EDMO (Edventure More)

Working at Camp EDMO has been a life altering experience. After almost 8 years working in school settings I was ready for something different, and EDMO delivered, and then some! Not only do I still get to pursue my passion for working with kids, but I get to do it in an environment that centers on fun, growth, and love. EDMO really lives by its values: demonstrating and cultivating curiosity, courage, and kindness in everything we do. EDMO also embeds the "EDMO RECIPE" into all of its curriculum: Responsibility, Empathy, Collaboration, Initiative, Problem-solving, and Emotion-management. I love being able to ignite imaginations and engage kids in learning while simultaneously prioritizing invaluable positive relationships to support kids growing not only in academic skill-sets but also how to be a good human. I've had a lot of amazing jobs and experiences, and I feel so immeasurably grateful to have been recruited into the EDMO family as part of my own journey in life.

We are big fans of Camp EDMO. My 8-year-old son has attended twice, and has declared it his favorite summer camp. He likes the variety of activities, and that “everybody is really nice and will help you whenever you need help.” This past summer, he did Gizmos and Gadgeteers, which was all about spy activities. He loved learning how to make fingerprints, and when he came home that evening he had us make fingerprints too! He also likes the reward system at camp of earning magnets for positive behavior, such as picking up trash or befriending someone else, that can be redeemed for prizes such as badges, hats, shirts and stuffed animals. (In full disclosure, I am a consultant for Edventure More which runs Camp EDMO, but the comments about summer camp are entirely my son’s own.)

As for my own experience, I enjoy working with Camp EDMO because I believe in what they are offering to kids (including those from low-income households) in terms of much-needed STEAM (science, technology, engineering, math, art) exposure. It is sorely needed especially here in Northern California—an epicenter for technology and science innovation. Science is barely touched upon in our public schools, mostly due to funding issues and lack of teacher training, and Camp EDMO is doing what they can to try to close the gap with their camp and after-school programs. As a mom, I feel good about my son attending camp, because I know he will have a great time, learn something new and will be treated well by the staff. He’s already told me that he wants to go next summer!

I have been working for Camp EDMO for the past 8 summers in various roles from Camp Counselor, Art Instructor, Assistant Director, and the last three summers as the Director at our Los Altos location. Before working with EDMO, I did not realize my passion for education but from my experiences with EDMO, it led me to be a Special Education Teacher. My first year I had the opportunity to work with a few campers with disabilities that led me to realize my passion for special education. Without working at Camp EDMO, I probably would not be in the profession (or human) I am today.
My work with Camp EDMO has made me understand the importance of Social Emotional Learning with our youth and the lack of SEL focus in our Schools. My experiences with EDMO led me to earn my Masters in Education in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis of Trauma and Resilience, which focuses on the implementation of SEL across all curriculum areas. This is an area I probably would not have realized without the influence of Camp EDMO and the great job we do with implementing SEL skills in our curriculum.
Many people ask me “why” I come back every summer. The answer is simple, I really could not imagine a summer without Camp EDMO, it is a place where kids and staff get to be their truest self! I’ve seen staff find their passions, similar to how I found mine, where they have such a positive experience that they choose a career path related to education. Campers gain this “magic” where at the beginning of their time, they are shy or lack the collaboration skills to work other campers, but after a week or so they are great team players initiating different roles in their projects. I have seen so many campers grow up through the years and show growth in their social skills, collaboration and overall leadership. I think my favorite part of the EDMO world is that I have seen campers go from being campers all the way to being Leaders in Training with the hope of someday becoming a Counselor. Working work Camp EDMO has given me a sense of family, a group of people who believe in a common “good”, helping and supporting each other and creating this camp environment accessible to everyone!

I've had the great pleasure of working with Camp EdMo and its fantastic leadership team on integrating social-emotional learning and mindfulness into their work with children. As the education director at the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley, I've collaborated with many educational organizations that are striving to bring these topics and skills into their work, and Camp EdMo, by far, has been one of the most thoughtful and deliberate organizations in how they achieve this. They are very careful to keep in mind the needs of the children as they create ways to weave SEL and mindfulness into daily activities. But they don't stop there. Camp EdMo also understands the need for training the adults in SEL and mindfulness so that they can better teach the children--and they're very thoughtful in how they approach this training. The leadership recognizes that many of the adults are at that age where they are just figuring out what they want to do with their lives -- so they tailor the training to fit those needs, as well. Bravo to Camp EdMo! I sincerely hope that many out-of-school programs will follow their lead in bringing these important skills to children everywhere.

