Successful Spring and Summer Camps in Fresno

During spring break EMQ FamiliesFirst in Fresno hosted three days of activities for kids and their families who receive services from our programs, such as Bright Beginnings, Wraparound and foster care.

On the first day of Spring Camp, children were invited with their families as well as members of the community to a barbecue and games at Woodward Park. Everything from relays and team building games to flag football and volleyball engaged the kids. The following day there was a carnival for the younger children including face painting, a bounce house and more. That night, we held a dance for the teens.

The third day focused on games played in the recreation room at Fresno State and a scavenger hunt all over campus. This gets the teens more comfortable with a college campus.

Leadership for Youth
One camp tradition is to recruit and select junior staff to help with the next camp in the summer. Junior staff help with set up, activities and clean up as well as encouraging peers to participate.  All youth are encouraged to apply for junior staff positions. It gives them the experience of filling out an application, going through a hiring process and then receiving valuable work experience – skills we hope will prepare them for future jobs. During Spring Camp, 18 youth were selected to be junior staff for the summer. For those who completed their duties and did a good job, at the end of camp they received a letter of recommendation.