The Next Door Inc.’s Youth Services team has been hard at work facilitating and organizing free summer camps for local area youth to enjoy. A pilot literacy program, a second annual cultural camp, and a third-year outdoor camp offered by our experienced and enthusiastic staff allow youth a variety of options to stay busy this summer at no cost to their families.
“Our free summer camps provide an opportunity for youth to have fun, experience new opportunities, and a chance to learn new skills,” Summer Program Supervisor Mary Ryan said. “There is limited free and affordable summer programming available in the community,” adds Heather Howard, TNDI’s Youth Services Program Manager. “Our camps are providing opportunities for families that need it.”
A program previously only offered during the school year, Libros Con Amigos, or Books with Friends, is halfway through its first season as a summer program. “We are trying to meet a community need by providing a free summer camp and also promoting literacy and developing literacy skills in a fun, interactive way,” says Bianca Badillo, Libros Con Amigos Camp Director. With a focus on making reading fun again, Libros Con Amigos pairs elementary-aged youth in grades second through fifth with high school volunteers. Campers work on arts and crafts projects based on the book they’ve read each day and will be working on building and decorating two community libraries to be installed in town before the camp’s end this month.
TNDI’s Native Supports program held its second annual Cultural Camp for Native American youth in July. Fourteen volunteer teachers were joined by 10 Columbia Gorge program staff, leading the camp for 55 total youth. The two-week camp was packed with cultural activities including a day on the water, powwow dancing and making hand drums, painted war ponies, moccasins, wapas (yarn baskets) and more. On the last day, the youth invited their families to join them for a mini-powwow, showcasing what they’d worked on at camp. A huge success this year, the Culture Camp sought to connect youth from varying locations throughout the Gorge with their social peers.
“One of our main goals for Culture Camp is lowering barriers that in the past have limited Native American youth from joining activities,” said Dawn LeMieux, camp director and native supports supervisor. “Our first year we had double the numbers we projected, with our second year having twice as many as last year’s attendance. Camp has been more than data collection of attendees, but the number of youth that smiled, expressed how happy they were to be with us, and most of all they can’t wait till next year. They are already planning for their future.”
Led by Camp Director Julio Cobb-Hernandez in collaboration with OSU Extension’s Juntos Afuera program, the Nature’s Greatest Strength (NGS) camp aims to make the outdoors more accessible to youth. “Nature’s Greatest Strength impacts the youth in our community by gaining a better understanding of the Columbia Gorge and surrounding areas while learning about diversity, equity, and inclusion in nature and among ourselves,” says Cobb-Hernandez. In its third year of programming this summer, NGS is providing 30 registered youth with the opportunity to participate in outdoor activities they may not otherwise get to experience, such as hiking, whitewater rafting and stand-up paddleboarding.
The Next Door Inc.’s Youth Services summer programs are supported by a number of community partners this year, including Columbia Area Transit (CAT), Columbia Riverkeepers, FISH Food Bank, OSU Extension – Juntos Afuera, and Spirit of Grace Church. Their combined generosity has made transportation, education, and venues for TNDI camps possible and we’d like to extend our sincerest thanks to them for their ongoing support.
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