I sent my son to Camp Edmo in the summer of 2019. He had just finished kindergarten and had never before been to summer camp. He also is a very shy kid who generally takes a long time to adjust, so our entire family was nervous about him starting a camp with no known friends at an unfamiliar location. From the first moment of arrival the Camp Edmo the staff put him at ease. They were well-organized, communicative, and clearly enjoyed their time with the kids. When I picked my son up the first day he announced he had the best first day and he loved Camp Edmo. He talked every evening about what had happened that day, and what he learned. I especially appreciated how the programs explicit efforts to get the kids engaged with each other and thinking about being good friends and citizens as they taught them computer programs and coding. The campers receive "snaps" from counselors every week that celebrates what each kids has done well.

We tried other camps later that summer and the experience helped me understand how well-run and thoughtful Camp Edmo programs were. We received daily emails from the staff about what the kids had done that day, and prompts for how to engage kids about the subject matter at home. Other camps also didn't seem as invested in terms of helping the kids to build relationships with each other--when I'd pick him up from other programs he'd be much more likely to be sitting alone and I never saw him doing that at Camp Edmo.

I look forward to sending him again this summer and encourage others to do the same.

My daughter and son have attended Camp Edmo Alameda since the summer of 2015. The excitement starts earlier in the year where we go to the Edmo website and pick out their classes for summer camp. Roblox, Minecraft, Lego Animation, etc. - it's all there. I feel very confident that my children are having an engaging experience with intriguing instructors that motivate their imaginations. The schedule is very accommodating for working parents as well with AM and PM care before/after the camp officially begins/ends. It's a great community building camp where we plan ahead with our children's friends/parents to make sure they are in the camps together. To listen to the children talk about their day and what they did in camp is a daily highlight. And best of all, when they are dropped off in the morning, there is a welcoming committee of counselors to check them in and lead them on their way. The kids can't get out of the car fast enough to start their day! I didn't go to summer camp as a child, but if I did, I would hope that it was as remotely fun and entertaining as Camp Edmo.

Edmo is our summer go-to for literally, happy campers.

My 3 kids have attended Edmo every summer for the last 4 years. It's always one of our smoothest and happiest weeks all summer.

My boys are older and tend to prefer the computer-based classes: coding, Minecraft, etc. I didn't know anything about coding, and as a parent, I must say I was thrilled to have them come home having coded and created their own video games. They use a program, and the camp has introduced this activity into our lives. The boys would always come home from camp and want to get right back online and show me what they were learning - which was fun and impressive to me.

My daughter tends to prefer the maker activities - meaning each week the campers create some very cool contraption that is motorized, or hooked up to a solar panel, or some kind of cool science-y yet exciting thing like that. She was always so proud to show me everything they had been working on all day.

Content aside, it's clear Edmo works hard to build into their values and ethics and mission for their camp, very inclusive positive themes that run through the programming. We still have magnets and fun little trinkets that the kids would collect throughout the years.

My boys are now old enough to CIT, and I hope to enroll them in that next summer. My daughter asks to go back every year, and of course I will grant that - as all parents know, we need kids to be happy in the summer, and if they love it, they are going!

Thank you, Edmo. We are looking forward to next summer.

I am a HUGE camp EDMO fan. We sent my 4 year-old son to EDMO Alameda for 5 weeks last summer and we just had the best experience. From drop-off (they've set it up so you don't even have to get out of the car! they have music playing and a bubble machine! they know him by name and were so genuinely excited to see him!) to pick-up (same thing - couldn't be easier!) they've really thought of all the important details that make a great camp experience. My son came home with far more creative and interesting artwork than he ever brought home from his Montessori school, and would be dirty and sweaty and exhausted in all the best ways. He's never slept better than when he was at EDMO. The counselors were high-energy and engaging. He always learned new things. And he loved all the traditions, songs, and just general vibe of the camp. It really is the type of place that all kids should have access to - safe, caring, thoughtful, involved, creative, and fun! I couldn't love EDMO more and am so grateful a camp like this exists!

We had the unique opportunity to work with the EDMO team up close and personal as we were hired by them to lead them through a rebrand of the organization. We worked closely with both founders Ed and Sharon and were blown away by their passion, dedication and authenticity. Many converstations and deep creative thinking lead us to be believers in the work they are doing is literally helping to enhance the growth of each child that attends camp. Our girls also went to camp and got to witness their staff, activities and super organized fun!

