Clubs for kids
The sound of scissors slicing through paper filled the room recently at the West Central Community Center as a group of kids labored to create wizard hats and princess wands. The children, members of one of several new Community Partnership Clubs run by Camp Fire, will be carrying or wearing their art projects during the upcoming Junior Lilac Parade.
The group at West Central meets every Friday for about an hour, joined by several volunteers who guide them through the project of the day. Other groups meet at the Martin Luther King Jr. Outreach Center, the Boys and Girls Club and several elementary schools. Organizers hope to have a total of 36 Community Partnership Clubs up and running within three years.
“We’re really excited about the support we’ve received from grantors,” said Lee Taylor, executive director of Camp Fire.
The first four clubs were launched in September. When those appeared successful, Camp Fire went looking for grants to start more. “It’s almost like the ‘If you build it, they will come’ philosophy,” Taylor said.
They got grants from the Paul Allen Foundation and the Charlotte Martin Foundation and have applied for more.
The Community Partnership Clubs are not after-school programs. They are offered one afternoon a week at various locations. Right now they are concentrated in Spokane and Spokane Valley, with one in Clarkston. Organizers try to collaborate with schools and community centers. “Essentially, anywhere groups of kids gather,” Taylor said.
Each week the children work on a craft project or go on a field trip. But there are lessons to be learned in addition to the fun activities. A recent project that involved making a kite out of a paper grocery bag included a lesson on recycling. Each club uses curriculum created by Camp Fire that focuses on child development.
The goal is to get small groups of children working closely with an adult volunteer who will be a mentor. “One of our strong beliefs is the best youth development occurs in small groups,” he said. “These kids are having fun, but they’re learning important concepts.”
Best friends Megan Emery, 10, and Brittany Fisher, 9, were having a good time making their princess wands, dancing around the room to make their streamers swirl. “I like it because I like arts and crafts,” said Megan.
Both were looking forward to showing off their work in the parade. “This is my first time ever being in a parade,” Fisher said.
The West Central club is led by Jack Lynch, who began volunteering in January and soon took over leadership of the program there. Lynch was in a college class at the time that required community service. In researching the various possibilities, he found himself drawn to Camp Fire’s mission of helping kids.
“That’s something I believe in, too,” Lynch said. “It’s a good opportunity to be a role model.”
While Lynch doesn’t have children of his own he still enjoys spending time with them. “They get excited and it’s good to see the smiles on their faces,” he said. “It’s easy to get caught up in the day-to-day grind. I really look forward to that at the end of the week.”
None of the children pay to participate in the program. That was always the plan. “We know we have to find a different revenue source to support them,” Taylor said of the programs.
In addition to grants, Camp Fire asks local businesses to sponsor nearby clubs and recruits volunteers to work with the children. Each volunteer is trained and has to pass a background check. Anyone is welcome to help out. “The criteria is really some sort of strongly held passion to help kids,” said Taylor.
Bringing these programs to local schools and community centers without charge is Camp Fire’s first concerted effort to reach out to low-income children. The organization served girls from mostly middle-income families until 1984, when they began serving boys as well.
Individual Camp Fire groups are run by volunteers, usually parents. These days that sort of program is hard to maintain, said Taylor. “That model relies on stay-at-home moms and dads.”
While those clubs are still running, the Camp Fire saw the Community Partnership Clubs as a way to continue and expand their mission of reaching elementary school-age children. They are finding that the clubs are being welcomed. “Schools jump at this because they know this,” Taylor said.