Summer Camp: How can we help our local youth bloom?

The spring blossoms are here (and giving everyone allergies), The Delsea Drive-In has opened, and soon, 3PM won’t mean High Street lined with school buses. During my first spring walk around Millville High School, I noticed… nothing. No kids on the playground or teenagers by the tennis court. As I returned back home, where my sister was playing video games through V.R on the couch, I asked myself the question: In an age where kids and teens are happy to stay inside, entertained by technology and constant connection, how can we help them enjoy the summer of ‘24?

In an article for Teen Brain Trust, Dr. Dana Dorfman writes “ Not only are they [adolescents] navigating a new identity but they’re learning to act and behave according to a whole new set of social guidelines.” If this is true, then in order to truly make an impact on the youth of our community, we need to supply them with something timeless during this turbulent time. What is more timeless than summer camp? For what feels like eons, friendships have been created within the four walls of an air conditioned learning center, ripe with the scent of sunscreen and angst, changing us forever. There’s a plethora of Summer Camps to choose from and they all have amazing benefits to a Child’s Psyche. The YMCA claims that Summer Camps teach teamwork, self-esteem, and help build attention span. These are also common benefits you might see if your child is learning through the arts. There is a certain vulnerability about learning with a group of peers that you can’t replicate through a screen. Learning theater or trying out instruments can help children express themselves in productive ways like songwriting, and for those children who feel passionate about technology, audio engineering can be a creative tool that aligns with their passions. New Jersey could be nurturing the next Taylor Swift right under its nose- and it could all begin with a summer course!