Sure...it's a fellow non-profit working to improve lives, and sure it does it vis-a-vis farmland preservation, hunger relief, and education. But to those of us who serve children, it provides a metaphor that gives context for the work we do. There are countless stories, poems, and traditions that compare kids to seedlings, and rightly so! They require careful attention and a nurturing environment in order to thrive. And, like a garden, the campers that we know and love represent a diverse array of potential; we care for them knowing that one day soon they will grow to their full bloom and yield a banner crop of wondrous things.
We have the pleasure of collaborating with Waltham Fields Community Farm each summer to provide kids with access to a working farm. Through their interactions with the staff and the land, they come to experience a new way of thinking about and appreciating the interconnectedness of living things. It was fantastic to watch our Lower Campers play on the fields today, and we were all very impressed with the wealth of background knowledge that they brought with them to the farm; clearly the CitySprouts Program is working its magic on the youth of Cambridge!
How well do you know your herbs? Can you identify the following?
Gardening also has a lot to do with Jazz. Both require a certain improvisational style and both are far more complex than may first appear. Given that we are ushering in the "Jazz Era" this week at camp, it seems worth mentioning. Stay tuned for information and pictures about the on-site programming keeping us busy at camp!
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