2020 Summer of Hope
We are in our seventh year of Summer of Hope! Summer of Hope was our first official program, co-created by neighbors and volunteers on the street before our Peace Campus was even built. Because of COVID-19, this year’s Summer of Hope might look a little different than previous years but our children, creativity, and community continue to grow.
Our children deserve joy
We were founded on our mutual commitment to our kids and that has remained unchanged and has only strengthened throughout the years. Whether it be through dancing or rapping, through visual art or yoga, Summer of Hope is designed around honoring Black voices of past generations and uplifting and empowering voices of today. Our children deserve joy; they deserve to run across the streets without fear, they deserve to sing and dance and express themselves in whatever way they want, they deserve access to food and they deserve spaces where they can be safe.
Our children deserve hope
In this unique time of a global pandemic, with e-learning serving as an imperfect substitute for the classroom and widespread fear and uncertainty, our children are in great need of hope and healing. Our curriculum has been carefully designed to encompass as many mediums and as many avenues for our children to learn about the history of Black excellence and to grow themselves and to imagine a future where their brilliance shines. Each week centers around a different mode of expression and exploring the world, involving working with local artists, their peers, their elders and neighbors. Daily activities include listening to music and poetry, paying attention to their breath and movement in yoga playtime, designing their own superpower protective face masks, and painting murals on the Peace Campus. We are working together to create a world where Black joy is celebrated and our kids know their strengths.
Our children deserve safety
We show love to our children through a meticulous commitment to their health and safety. We are committed to creating space for our children to play, laugh, and create while maintaining the most scrupulous safety protocols for the wellbeing of our entire community. Campers will be outdoors in 3 small groups across the Peace Campus to maintain Phase 3 regulations. Groups will be created based on household and proximity to each other, as to ensure the least risk of wide-spread exposure possible. Staff will be regularly wiping down surfaces (desks, chairs, bathroom stations) and items (hand sanitizer dispensers, water containers, other regularly used camper/activity items) in tents, and holding co-staff and self accountable to the tasks delegated to each person. Campers will have their temperatures taken daily and wear their masks at all times throughout the day, unless they are drinking water, eating, or have been instructed to remove them for designated, socially distanced occasions.
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