Posted on August 6, 2015 For the students of the Coalition’s Bound for Success (BFS) program, the learning doesn’t stop when the school year ends. Every weekday from 9 am – 3:30 pm, these homeless boys and girls spend time together at the BFS Summer Day Camp laughing, playing, learning and bonding. Even though the program takes place in a NYC family shelter, a walk into this colorful oasis is like walking into a different world. Hand drawn artwork dangles from the ceiling, words of encouragement decorate the walls and bright bulletin boards bring to life each child’s hopes and dreams for the future. While education is one of main goals of the program, Bound for Success also offers a safe environment for fun and friendship. On this particular day, the BFS campers were learning about the environment and the animals that inhabit it. As each student presented their projects to the group, Program Director Angie Caraballo and the rest of the BFS staff provided encouraging support – particularly to some of the more self-conscious kids. After learning about the many different animals in our ecosystem, the students revisited a previous lesson on recycling and played a brand new game which matched the recyclable item to the correct bin. As each boy and girl took a turn, the rest of the group gave their full support and encouragement to their friends – cheering them on as they got an item right, offering hints when they needed a little help. In the afternoon, the children headed outside to play on the jungle gym and with balls, frisbees and hula hoops. Everyone was having so much fun swapping equipment and teaching each other new games they almost forgot how hot it was outside! On Friday, they capped off the week with a field trip to White Post Farms to see first hand some of the plants and animals they learned about, including a parrot show! Tonight nearly 59,000 people will sleep in New York City shelters – 24,000 of them children. Youth Programs like Bound for Success and our summer sleep away camp, Camp Homeward Bound, offer homeless children a reprieve from the boredom, stress and difficulties of homelessness. In addition to the day-long summer program, Bound for Success offers after-school tutoring and recreational activities during the school year focused on helping students reach grade-level, as well as give them a safe, enriching space to go after school.
