Interested in seeing more day camp photos from week one? Click here to see all our photos!
Photos from week two will be posted soon!
We are pleased to announce (very belatedly) our new summer interns! Krista Bustamante and Edgar Mendiola are our two Community Liaisons. They are organizing meetings with university leaders, student groups, community groups, faith-based organizations, churches. . . the list goes on! They have been very helpful in creating the contacts we need to expand our services, and are an invaluable support for Val and myself. Thanks so much Krista and Edgar, and WELCOME!
The day camps at the American West Heritage Center were a huge success! We had 25 campers in the first week, and 26 the second. The kids got to milk a cow, throw tomahawks, learn about mountain men, pan for gold, ride ponies and the train, and do all sorts of crafts. They had a blast, and we did too! We are so grateful to the American West Heritage Center, especially Nelda and her counselors – Tammi and Jessica. Here are a few pictures from Week 1 to show how excited the campers were! I will update with more pictures from Week 2 and a link to our Picasa Web Album soon.
Several of the campers and one assistant jump for joy!
Jessica corralling campers after meeting the Mountain Men.
Here are the campers on the last day of day camp, week 1!
Next week, we start day camp at Stokes Nature Center. We are super excited for these camps; this group of campers will get to stay one night overnight!
Wow! Thank you so much to our community members and friends of Youth Discovery who have made it possible for 53 children to attend educational day camps at the American West Heritage Center. Your generosity has made these student’s day camp experience possible and we are grateful. Look for photos in late June of the campers!
We will acknowledge here, on our website, and elsewhere those donors who wish to be recognized. We still have space for seven (7) campers; if you would like to sponsor one, please contact me, Madeline, at mhart-andersen@youthdiscovery.org. I can answer any questions you might have.
Madeline, Carlos, and Natayla (Val’s daughter) were interviewed by local TV channel KUTA TV-8 for the Run for the Kids, and discussed the run, the needs of multicultural youth in Cache Valley, Latinos in Action, and Youth Discovery. Check it out: Interview on KUTA!
Unfortunately, due to great need for grant monies and depleted funding, we did not receive any of the grants for which we applied for the day camps at the AWHC. However! We are NOT giving up! The Run for the Kids raised 3 FULL scholarships and we are looking for ways to fund more. If you, or your place of work, would be interested in sponsoring a camper with a full ($69) or partial scholarship, or would like more information about sponsoring a camper, please contact me (Madeline) at mhart-andersen@youthdiscovery.org and I will answer any questions you might have.
Why are we funding scholarships specifically for multicultural students? Multicultural students are a growing population in the Cache and Logan School Districts. They often score lower on state and national exams than their Caucasian counterparts. Sometimes, they do not feel welcome in their schools, leading to disaffection and dropping out. The number of multicultural students in Cache Valley continues to grow.
It is imperative that we create an atmosphere of inclusivity for these students, and ensure that they are making appropriate academic progress. These young students are the doctors, nurses, librarians, and teachers of the future. It benefits us, our children, and our grandchildren to give these students the tools they need to succeed.
What will they be doing? The day camps will include many of the traditional AWHC day camp activities, such as milking cows, baking with a wood-burning oven, or participating in traditional mountain men competitions. However, we will also be incorporating literacy skills into the day camps, so that multicultural students who are learning English or need to improve their English language skills will be able to practice writing, reading, and vocabulary over the summer in a fun atmosphere.
Why are scholarships necessary? Many of these students’ families have limited income, and their parents are unable to pay for summer activities. Studies have shown that extracurricular, non-traditional academic programs are a valuable asset for all students, and help keep them motivated to learn and remain in school. If we can help to ensure these students’ success now, we will see fewer drop-outs in the future, as well as a host of other benefits: lower youth delinquency and crime rates, lower teen pregnancy rates, an increase in enrollment for higher education – all of which benefit not only the youth but also the communities of Cache Valley
Again, if you or your place of work would be interested in sponsoring a camper, please get in contact with Madeline at mhart-andersen@youthdiscovery.org.
If you are interested in volunteering for our Run for the Kids, please click here to register!
Youth Discovery would like to thank the businesses in Cache Valley who are supporting our fun run: Hobby Lobby, Little Ceasar’s Pizza in Providence, Kitchen Kneads, Logan Lanes, and Sam’s Club! We are grateful for your support!
As noted in my last post, Youth Discovery and the American West Heritage Center are teaming up to host a run at the Heritage Center as a fundraiser. All of the funds raised will be used to create scholarships for multicultural students, so that they can attend summer camp. Extra-curricular activities are vitally important in keeping students interested in school, and many studies have shown that students who are involved in extracurricular activities are more likely to succeed. Opportunities like the living history day camps offered by the AWHC make learning fun and draw students’ interests.
While summer camps such as those offered by the AWHC are important for all students, we are focusing on multicultural students because of their low numbers of participation. While 10% of the Cache County School District’s students are Latino, and 30% of Logan City School District is Latino, less than 1% of the youth attending the AWHC day camps are Latino. Some summers, none of the attending youth are Latino. Youth Discovery and the American West Heritage Center believe that it is vital summer camps, especially educational ones, serve all youth, including those who are traditionally under-served.
The Run for the Kids will take place on April 23rd, with the first event beginning at 9am. You can register online at www.youthdiscovery.org, or on the morning of the race out at the American West Heritage Center.
Val and I are organizing a fun run to help support Latino youth who will be attending the American West Heritage Center’s day-camps. The run will take place on April 23 at the Heritage Center. There will be a 1 mile kid’s run at 9 am, and a 5k at 9:30. Runners will receive free entrance to Baby Farm Animals at the Heritage Center (note that this is NOT Baby Animal Days), and their families can enter for $5.50.
