We’re Busy at Camp Fire USA!

Recently, a student in my after-school class of seventh and eighth graders asked me, “Why are you here? Why aren’t you doing something else! You could be a doctor or a lawyer and then you wouldn’t have to deal with us everyday!”

His question was honest, and he was genuinely surprised that some people might choose to spend their time with him and his friends. Although my AmeriCorps service can be exhausting and frustrating, it is also rewarding, inspiring, and challenging in the very best way. This year has been a lot of fun – I feel blessed to serve in a setting where I can step back from my students or my team and remind myself that there is no where else I would rather be.

Hi, everyone! My name is Karlee Kage, and I am a first year AmeriCorps member with Camp Fire USA: West Michigan Council. It has been a busy past couple of weeks for my fellow AmeriCorps members at Camp Fire, as well as all throughout Michigan!

My team consists of about 15 members, and we lead classes of elementary and middle school youth, assisting with homework, leading activities, and teaching Camp Fire’s curriculum. The kids are a lot of fun, and I have had a blast serving in a variety of schools this year. Some highlights have been judging an epic paper airplane contest, helping my students build remote controlled Lego cars, and baking cookies together and then decorating them with sprinkles, bananas, and fruit snacks, piled on top of lots and lots of frosting! At one school, we set up a “zoo” in the gym, and kids walked around, petting stuffed polar bears, feeding fuzzy ducks, and running away from the threatening snakes! Recently, my middle school students have enjoyed serving the community by picking up trash around the school and neighborhood.

We are currently preparing for a change of pace by finishing up the regular school year after-school program to prepare for our summer programs. We have also been busy teaching self-reliance courses all over Grand Rapids. Our grade-specific curriculums, “I’m Safe and Sure,” “I Can Do It,” and “I’m Peer Proof” run for five weeks, and it has been fun interacting with so many different kids and schools in the community. The students love the games we play with them, and it is amazing how much information they recall week after week.

Another exciting event, the 8^th Annual Grand Rapids Public Schools Collaborative Youth Fair, was held Saturday, May 22, at Creston High School. Students from each of our after-school sites displayed art projects they made throughout the year. It was great to see all the kids’ creativity on display and to have students from all the after school programs in one place.

As you can see, it is certainly a busy time with Camp Fire USA and AmeriCorps, but it is fun and there is always plenty of excitement. For more information or to volunteer for our summer programs, check out our website at http://www.campfireusawmc.org