One of the hallmarks of the YouthBuild program is providing opportunities for young people to explore the world beyond their community while finding creative ways to make an impact. For many students, these service exchange trips are their first time leaving the communities they’ve grown up in.
“Getting students out of their everyday environment is critical for growth and maturity. When you are out of your normal circumstances, you learn more about who you are and what you can do or overcome. It puts things into perspective and helps reframe the way you think about things in your own life. Not all of our students get chances like that or have had those kinds of opportunities in their life,” Nick Durkin, Construction Instructor said.
This month, students had the opportunity for such a trip to Wonderland Camp in Rocky Mount, MO in the Lake of the Ozarks thanks to the generous support of Metro Rotary, which chose Job Point’s YouthBuild as the beneficiary of their Trivia Night in February.
Students spent four days exploring the woods, sampling all of the traditional summer camp activities, staying in cabins and completing projects to help prepare the camp for the coming season of campers.
“They had a lot of fun, but they knew they were there to work and took it seriously,” Durkin added.
Going into the trip, students were encouraged to take responsibility for themselves and hold each other accountable during the week at camp.
Trying archery for the first time, would you believe she got a bullseye?
“I saw a lot of growth and maturity out of the students during the week. When someone stepped out of line, the rest of the students held them accountable. It was really great to see. Two of the students, EZ and Jay, naturally stepped into a leadership role during the trip. It was great to see them come alive,” Durkin said.
Almost done creating the sandbox!
Students put the skills they’ve been learning in the classroom to work at cabins across the camp, working together sanding surfaces in preparation for repainting and building a sandbox. In between projects, students had the opportunity to enjoy a real camp experience with rock climbing, archery, fishing, kayaking, hiking, and a bonfire.
Sanding the door requires mask protection from the dust
Wonderland Camp was founded in 1969 and provides an inclusive, accessible camp experience for kids and adults with disabilities from across the state. According to their website, “[Charles J. Miller’s] dream was of a residential summer camp on property he and his brother-in-law, Harry Brown, owned, located on the Lake of the Ozarks, a camp for everyone whatever their ability level. Their goal was to create a place for people and campers with disabilities to experience the exhilaration of outdoor play. A camp designed to match their special medical needs and provide them with the maximum safety with freedom to enjoy nature.”
A week of fun and hard work is at an end. We can’t wait to return.
The camp got its start due in large part to the collective work of groups from across the state, and Job Point’s YouthBuild program is proud to join the ranks of Jaycees and Rotary clubs from across the region in supporting the continued maintenance and growth of the camp that now sees 1,000 campers every summer.
