In 2023, the Steelcase Foundation awarded a three-year $215,000 grant to Camp Blodgett to support its FIERCE Leaders Program. Camp Blodgett provides year-round recreational and educational experiences for youth who otherwise could not afford them to ensure all children have access to quality learning opportunities. Through the grant, Camp Blodgett will work to:
- Sustain its STEM programming and expand it to a high school audience;
- Expand its existing Youth Leader teen programming from summer camp service to year-round STEM programs;
- Sustain its outdoor adventure and future-focused teen programs
- Expand its FIERCE leaders cohort, quadrupling its service capacity to serve more teens.
Hear from Youth Leader Coordinators Reginah Byrd and Cam Laramy as they share their insights into the work.
Name and role with the organization:
Cam Laramy, Young Leader Coordinator
Brief overview of your organization and what you do:
Camp Blodgett has been around for over a century providing recreational programs like summer camp and educational programs focused on STEM and leadership. Unlike other nonprofit camps, it is who we serve that sets us apart because we are the only public summer camp for low-income families.
Please provide an overview of the grant and how the project came to be.
The Young Leader program is an opportunity for teenagers to learn, grow, and evolve as leaders within- and out of- our community. As a Young Leader at Camp Blodgett, teens have an incredible chance to change the lives of our campers during the summer. This program offers teens, aged 14-17, a unique opportunity to develop leadership skills that will not only benefit them during their time at camp, but also in their schools, communities, and future endeavors!
The work our teens do is imperative to the function of Camp and its programming! Y.L.’s (Young Leaders) are the behind-the-scenes to all the magic!
Throughout their experience as Young Leaders, they will dive into learning more about our FIERCE Leadership characteristics and how to embody these traits in their daily lives. These characteristics include:
- Flexibility
- Initiative
- Empathy
- Responsibility
- Communication
- Empowerment
What are the primary goals of the program?
Aside, our primary goal is to ensure our teens with the best possible opportunities to promote their social responsibility, to encourage their academic success in all levels of learning, and to support and guide them to develop healthy self-esteem.
Our teens could join us during the spring and fall for our F.I.E.R.C.E. Cohort, in which we discuss and experience a multitude of real-world skills, conversations, and issues. We asked our teens to continue down this path of progress by taking over some of our summer programming this year, in which teens had an opportunity to use their skills to design some of the thematic work regarding games and events that happen at camp. They’ve also had the opportunity to meet numerous local entrepreneurs and professionals to learn from their experience as people within a similar field.
How has youth voice shaped this project?
We ask the teens to evaluate us as their Coordinators to ensure that their voice is projected through the work that we do for them. Along with that, we also send a newsletter and monthly updates to the families regarding what their teens have been up to, as we want the community to hear about the work our teens are putting into the program!
Please describe the work that you’ve engaged in so far and your hopes for the work through the remainder of the grant period.
Through my time with the teens, we have implemented numerous systems to ensure a path of learning throughout the work, devised an outline for the teens to understand how we make the programmatic work happen so they’re able to use their creativity to design an event/game, and introduced and discussed numerous topics that reinforce that we want our teens to be successful leaders in the world. Everything from behavior management and peer regulation to fiscal prioritizing and community work, has been presented to our teens to ensure that we as a collective are growing as the world changes.
I personally have learned numerous lessons being with the teens as my age has allowed me to be reminded that it’s okay to forget about the seriousness sometimes and try something new. The number one lesson these teens have taught me is to act my act my age. Sometimes I forget that I’m not much older than them, and that the connection that we harbor will only catapult as we drive ourselves forward.
How does this work impact the Steelcase Foundation’s overarching mission of cultivating communities where children can thrive?
The work we do falls in line with the Steelcase Foundation’s mission, as we collectively are constantly evolving, learning, and unlearning solely for the purpose of bettering our communities and providing our youth with the best possible toolbelts for whichever paths they should choose to go down. We implement ourselves, not as parents or directors, but as mentors and leaders to guide the new generation through the good and bad that comes with the unrelenting inevitabilities of life.
Is there anything else you’d like to lift-up about this work?
As a teenager, the program helped me to understand more about the world around me. When I sat back and realized the bigger picture- as we all do one day- I realized that camp had taught me so many ways to better myself.
I realized this program has entirely shaped how I carry myself through life. I find that I’m consistently looking for the next thing to learn or experience, and that has only exacerbated my effect on the community. It’s like herding, you steer one and the rest will follow. In my understanding, this program is the light that keeps shining and if there’s a light in the room that can shine through the darkness, the obstacles, and the corners: those that can see will be guided.
Name and role with the organization:
Reginah “Byrd” Byrd – Young Leader Coordinator
Please provide an overview of the grant and how the project came to be.
As a Young Leader Coordinator at Camp Blodgett, I have the privilege of directing, managing, and mentoring over 60 teenagers aged 14-17. These young leaders collaborate with our kitchen director, facilitate activities, and assist in the cabins. The program evolved in summer 2023, my first year, when I recognized the immense potential in both the teens and the program itself.
Towards the end of that summer, I embraced my role as support staff, mentoring the young leaders to help them realize their potential. My goal is to make this program self-sufficient and effective. With the support of donations and grants, combined with my passion, I am confident it will thrive.
Please describe the work that you’ve engaged in so far and your hopes for the work through the remainder of the grant period.
In my inaugural year as the Young Leader Coordinator, I implemented a system to optimize the teens’ time in the kitchen, allowing them more opportunities to engage with the campers. Every teen in my program shares a common goal: to make the campers happy. By spending more time with the kids, they develop leadership skills, initiative, and responsibility.
How has youth voice shaped this project?
These teens learn something new every day, whether from me, other staff, or the campers. Their voices are paramount to me, and I constantly seek their feedback and criticism to improve the program for their benefit. The enthusiasm of the campers for the activities prepared by the teens is truly magical. We plan to make our games even more engaging throughout the year.
How does this work impact the Steelcase Foundation’s overarching mission of cultivating communities where children can thrive?
One key lesson I’ve learned is that working with youth is full of endless opportunities. Seeing their drive and passion for the community confirms that the sky is the limit. Camp Blodgett and The Steelcase Foundation share a mission to foster community growth. In this program, I witness continuous growth in our teenagers. Daily, they strive to be the best versions of themselves for their community, creating a safe and loving environment for our campers.
Is there anything else you’d like to lift-up about this work?
This work has shown me unconditional love; it is not just a job but where my heart resides. These teens represent our future, and with the goals I have in mind, they will become the next great generation to serve the youth.
To learn more about Camp Blodgett and its FIERCE Leaders programming, check out its website here.
