27 Sep A Life-Changing Camp Experience
When I was younger, I used to read a lot! Books were my gateway to exploring the world. Due to my family’s financial constraints, vacations and other summer activities were not available to me. Instead, books became my window to new cultures, places, and experiences.
Along with the movie The Parent Trap, the book Sleepaway Girls by Jen Calonita sparked my interest in going to summer camp and the possibility of forming lifelong friendships while experiencing all that nature had to offer. Inspired by this book and the movie, I immediately began researching different summer camps in my area hoping to recreate the adventures I had read about. Having been to summer camp, my neighbor recommended YMCA Camp Woodstock located in Woodstock, CT, describing it as a magical place and an experience he never forgot. Hoping to have that same experience, I reached out to the camp director directly and asked how I could go to summer camp too. While there were some scholarships left to partially cover the cost of attendance, I would have to pay the rest myself. Undaunted, I made it my mission to advocate for myself to attend. I begged my parents to let me go, got straight As that quarter to show my parents my commitment, and put together a potential payment plan if I were to attend.
After tirelessly advocating for myself, I was accepted into YMCA Camp Woodstock’s Leaders-In-Training (LIT) program – a six-week experience for teens that changed my life. I made some amazing friends from all over the world including Spain, France, and Italy. I participated in fun activities like kayaking, camping, learning camp songs, and competing in dining hall chant battles. I loved it so much that I returned to camp the next summer, eager to relive the magic of summer camp.
This summer, when Fluent announced plans for a research camp, I found myself in a position to pay forward the life-changing experience I had gained all those years ago. In partnership with New England Base Camp, Fluent arranged for a group of mostly Latinx tweens to attend day camp for two weeks where they could take part in all the camp activities, as well as research-related activities, including activity sessions and focus groups. To alleviate some of the cost, Fluent offered summer camp scholarships to the research participants, which deeply resonated with me. I was so excited for the opportunity to help others have that same amazing summer experience I had when I was growing up.
Unfortunately, I quickly realized that Latinx families have major reservations about the idea of summer camp because they immediately think that their child will be sleeping there, which raises major concerns for them. Most don’t realize that there are also day camps where kids just go for a few hours a day. I had to work very hard to reassure them they would be safe and would not be sleeping there since it was a day camp. I served as the main point of contact for them and their children. Knowing that I also come from a Latinx background and speak Spanish fluently, they felt much more comfortable opening up to me. I met with them individually before they enrolled to answer any questions and for them to get to know me as well. Once the camp started, they knew they could call or text me at any time, easing their concerns and solidifying mutual trust.
The stories of three tween girls who had recently arrived from El Salvador especially resonated with me. To attend this camp each day, they needed to travel roundtrip from East Boston to Milton, MA, yet their mothers worked 10-hour days and had no way of picking up or dropping them off at camp. Because the mothers had wanted to provide opportunities for their girls to practice their English, assimilate into their new home, and make new friends, they found a friend for the girls to stay with so they could be closer to the camp. I appreciated that the moms were trying so hard to have their daughters attend summer camp. Their experience touched me and reminded me of all the advocating I had to do for myself to attend camp all those years ago.
As camp ended, it was clear that these three girls had been positively impacted by their camp experience and left a lasting impression on the lives of their fellow campers. Yes, they had formed new friendships, but they had also become a source of support for each other and an inspiration to the camp as a whole. The oldest girl, an 8th grader, took on the role of translating for the other two. Together they helped other campers and staff practice their Spanish-speaking skills, and educated everyone about Salvadoran culture.
From the outside looking in, Research Camp had such a tremendous impact on the lives of these girls and I think that was very special. Reflecting on the summer and watching the campers navigate the program reinforced the idea that camp has the potential to serve as a catalyst for growth, resilience, and cross-cultural understanding.
By User Experience Researcher, Evelin Garcia.