Our summer learning camp is in full swing, and our halls are once more ringing with students’ laughter and excitement as they participate in hands-on projects, practice the skills they learned during the school year, and make new friends.

These past few months have been challenging, as we worked to shift after recent federal funding cuts to AmeriCorps and the uncertainty around 21st CCLC funding. We’re fortunate to have the support of our community, who has stepped up in this time of uncertainty. We’re still working to ensure that we can sustain our programs going into the next school year and beyond, but because of this support, we’ve been able to welcome 140 students into camp. That makes this our largest camp yet! Parents, partners, and community members have shared some of what makes Aspire so special:

• “At Aspire, my son improved a lot in reading, and math. More importantly, his self-esteem grew and now he knows that there are things that are difficult to learn, but Aspire gives him the extra support he needs to get ahead.” – Aspire Parent
• “I have personally witnessed the profound impact of Aspire on our most vulnerable students… Aspire offers a safe, nurturing, and structured environment where these students can achieve academic growth, develop social-emotional skills, access vital resources, and receive mentorship. It empowers them to overcome significant obstacles and strive for a brighter future.” – Janeth Valenzuela, Arlington Schools Hispanic Parents Association
• “Aspire is, and always has been, a critical part of our community, supporting our children in their learning and giving them the opportunity to dream and become. Aspire has been there for the community and has been a valuable partner of Arlington Public Schools and Arlington County. Let’s be there for them and our students.”- Dr. Emma Violand-Sánchez, former Chair of the Arlington Public Schools Board

Summer learning loss can be a challenge for many students and families, but especially for the historically underserved students we serve, many of whom don’t have the resources to attend expensive camps or tutoring. At Aspire, we make sure that students get the reinforcement and practice they need so that they can hit the ground running when the school year starts off.

This year, students are participating in lessons focused on the theme of Mythical Realms. This year’s summer theme makes learning fun, while also encouraging our students to dream and imagine. These are critical skills that help our students see new possibilities, especially given the big challenges facing the world and their families right now. You can see some of the highlights from the first two weeks below!

Week One: Enchanted Forests

We change our camp theme every year to make sure that students who attend camp for multiple years can experience new, engaging lessons and activities. This year, each week of camp is dedicated to exploring a different Mythical Realm. To kick camp off, students explored Enchanted Forests. What were some of their favorite lessons and activities?

• Designing their own fantasy world maps. Many fantasy books include maps in the beginning to help readers get a better sense of the world and immerse themselves in the travels of the characters. After looking at some examples from books they’d read before, students carefully sketched erupting volcanoes, twisting islands, and deep forests for their worlds, as well as labels and compasses.
• Building an Enchanted Forest movie set. This was an Aspire-wide project, with each class taking on a different role. From creating life sized fairies and costumes, designing props, and acting as stage managers, the final production was magical!
• Sculpting and painting Fairy Houses. Using clay, paint, and their imagination, students used jars to make tiny homes that fairies could live in. 
• Creating a creature. Students put their thinking hats on to come up with new magical creatures! In addition to deciding what the creature would look like and what powers and skills they had, students also thought through the habitat, diet, size, and behavior of their creature. Some creatures were benevolent, living on the playground, eating plants, and flying to help students on the swing set. Others were more sinister, with sharp teeth and eyes that could see in the dark to gobble up kids from under their beds!
• Writing an original fairy tale. After listening to a read aloud about fairies and doing some independent reading of fairy tales like Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, kids wrote their own fairy tales. They featured fairies who saved small animals from foxes, a fairy who plucked a star from the sky to make her magical wand, and a fairy who offered advice to a dragon slayer.

Week Two: Underwater Kingdoms

The second week of camp took students on a break from the heat, as they explored Underwater Kingdoms. Not only did they explore the many animals who make their homes underwater, they also learned more about ice, sea shells, and famous stories set underwater.

• Experimenting with ice. Students learned about how water can make us feel cold faster by having one person drop a ruler and then their partner tried to catch it as fast as they could. After practicing it normally, one partner would stick their hand in an ice bucket to see if they were still able to catch the ruler as fast as before. This experiment taught students about control variables and guided them toward scientific deduction as they asked questions about what happened, why, and similar experiences they’d had. Not measured in the experiment but important to students: how good the cold water felt on a hot day!
• Creating their own underwater deity. Students researched water deities related to their own culture and created characters based on them. These included Tefnut, Egyptian goddess of water and rain; Amanasy, Brazilian goddess of lakes, rivers, and fish; and Mazu, Chinese goddess of the sea. Students not only practiced their research skills, they then had to apply those skills and think creatively!
• Building an aquarium. This week-long project taught students about the difference between freshwater and sea water animals and the history of aquariums. They then put their learning into action by designing their own prototype based on what sea animals they wanted to put in their aquarium. They gathered materials from the creek, built their own models, and showed them off to their classmates and explain their design!
• Making comic strips. Students looked at different comic strips and discussed genres, story elements, and art techniques. After looking at historical and modern comics involving interpretations of underwater kingdoms, they created their own! These involved the tales of Fishy and Alexander the EVIL, living markers, and a jellyfish who makes new friends.

Community Garden & Lemonade Stand

Last year, Aspire created a Community Garden at Greenbrier Memorial Baptist Church for students to experience working with plants, harvesting their own food, and learning about nutritious eating. Aspire got our start at Greenbrier in 1994, and they generously allowed us to use their space for these raised beds again this year. After moving the garden indoors for the winter months, we’ve now re-planted the garden for summer camp! Students have been eagerly observing their class’s raised bed, taking turns watering the plants, and learning about which plants grow well in the heat. Soon, they’ll be harvesting food and getting hands-on experience using these foods in recipes like pesto, pickles, and more!

If you want to try some of our students’ homegrown food, come visit our students’ stand at the Columbia Pike Farmers Market on Sunday, July 20th, from 9am-1pm! They’ll be selling freshly made lemonade, baked goods, and food from the garden. Funds up to $1,000 will be matched through a generous donation from Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ, so come hungry! Our students can’t wait to represent Aspire to the community. We hope to see you there!