Every summer Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas hosts a summer camp to support our newest refugee students and their successful transition into the U.S. school system. This year’s Refugee School Impact (RSI) summer camp was another success!
“This summer camp provides a safe, structured environment that fosters English language development, cultural orientation and social-emotional growth,” said Ursula Carrillo, RSI Coordinator. “It helps build students’ confidence, increase school readiness and build positive relationships with peers and adults,” she added.
This year’s camp was hosted at KCK Community College and included four days of music, art, science and sports. Children made musical instruments and created collagraphs with art instructors from the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. They also observed a demonstration from a Science City instructor, and on their final day, participated in a soccer clinic. In addition to these activities, catered lunch was served, featuring a menu that reflected the diverse backgrounds of the students, including Burmese, African and South American dishes. At the end of each day, children participated in a reflection time to share their experiences before heading home.
“The students truly seemed to thrive in an environment that offered more flexibility than a traditional classroom setting,” shared Carrillo. “Camp provided them with the freedom to simply be kids, without the pressures of language barriers or concerns about fitting in due to cultural or personal differences. Each day, they arrived eager and excited to participate. Many parents shared how grateful they were to see their children so enthusiastic and joyful about attending summer camp,” she added.
One story Carrillo shared from the camp was about a 6-year-old boy from Democratic Republic of the Congo who joined the program. He had difficulty adjusting to the school system, and had been reported to have behavioral challenges at school. At camp his behavior was different. One moment in particular stood out to Carrillo, when she asked him to stop running, she kneeled down to the boy’s level and he wrapped his arms around her. It was a deeply moving experience for Carrillo.
“We would like to give a special thanks to KCK Community College for providing the venue, the educators who came in to work with our students, and all the summer interns, volunteers and Catholic Charities staff who participated with us during the week of camp,” Carrillo added.
If you are interested in supporting the RSI program beyond summer camp, please consider making a clothing donation for families and their children. Backpack donations filled with school supplies are also always needed. For more information about the RSI program, please visit our website: https://catholiccharitiesks.org/refugee-and-immigration/refugee-learning-center/rsi-kids/.