We have been doing Camp EDMO for the last 3 years, and my daughter loves it (She's 8 now, 3rd grade.) She comes home tired, happy, engaged, and singing songs that she learned from her awesome counselors. She's done the Oakland PARK camp twice and the location was super convenient for us both at Oakland's Dimond Park and Lake Temescal Park. This year for the first time we are tried the school based program at Redwood Day School, and she made robots! I can't say enough about the quality of the programing and the teaching staff. I feel 100% confident that my daughter is learning, having fun, and enjoying and enriching experience that she can't get from me or in school. Camp EDMO is a great investment in the social and emotional learning for our kiddo!

I worked worked at Camp Edmo for two summers in a row and one session of their After-School Program, and I hope to continue my involvement. Working at Camp Edmo has been one of my most rewarding experiences for the opportunity to connect with children, teach them, and watch them have fun. It has also given me an opportunity to focus on social and emotional development in children, which I find to be sadly undervalued in current public educational spaces. I enjoy any time I feel that I have had a positive impact on a child.

One of my favorite moments was when a young boy and young girl were partnered with each other for a week of cartoon coding classes. I denied their requests to be partnered with their friends, as working with people you don't yet know and who have different backgrounds than oneself are important skills to build, and I knew that they would have plenty of opportunities to play with their friends outside of class. The boy clearly had already been exposed to the program we were using, while the girl was learning it all from scratch. While the girl worked, the boy would lean away and talk to his friend, blatantly ignoring her. While the boy worked, the girl would often look at her lap or entertain herself in some other manner. I often checked in on them about being good partners, and how paying attention to one another could enrich both of their projects, allowing them to help one another and learn from one another. By the end of the week, they were actively engaged and communicating with each other while each worked on their own projects without me having to say anything to them, and that was one of the happiest moments of my summer!

I love Camp Edmo for its fun, enriching, holistic approach to child education, and I hope to continue to be a part of their work!

My memories of Camp Edmo started when our twin boys attended their first camp while in grammar school. Their enthusiasm was infectious, they came home everyday telling us something they had learned, the games they played, the friends they made and fun counselors who made sure every moment was a wonderful experience. They continued going to camps into middle school progressively experiencing new and more in depth learning adventures. Following their passions in science and film each boy took a separate path soon becoming counselors in training and instructors. In college now they still talk enthusiastically about their time at Camp Edmo and the people with whom they interacted for many years. It was their adventure that motivated me to pursue helping Edventure More grow to help all kids whether their families can pay for camp or need assistance. Almost two years ago I advised the management of Edventure More and became a member of their Board of Directors. When my fellow board members and I visit the various sites we see the organization from camp counselors to the management maintain the same vision and mantra of fun STEM learning for all young boys and girls.

If you are a parent considering a summer program for your child, no matter their age, look no further than EDMO. With a commitment to supporting the "full child," the experience at EDMO will not only build curiosity in your young learner, but will foster courage and build character. Program leaders will meet your child where they are...and encourage them to be the best person they can be! I value the EDMO philosophy of modeling kindness, empathy, mindfulness, and collaborative problem-solving within the camp experience; we can practice these skills while we explore science, art, and technology together!

If you are looking for a supportive, creative workplace, I would also wholeheartedly recommend EDMO. When you join this team, you join a family. The leadership team will identify what you need to thrive, and will provide professional development every step of the way.

Lastly, having worked with this non-profit for over 10 years, I have witnessed firsthand EDMO's commitment to equity. They have kept scholarship programs front and center in their strategic planning each and every year. If you are able to support their mission of bringing the EDMO experience to more families in the Bay Area, please consider donating to their Equity Programs!

Megan Schufreider, Director of Education, K-12 Partnerships
California Academy of Sciences

When I think of Edmo, I think of their t-shirts that say, "curious, courageous, kind human" that they give to their participants at camp :). I love how social emotional learning is intertwined with science and recreation during their programs :). Our son has attended Camp Edmo every summer since he was entering first grade and now, he has just started seventh grade. He loves the tech camps but also being in the parks, in nature and going on field trips. I remember when he first started attending the camps, he loved the Kimochis and I appreciated how comfortable he felt talking about his feelings :). As a current teacher of 18 plus years in SFUSD, I value the ways in which Edmo has taught kids the importance of recognizing and addressing feelings in appropriate ways and kept them engaged during June, July and August to help avoid the 'Summer slide' :).