The Joys of Summer Camp

As we sit here and try to wrap our heads around the hustle and bustle that the Team Up facilities (and beyond!) experienced the last 2 months — the smiles, the growth, the friendships, and the triumphs — we are beyond thankful for people like YOU who make it happen. 

To celebrate a successful summer and move into Fall Mentor Nights (can you believe it?), here is some summer camp JOY from our Team Up staffers!

What are some activities or field trips that stuck out to you the most during summer camp?

 I really enjoyed our time at the Oconee Aquatics Center. At OAC, I enjoyed watching the teens have a great time on the waterslides, and I was super impressed with the way they behaved and interacted with people who were not involved with Team Up (something that we talk about often).

The trip to Panama City Beach stood out to me the most! I loved seeing how the kids interacted with each other and made new friendships, and I also enjoyed watching the kids get out of their comfort zones. Even the encouraging words from some of their peers when doing things like jumping into the deep end of the pool was so great to witness!

The Atlanta Zoo field trip was definitely the highlight of our summer. We made the best new memories! Another day that was surprisingly a highlight of our summer was a field trip to the library to hear from a beekeeper. He brought a beehive and the kids were so fascinated watching the bees and trying to find the queen bee! Afterwards we went to Scoops for a sweet treat!

Is there an example of a time where a kid was helpful, kind, or brave?

There was a time when one of our kids was feeling overwhelmed and needed some time to de-escalate. A younger teen was very good at checking in and talking with that teen. It was so kind and emotionally intelligent to see the way he could interact with this teen and provide almost exactly what the older teen was looking for.

On our beach trip, one student was feeling homesick and another teen took notice. He was so insightful and helpful in pulling the older student out of this funk. He even helped him write a letter home and shared what he likes to do when he feels homesick.

We had a superhero this summer who asked to help set up lunch every single day of camp. I am so proud of this student for showing kindness without being asked, and we were eager to let her help in this capacity. She really stepped up as a leader! We had such an amazing group of students this summer and we are truly blown away by how helpful, kind, and brave they all are.

Did you notice any kid(s) grow from the beginning of summer camp to the end?

One of our kids what has admitted that she has struggled with anger issues at home was asking me for help on how to avoid getting angry during a confrontation. We talked about breathing exercises, counting in your head before speaking, journaling and a few other helpful strategies. About 2 weeks later, she came and talked to me about how she got upset at home and was able to use the strategies we talked about to cool herself down in order to have a calm conversation. I was super proud of her for listening and choosing to put those strategies into use!

One new camper had a lot of behavior struggles in the beginning weeks, and anytime he lost a point due to this, it would take a lot of time for him to settle down. However, a staff member was there to help him understand the importance of different rules and explain that Team Up is a safe space for making mistakes, but that we also hold each other accountable. By the end of the summer, he was able to go to the prize box every week because of his improved behavior! And if he did end up losing a point, he handled it so well. Through patient and loving conversations, he learned that it is okay to make mistakes and that he has the capability to be a leader and set a good example. He improved so much, and it was rewarding to know that our conversations were so effective and fruitful.

In what way did Summer Camp get you excited for Mentor Nights in the fall?

Summer Camp was a fun introduction to many new faces and personalities that will be in TLA this school year, and it was a chance to continue to grow relationships with the teens that have been around for a while. I am looking forward to serving more youth this school year than we have in the recent past!

We had so many new students this summer! I am excited for them to come back this fall and continue to watch them form relationships and grow with TUM! It has been fun watching how excited the new kids are that there is a program that they can continue to come to during the school year. 

Mentor Nights are going to be filled with new faces thanks to kids getting their first intro into Team Up with Summer Camp! These kids are so lovable, and it wasn't long before they built amazing friendships with their mentors and other kids. It is so sweet to see our Team Up family grow and knowing that we have so many new, incredible kiddos makes me excited to begin mentoring again!