HFH Summer Camps 2022 season has come to a close, and we want to highlight the amazing experiences of our campers at Camp Wakonda this summer. Thank you to our fantastic staff who have done so much for campers over the last two sessions. We had a wonderful summer and hope to see everyone again next year!

School is officially back in session for students throughout New York City. Each HFH family residence celebrated the end of Summer Day Camp and the transition to Afterschool and Recreation.  

Students at Prospect Family Residence spent their last day of summer learning a new recipe that also sharpened their math skills. The morning began with them making multigrain waffles alongside their teachers. After devouring their delicious breakfast, they continued the festivities with math-based card games featuring a friendly competition as they raced to answer each question correctly.  

At Allie’s Place they marked the last day with an animal show where students were introduced to a bunny rabbit, box turtle, two hermit crabs, and a corn snake. After learning all about their furry and slimy new friends, the kids celebrated with some old-fashioned board games and a family-style meal. They truly said goodbye to summer as they splashed around in the sprinklers in the site’s kid-friendly backyard. 

Saratoga Family Residence welcomed the new school year with an outdoor fashion show with the help of friends at Old Navy. Store employees from several local stores donated new and gently used clothes for the on-site donation closet. Kids, their parents, and staff dressed up and showed off their fashions, and incredible style down a home-made red carpet to the sounds of DJ Kev White. 

The Magic School Bus made a stop at Williamsbridge Family Residence, bringing with it an end to the summer. Teachers filled the recreation space and bulletin boards with decorations and inspiring quotes from Ms. Frizzle herself encouraging students with the message: “Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!” 

In the spring of 2020, HFH Summer Camps made the difficult decision to cancel its upcoming summer sleep-away camp program for the first time since HFH Summer Camps was founded in 1989. This decision was made to ensure the health and safety of the HFH Summer Camps community during the COVID-19 pandemic. In light of these circumstances, HFH and HFH Summer Camps staff decided to work together to create a new kind of HFH Summer Day Camp experience for children at HFH Family Residences. This new summer program allowed kids to stay connected to their favorite summer camp activities, from nature-based field trips to arts & crafts, through new approaches to technology and a high level of coordination between staff members.

Staff from all four HFH Family Residences worked together to create a daily virtual summer day camp schedule, free and accessible to all children at HFH. Various staff members and HFH collaborators designed and facilitated a series of online activities within their areas of expertise, including literacy, the arts, fitness, photography, science, and dance. Campers also engaged in weekly virtual field trips, including visits to the Liberty Science Center and the Noguchi Museum. While campers participated in virtual sessions facilitated remotely, staff at each HFH Family Residence ensured all campers and their families had an on-site point person to encourage camper participation, provide any materials required for activities, and troubleshoot technological issues. In addition to HFH-wide Virtual Summer Day Camp activities, K-12 staff at each HFH Family Residence supplemented their residents’ summer camp experience with their own site-specific activities.

Heidy Mendez, Director of Afterschool at Prospect Family Residence, worked closely with David Belmar, Director of Afterschool at Allie’s Place, HFH’s newest family residence, to jointly design supplemental activities for their campers. Every week, Mendez and Belmar designated a different country for their campers to explore. With the help of staff from Allie’s Place Center for Culinary Education & Employment, campers learned about the week’s country through a weekly ‘Taste Around the World’ cooking lesson and craft. At Williamsbridge, staff facilitated an HFH-wide photography club and science club, with materials for both provided for all campers enrolled. At Saratoga, on-site staff organized safe and socially distanced to supplement virtual programming. Campers participated in in-person gardening, sports, and Youth Council, where campers provided input on programming to staff, while developing their leadership and teamwork skills.