For many low-income families, summer in the city can bring added challenges once school is out. Parents are often left searching for safe, affordable, and meaningful activities to keep their children and teens engaged throughout the day. To help make this opportunity possible for underserved youth, Lend A Hand Society provides camp scholarships to local families through our Campership program.
With childcare and everyday living expenses continuing to rise across Massachusetts, summer camp is simply too expensive for many families. Yet these programs can have a lasting impact on a child’s growth and well-being. Camp activities include canoeing, swimming, archery, hiking, fishing, ecology etc. Some focus on farming while others engage teens in mentorship, leadership and counselor-in-training programs. One of the camps funded addresses the academic learning loss over the summer while school is out.
Staff from United South End Settlements, one of LAH’s funded programs, states that camp “presents an environment that is both challenging and supportive, allowing children to expand their comfort zones and learn what it means to ‘fail safely’. The camp experience teaches children self-reliance, as well as how to seek and provide support for their peers, developing life-long relationships in the process.”
Another LAH-funded camp states that “as low-income children, campers (and junior counselors) are at a high risk for summer learning loss. As an article in the CommonWealth Beacon explains, summer learning is a proven strategy to close gaps in achievement and access to enrichment between low-income youth and their wealthier peers. Unequal summers produce differences in opportunity and outcomes, the negative consequences of which are well-documented. The gap in family spending on enrichment has nearly doubled over three decades. When compounded with the pandemic, these differences put low-income children at a severe disadvantage through no fault of their own. If we are to restore social mobility, increase equity, and level the playing field for success, then summer learning is not optional; it’s essential.”
Camp gives children the opportunity to spend time outdoors, build friendships, discover new interests, and grow in confidence within a supportive environment. It also gives parents reassurance that their children are in a safe place while they continue to work and manage daily responsibilities during the summer.
Please consider supporting the LAH Campership Campaign today. Your generosity can help more children attend camp and enjoy a safe, memorable, and enriching summer.