This summer The Julian Center has provided more than 365 hours of camp experiences through our Youth Enrichment Services (YES) Summer Camp Program. YES Summer Camp is an essential tool in addressing the generational cycle of violence and minimizing the impact of direct and inherited trauma on our children, while also providing an age-appropriate and fun summer camp experience. The majority of our campers, ages 3-17, are children who are living in our emergency shelter or in one of our housing programs with their non-offending parent.
While our primary goal is to offer a safe, fun, and free day camp experience to these child survivors, we also recognize that they are at an increased risk for academic gaps, emotional maladjustment, and other negative outcomes following trauma.
“I learned how to tell time and count money,” said one of our school-aged campers.
YES Summer Camp is divided into three groups based on ages. Programming for our youngest campers, ages 3-5, focuses on early learning education and socio-emotional development. Youth 5 years and older receive tutoring help, music therapy, positive social interactions and take field trips. Our teen campers oversee the produce in The Julian Center garden and learn employment skills and financial literacy.
YES Summer Camp allows children to have a fun summer together while also increasing protective factors against future victimization and positive outcomes related to academic, emotional, and physical health.
If you’d like to help support our YES Summer Camp, please consider making a donation at https://www.www.juliancenter.org/donate/.
