Beginning June 10, Ohio University’s campus will host 1st-12th graders excited to learn, thrive and create connections through Kids on Campus. Kids on Campus is an annual “rural community-university partnership” through the College of Health Sciences and Professions that allows local and underprivileged children to participate in various hands-on activities during the summer.
According to OU’s website, Kids on Campus was founded in 1996 by Ann Teske, who believed Athens County needed a space for underserved kids to learn and eat during the summertime. Since then, Kids on Campus has expanded to serve multiple counties surrounding Athens, including “afterschool programming” that focuses on “tutoring, homework assistance and free play.”
According to OU, some of the camp's main goals include providing daily breakfast, lunch and a snack, and increasing kids’ skills in subjects such as reading, math, science, technology, engineering, math and medicine. Matthew Borror, the partnership development coordinator, said each activity targets a different aspect of learning, creating diverse and exciting days.
“We have a lot of partners we are working with,” Borror said. “For example, for the primary camp, we have a yoga teacher (and) we have a partner who does exercise and movement-based activities.”
Amid the numerous partnerships, Borror said the Athens County Public Library has a bookmobile coming every week and activities with the Natural Freedom Wellness Center that will focus on nature and equine learning.
In addition to the educational activities, this summer’s theme is "Movie Madness” and each week campers will watch a movie at The Athena Cinema. Crystal El Geziri, program coordinator and S.T.E.M. coordinator during the summer, said this year's theme holds an important meaning.
“We chose that theme mainly so that kids could feel special at camp,” El Geziri said. “We are going to have a red carpet for them, and this year, we have a person that is coming in that is going to video the whole entire camp for us.”
OU students have found themselves back on campus surrounded by the camp’s exciting atmosphere. Each summer, students are hired as camp counselors and attend a weeklong training. Azmat Khan, a PhD student studying communication studies, is a camp counselor and international student and said he has learned a lot from Kids on Campus.
“I am interested in experiencing (and) understanding the broader education environment within the U.S., so I thought Kids on Campus will give me a glimpse of that,” Khan said in an email.
Khan said he finds joy in serving those in need due to his experiences in Afghanistan.
“Most importantly, I have been passionate about serving underserved communities,” Khan said. “I myself grew up in extremely harsh conditions confounded by the war on terror (and) spent all my life in refugee camps, so I thought it would be a good opportunity to offer my services to the Kids on Campus and be of some help (and) advantage to the local Ohioan communities.”
Not only have camp counselors had positive experiences with Kids on Campus, but so have parents. Jennifer Huffman, a parent of a camper, said the program is a great way to get kids out of their comfort zones.
“I suggest to everybody that I know to send their kids because it is a great atmosphere, it is great learning (and) you get to meet new people,” said Huffman.
Kids on Campus has continued to inspire students and create change over the years, according to Borror. Borror said campers grow in their education and self confidence.
“There was this one student who had presented and somebody was asking them, ‘What did you learn by doing this project’ … and the student said ‘I learned that I am smart,’” Borror said.
Borror said despite the program only being open to students enrolled in Athens schools or a surrounding county due to the camp being grant funded, Kids on Campus strives to show children a new outlook on the world.
“That is the power of what we do,” Borror said. “Kids can start to realize the potential they have in themselves despite what they might have been told or maybe not told directly, but just their conditioning throughout their environment. It can open up a whole new world for them.”
