Summer at the Lake

 

Summer Reading Camp

During the summer, students who do not practice reading typically experience “the summer slide” and lose about two months of learning. This means that they start the next grade in school already behind in reading. Casa del Lago’s Summer at the Lake is a summer reading camp that provides reading enrichment to elementary students who have finished grades K-5, so that they maintain their reading skills over the summer. In the five weeks of camp in summer 2022, 96% of the students who were assessed at the end of camp did not experience “the summer slide” in reading!

Reading enrichment for these students occurs in small groups of six students maximum and includes three stations of:

  • reading practice and comprehension,

  • listening and vocabulary,

  • and oral dialogue and comprehension.

Students also learn about Jesus through our Christ-centered Bible station, receive lunch, get swimming lessons at a local YMCA, go on two field trips, and participate in recreational activities. Individual volunteers and volunteer teams are a great asset to the summer camp as they help in a variety of ways from greeting at check-in, supporting the Bible teachers, and preparing lunches as needed. They primarily serve by planning and coordinating the recreation time in the afternoons, and the students love getting to interact with the camp counselors and volunteers in games and physical activities. If you or your group are interested in volunteering with Casa del Lago in our Summer Reading Camp, please email our director betsy@casadelago.org for more information.

summer youth corps

Casa del Lago’s Summer at the Lake summer reading camp would not be possible without the help of the Summer Youth Corps. Casa del Lago hires high school youth aged 14-18 years old to serve as the counselors for the Summer Reading Camp. Summer Youth Corps from past years say that during their summer of work, they learn about themselves, grow and are challenged spiritually, see the experience as valuable in relation to their goals, gain new skills and knowledge, and would highly recommend this opportunity to others.

These youth are vital to the success of the Summer at the Lake reading camp. After applying and being interviewed, they participate in a Training Week that happens one week prior to the start of the summer camp. Training Week consists of high quality instructional training and sessions on:

  • the work and ministry of Casa del Lago,

  • summer job expectations,

  • cross-cultural servant leadership,

  • reading enrichment curriculum for each camp station,

  • classroom management and engaging with elementary students,

  • a broad description of the Bible curriculum for camp,

  • an overview of the metanarrative of the Bible,

  • an introduction to the gospel of Jesus Christ,

  • and child safety awareness training.

Additionally, Youth Corps receive information and insight in the areas of:

  • emotional intelligence,

  • personality tests,

  • and résumé and interview tips.

Finally, the youth corps participate in various icebreakers and team building activities (including a day at Group Dynamix) in order to foster relationships between the cross-cultural group of youth themselves. Youth who are interested in volunteering their time over the summer to serve as counselors, instead of receiving pay, may do so. Anyone interested in the Summer Youth Corps program can email betsy@casadelago.org for more information