When we asked a former camper who graduated from West Charlotte High School in 2006, “What makes Wayfinders different?”
He responded: “What makes it different is you know your kids as individuals. You know who they are. It’s not like any other program I know about. Every other time… like the church sent us to camp… it was fun. . .but it was like they scooped up kids and it wasn’t like they knew me. It wasn’t because I’d earned it. Your kids know they earned it. It makes them feel good about themselves because they earned it. And they know that if they do good, they’ll get to go back… and Wayfinders will stand by us. Kids make mistakes, but you stand by your kids because you know them. And there are different kinds of camps as you get older… That UNCC camp made me want to go to college… to know I could go to college. It’s all different. I don’t know anything else like it.”
What do parents say about our program?
“My child’s mentor has consistently shown genuine care, patience, and encouragement, which has helped my child grow both socially and emotionally.”
“I wish every parent could see the work you do. It goes so much deeper than giving a child the opportunity to go to camp or have enrichment opportunities throughout the year. We couldn’t thank you all enough for the support you extend to us.”
“My child’s mentor encourages him not only to be his best self, but also to take that extra step in everything he does, even when he feels like he can’t. Her support, patience, and belief in him have made such a difference.”
What do school personnel and camp staff say about our program?
“My students gain an entirely new cultural awareness of how life is outside of the neighborhood they stay in. They get to have guaranteed fun for at least two weeks every summer for the next five years. They get a memory that will last them a lifetime.”
Ron’Jent Davis, CIS Coordinator at Highland Renaissance Elementary
“There are real rewards for being a good kid. This program sends a message that there is something to strive for.”
Elementary School Principal
“Wayfinders provides a vision of what is possible – a vision that can ignite their spirits and souls – and have a really dramatic impact on a child and that child’s future.”
Former Assistant Supt. for High School Curriculum & Instruction
“When you see a camper who returns to school, with his shoulders square, it carries over into the start of the new school year.”
4th Grade School Teacher
“Many Wayfinders kids are used to having to prove themselves. . .to put on a veneer of toughness and invulnerability. . .and have a limited repertoire of conflict resolution skills. What’s new is the chance to build relationships with people who are different from themselves, in this non-threatening and non-competitive environment. They don’t have to prove themselves or fight for respect; they relax and start to develop a whole new repertoire of skills for interacting with peers and counselors.”
Gib Barrus, Former Director of Camp Celo
“Getting the campers together for events several times a year, provides something of a support group, giving these children the sense that it’s okay to try to be good, and that there are other kids like themselves who are also trying to achieve and be good kids. It reminds children that there are alternatives, and supports a culture of “striving,” that is not the dominant culture on the streets of many inner city neighborhoods.”
Former Assistant Supt. for Curriculum & Instruction at CMS
