July was full of new experiences for members of the Lakewood Branch of the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound.  High school students at Charles Wright Academy volunteered to put on three week-long all-expenses-paid summer camps for Club members.  A total of 49 kids, ages six and up, learned basic photography, created their own pottery in the school’s ceramics studio, developed new computer skills, and played sports on the school’s fields and courts.  They also enjoyed field trips to the zoo, nature hikes, and bowling.

These day camps allowed the Club members to explore activities and interests they may otherwise have never discovered.  “I liked all the different activities they had planned and set-up for us. It was a real good time,” said Destiny Davis, age 10.  “The ceramics sessions were awesome,” added Jordan Roberts, age 11.

2010 marks the third summer CWA and the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound have collaborated to offer summer camps.  CWA students earned community service credit for the hours they spent volunteering at the camps.  Many of the 45 students who volunteered this summer plan to continue building the friendships they made during camp by volunteering at the Lakewood Branch during the school year.

“I loved working with the Boys & Girls Club this summer,” said David Akira St. Germain of Steilacoom, a rising junior at CWA.  “Working with the kids was incredibly fun.   I’ve definitely learned and grown a lot from the experience that we shared.  Working with everyone, from the kids at the Club to my classmates, we formed a sort of family, and it brightened up my day, everyday, being there.”