The Alcohol Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County (ADAMH) was proud to support another season of summer camps hosted by local organizations throughout central Ohio.
ADAMH summer camp investments allow the board to support a wide range of organizations. This year, ADAMH funded 22 camps hosted by organizations outside its network in addition to four camps hosted by provider agencies. This equates to a $1.2 million investment in total.
These camps offer a range of learning environments that help develop children’s social, emotional and physical health. Whether it’s improving literacy rates, teaching entrepreneurial skills or developing leadership abilities, camps are about supporting the positive, healthy development of youth so that they can thrive.
Supporting Literacy and Social Justice
In Linden, ADAMH supports Freedom School, a K-6 summer camp program from the Children’s Defense Fund. With a focus on literacy and social justice, Freedom School works with children – who are referred to as scholars – to appreciate their own history and culture in order to overcome academic, social and emotional challenges.
Using the Children’s Defense Fund model, Jamahl Jones, executive director of Freedom School, said the six-week-camp aims to reduce summer reading loss.
“We do a lot of reading and learning the first part of the day then the second part is afternoon activities like yoga, art and music,” he said. “It’s the same summer camp feel that most summer camps have but then we incorporate that reading into it.”
The books the scholars read typically focus on history and social justice, which are pillars of their learning throughout their time at camp. Along with lessons, the scholars participate in community projects and field trips, all of which Jamahl said wouldn’t be possible without the support of ADAMH and others.
“ADAMH helps us in so many other ways aside from financial compensation, too, and we really appreciate it,” he said.
Combating Food Insecurity, Building Entrepreneurial Skills
Since 2017, ADAMH has supported the Festa Summer Lunch Camp, a Hilliard-based camp that provides daily meals to children who receive free or reduced lunch while school is in session.
“We’re trying to address the biggest food instability time of year by providing summer meals for children who receive that support during the school year,” said Jean Griffith, director of programs for Festa.
This summer, Festa’s three locations served 706 children grades K-12. Not only are the children fed hot, nutritious meals – provided by the Mid-Ohio Food Collective – they cook them, too. Every year, select weeks are set aside to prepare for Restaurant Day, an event where the children get to plan, design and run their own mock restaurant.
“They decide what the restaurant name is going to be, the food, they make decorations for the restaurant and also take and serve customer orders,” Jean said. “The children are learning business and work skills and really learning how to take an idea in their head and turn it into a reality.”
Medleen, a fourth grader and camp participant, has been in many roles on Restaurant Day and enjoys them all.
“I like being a server because you get to talk to people, I like being a manager because you’re never bored and I also enjoy being a cook because you get to cook things,” Medleen said.
With ADAMH’s support, Festa is able to put on Restaurant Days every summer, as well as provide every day camp supplies for the children and funding to hire seasonal staff.
“The seasonal staff is on the front lines with the children, planning and leading the activities, so the ADAMH funding ensures the children are supported,” Jean said.
Investing in Leadership Development
Just as childhood development is crucial, focusing on the development of teens through summer camp investments is equally important to ADAMH. On the southside of Columbus, ADAMH supports the Lincoln Park Summer Learning Experience, a summer camp that partners with the Southside Community Collaborative Teen Leadership Academy to employ teens to help run the camp.
This year, the camp employed 14 student interns with the support of ADAMH. The interns lead children through camp activities, such as facilitating daily emotional check-ins and games while also assisting the adult staff.
Many of the interns, like Navaeh Feggins, 16, and Gregory Hill, 17, were campers themselves, which influenced their decision to be camp interns.
“I wanted to work here because I knew somebody who was in the same position I’m in now and I liked how they did their job,” Gregory said. “I was basically looking up to them.”
While overseeing campers close to their age can be a challenge at times, both believe having that previous experience as campers helped them create positive relationships with current campers.
“I want the campers to be in a good position where they want to listen to me, so I try not to discipline too much,” Navaeh said. “I know when I was younger, I didn’t like when people took my things, so I try to think about how they feel and how it’d make me feel.”
Navaeh and Gregory said being interns has supported their growth and given them skills they know will benefit their futures.
“I have a lot more patience and wisdom and I know how to make someone feel comfortable because I’ve worked with these kids,” Navaeh said. “The whole experience has taught me a lot and it’s improved me as a leader.”