An unforgettable ride...

The 2013 UniCamp season is coming to an end this week, and, as always, it is bittersweet. This was my third year in camp: I spent my first two years as a counselor for 12-14 year old girls and my most recent one as a UniCorps advisor for 14-17 year old girls and boys. I'd like to take the time to share my experience with everyone who has made it possible.

Several factors distinguish UniCorps from "regular" camp. Most simply, it is an Older Camper Program (OCP) for inner city, low income high school students, so ages range from 14-17 instead of 10-14. Unlike the rest of camp, OCP incorporates both genders so that the only time and space they do not share are in their cabins; the rest of the time is spent working together in close quarters. UniCorps, in the spirit of the Peace Corps or AmeriCorps, heavily emphasizes community service. Corps members receive 40 hours of service credit at their high schools in exchange for their participation. What service learning means to camp, however, goes beyond a simple rational exchange: Through maintaining the campsite and helping it operate smoothly, UniCorps campers establish a constant presence--as agents of change, as an integral, invaluable body of camp, and most importantly, as role models and leaders for their younger peers. Serving together promotes teamwork, cooperation, respect, responsibility, humility and friendship, all honorable values in their own right, but to me the most meaningful products are intangible. Every time I come back down the mountain, I am a different person. Camp, for me, is always a lesson in perspective. What this particular group of high school students showed me that week at camp was nothing less than miraculous.