Summer 2024 Camp Volunteering

In summer 2024, I had the opportunity to return to a place that played a big role in shaping who I am as an artist. For two weeks, I volunteered as a camp counselor at the same summer camp I attended for many years as a kid. It was many times the highlight of my summer and something I always looked forward to. This exact camp gave me some of my earliest memories of creativity and affected my growing interest in art.

I worked with a group of kids between the ages of 5 and 11. Every day was interesting and different, a mix of energy and chaos. One thing I remember distinctly about when I attended this camp, was how exceptionally engaging the counselors were and how this made the experience so much fun. So what really stood out to me about volunteering here, was how rewarding it felt to be on the other side, not as a camper, but as someone being able create the same experiences I enjoyed so much as a kid.

As a counselor, I helped curate and run activities, which to me felt like a full circle moment considering how much I loved those parts of this camp when I was little. Volunteering wasn’t always easy. Occasionally a kid would have a meltdown or refuse to work on a project, and learning how to deal with this was a new skill for me. The days were long, and working with kids requires a lot of energy. Even on the days when I didn’t have so much of it, I found that the kids’ enthusiasm sort of carried over to me. Volunteering at this art camp reminded me how much spaces like these matter. They give kids a place to try things that foster creativity and interest in something new. And for me, it was a chance to give back to a community that gave me so much when I was younger.