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Success Stories
Summer Adventure Day Camp | Dwayne | Vai Teng | Geneviève
The Applegrove Summer Adventure Day camp generally runs Monday to Friday for 8 weeks in July and August from 9 to 5, with an hour extension before and after. The camp’s 70 spaces fill quickly, and the wait list shows the high need for the program in this community.
Days begin at the camp’s home base with an optional breakfast. We initiated this some years ago when counsellors noticed that some children ate their lunches early. Other campers seemed tired or cranky until lunchtime. So we began serving a simple breakfast. This can include fruit and cereal, waffles, toast, or, as a special treat, pancakes.
Core programming begins at 10 o'clock. Counsellors check attendance and contact parents of children who have not arrived. Then the camp splits up into age-based groups. One group might begin a craft project, another may practise for the talent show, and a third might head to the kitchen to make healthy snacks. On other days, there are field trips, outings, workshops on street safety and special events like the talent show. Everyone has fun!
More importantly, through these activities, campers gain self-confidence, develop social and life skills and practise literacy and numeracy. Their parents know the children are safe, supervised, making new friends and having fun.
All too soon, 4 p.m. arrives, when campers returns from outings and core programming ends. Some children head out right away, while others play quietly until their parents pick them up after work.
Our camp counsellors are a very special group, and the best return to work at the centre year after year. All staff members are selected for their experience with children, their skills and to reflect the diversity of the neighbourhood. Training (which consists of 8 days) are spent learning about child development, communication and programming. This training also gives them time to plan the camp – as a team, the staff choose a theme, select their "camp names", decide on special events and develop rain plans in case the sun does not shine every day!
Funding for the day camp is like a delicious stew – it takes some of this ingredient, a little of that, and a bit more of the other, needing everything for full flavour and quality. The camp relies on the federal summer student program, support from the City of Toronto and free space in a TDSB school (funded by the Ontario government). Local businesses, service clubs and/or individuals often donate funds or tickets to local attractions such as the CNE or Science Center. The Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund provides funds that allow “camperships” for families who cannot afford the fees. Finally, Toronto Employment and Social Services pays the camp fees for families on Ontario Works and the Ontario Disability Support Program.
Ongoing feedback from parents and campers to staff, plus an annual parent survey tell us how they feel about the camp. Parents report, for example:- My son was very bored with no one to play with in the neighbourhood. He is so happy to go to camp. He enjoys every part of a group and playing with his new friends.
- While my child was in camp, I was able to continue my job. He enjoyed the trips with his friends & camp staff.
- The camp means affordable fun summer care.
- It provided a fun, educational environment for my daughter and I felt comfortable leaving her each day.
Dwayne’s first job back in the 1990s was through a provincial government student employment program that placed him in the Applegrove Parent/Child Drop-In. In later years, Applegrove hired him to work in the day camp and the afterschool program. He finished university, is a successful real estate sales representative, has a family of his own, notes his Applegrove work on his Facebook page and recently posted an old camp photo on Throwback Thursday.
Applegrove gets to watch folks like Vai Teng grow up and take leadership in this neighbourhood. Vai started coming to the after-school program when she was 8 years old. During the summers, she went on trips, played games, practised literacy and made new friends in the day camp.
When she turned 16, Vai started working in the camp. Not only did she earn her own money for school supplies, she learned teamwork, communication and customer service.
She continued to work at Applegrove throughout university and until she found a job related to her career plans. At that point, she started attending Applegrove meetings, learning about financial, policy and personnel issues. Seeing her interest, the Board quickly recruited her as a Director.
Now, still under 35 years old, Vai Teng Law serves on Applegrove’s Board of Directors, helping to lead the organization and ensuring it continues to meet the needs of this neighbourhood. As a member of the Personnel Committee, she now supervises the organization’s Executive Director.
(Photo, left to right: retired staff member Laura Enneson, Vai Yee Law, Vai Teng Law, Board Chair Ann McKechnie)
In 2010, Geneviève's father, Pierre, told us:
Geneviève started school a year ago – she went into Maternelle (that's French for JK) for FULL days. I worried she wasn't ready. The years had gone by so fast. Could she adjust?
Turns out, she was more than ready. And Applegrove was a big part of the reason she was able to adjust so easily.
In Applegrove’s family support programs, Geneviève had learned how to play, share and get along with other children. She had practised her listening skills in a positive environment. The staff helped nurture her sense of self confidence and leadership, often by letting her lead the group in circle or teach the group a new game. Later in the school year, her teacher said she occasionally had to remind Geneviève who was the teacher because Geneviève had taken it upon herself to help teach the class! Just like at Applegrove.
Truth be told, as her dad, I was the one that had to adjust! Applegrove had been such big a part of our lives. We attended programs at least twice a week since she was a year and half old. I enjoyed making crafts with her, singing songs with her and reading stories to her and other children.
I especially appreciated the supportive staff and participants. Whenever I had any concerns about Geneviève or questions about community services, staff always helped me.
Geneviève and I still visit to the drop-in from time to time. We always enjoy the opportunity to reconnect with friends and I think of how lucky we are to have a place like Applegrove.
As Geneviève’s dad, I will always be grateful to Applegrove for giving us such a wonderful place to grow, learn and play together. I will cherish the sense of community we get from the people at Applegrove.
© Applegrove Community Complex