriculum was presented. The counselor was so impressed that she called the Safe and Sure sessions “the highlight of her students’ counseling sessions.” This is often the reaction of counselors we serve; they state that the children talk about the Self Reliance sessions and eagerly anticipate the lessons.
The program has been instrumental in helping students learn how to report “bad touches” to trusted adults. Because we talk to them about “good touches and bad touches,” students have reported incidents of abuse and neglect during our sessions. The counselors at the schools are thankful and receptive when we report the incidents to them. One second grader in an area school had to be removed from her home by DHR (according school faculty) after she reported abuse to Self Reliance staff.
We are excited about teaching children how to protect themselves from dangerous and unwanted situations. All of our programs empower children to make decisions that will protect them from danger.
Summer Day Camp
Summer Day Camp at Camp Fire West conducts full day programming for nine weeks. While the program is designed to be fun (and is) it is also designed to help bridge the gap between school years by keeping students on par with their grade level. Studies show that children who are enrolled in structured summer programming of any type are better prepared when returning to school after an extended break. Parent testimonies to counselors and directors show that they appreciate the academic component of the program. In their own words, they appreciate that the children are not only “keeping busy,” but are also “actually learning.” Striking an appropriate balance between lessons and recreational time and incorporating opportunities to learn into many activities is what keeps families coming back each summer.
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