A very successful S'more Summer!

After 6 weeks of Elevate Youth Summer Camp, just like that it is coming to an end! We are nearing the end of August and can’t help but smile as we reflect on the incredibly successful summer we’ve had this year. Each week, our students got to experience sailing, kayaking, fishing, a farm visit, and an overnight camping trip as part of camp. Some students even attended camp for 2 weeks! We want to share some of our favorite memories from a wonderful summer with the Elevate Youth community as we begin to look forward to fall. 

Picture this… it’s a bright sunny New England summer morning, and you’re spending your Monday morning in the Boston Harbor on a sailboat with views that overlook the entire city!  This is what our summer camp students got to experience each week. With mostly sunny days and fairly windy conditions, each Monday morning we were lucky enough to leisurely sail through the harbor. Our friends at Piers Park Sailing Center were wonderful to work with, and kept us feeling safe and secure in our boats. As we enjoyed our rides, we would often play games of “Would you rather?,” sit on the front of the boat, or help sail the boat to pass the time.  In the afternoons, we would head over to Paddle Boston in Somerville and continue our day on the water with kayaking on the Charles River. Many of our students got to kayak for the first time, and some got to try being in a double kayak for the first time. While this was definitely more of a challenge than sitting on a sailboat, our students were excited to take it on! We saw beautiful swans, playful ducks, and lilypads as we drifted along the river. We even had one group of students connect their kayaks and make a raft. Each group this summer brought their own fun and unique vibe to each trip, which made every week fresh and different.

On Tuesdays, we headed out to Lincoln, MA to Codman Community Farms for a morning filled with farm activities. Throughout the summer, we really enjoyed collecting eggs from the chicken coop (and hanging out with the guard dog poppy!), shucking edamame, picking our own flower bouquets, and choosing ripe tomatoes. There is so much to be done on the farm, and we felt very lucky to get even a small glimpse into that and help out in whatever ways we could. After eating a little lunch in a shady spot at Codman, we headed over to Lake Cochituate for an afternoon of fishing! This was a great fishing spot for our students because the lake is loaded with all sorts of fish, such as sunfish, blue gill, and yellow perch, all of which our students caught at one point or another throughout the summer. There’s nothing quite like seeing the excitement on a young person's face who has just caught their first fish after patiently waiting all day.  Many of our students were even able to put the worms on the hooks and take the fish of the line themselves!

All of that brings us to Wednesday and Thursday, our overnight camping trips to AMC Cardigan Lodge in New Hampshire! We would drive up on Wednesday mornings, and usually arrive to the lodge around noon. After eating lunch on the deck, we would all pack our bags with a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and divide other equipment - like food and first aid kits - into the leader bags.  We would put our packed bags in the van and enjoy a one-mile nature loop near the lodge, keeping our eyes peeled for newts and frogs as we hiked. Then we would grab our backpacks and begin our one mile hike to the campsite. We were able to set up our tents on platforms and set up a nice camp for the evening! 

Once everyone was done making their tents cozy for sleeping that night, we would eat dinner around the fire. We discovered a great camping meal for our kids was mac and cheese! Simply boil the water over the fire and add your pasta, bon appetit. Let’s not forget about dessert though, the moment all the students were waiting for finally came after dinner… S'mores! It was an ongoing debate throughout the summer of whether or not to burn the marshmallows or toast them until they were golden brown - to each their own!  We loved spending the evenings around the fire, playing many fun card games and a hide and seek game called Camouflage. Looking at the starry night sky was a first for many youth, and we were lucky enough to see Starlink satellites in our last week. 

We were so proud of all of our students for braving such a new and oftentimes nerve-wracking challenge. Camping in the woods and sleeping in a tent for the first time is no easy feat, and yet our students found a way to keep themselves optimistic, entertained, and having the absolute best time each week!

This summer has been one of the most rewarding times of the year because we were able to spend each day being side-by-side with students as they experience something new in the outdoors! We truly had the best summer and hope all of our students did as well. Thank you to all of our summer partners, volunteers, and families; your support makes our awesome adventures possible. Cheers to getting outside and enjoying the rest of S'more summer!