My Nonprofit Reviews

AnnieLock
Review for EDMO (Edventure More), San Leandro, CA, USA
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!