This week LitCamp Intern Will Campo is taking over the blog to share his LitWorld experience with you. Will grew up in New England and in Hong Kong. He enjoyed exploring parts of Southeast Asia with his family and returned to the United States for high school and college. Will attended St. Lawrence University, where he majored in Government and also played on the squash team. He also enjoys playing tennis and spent a few summers as a tennis coach for kids of all ages. Here's Will with stories from our Harlem LitCamp.
It was another successful week at LitCamp! The theme that guided our activities was “Around the World.” As in previous weeks, all the classes led by the interns, and assisted by the teen counselors, brought fun, variety, and intrigue to the campers.
At "Morning Meeting," the LitCampers learned a number of different ways to say "Hello," ranging from “Ni hao” (Mandarin Chinese) to “Aloha” (Hawaiian). In addition, campers were given the opportunity to share customs and traditions from their own cultures. In doing so, the kids and interns received a crash course in the vast cultures of the world.
Here's a group of LitCampers at Morning Meeting presenting the flag of a new country they made up - Water Candy World!
What never ceases to amaze me, during "Morning Meeting" and other periods of the day as well, is how considerate and thoughtful the campers are. No matter who is speaking, whether it is a Camp Director or a fellow camper, every one of the campers from the age of 5 to 14 gives his or her undivided attention and respect. The maturity level of the average LitCamper vastly surpasses that of many high school students that I have encountered. This fact has been embodied in the way the kids act when we are beyond the comfort of our home base at Broadway Housing Communities and Riverside Park.
This week we all had a great time on our field trip to Governors Island. Taking the subway to South Ferry, and then the ferry to the island, all the staff had an easy time because the campers made it that way. Sometimes the campers even took on the role of counselor, as Raj did a number of times with my "bunk" of kids.
On the ferry to Governor's Island with my bunk of LitCampers!
Monday begins “Environment and Nature Week” and I’m confident it will be even better than the last three. The kids never stop impressing us, and I can’t wait to see how they’ll surprise and inspire us next week!