About Us
CAMP KESEM GW 2010 INFO:
CAMP DATES: August 22-27, 2010
CAMPSITE: YMCA's Camp Letts located in Edgewater, MD (website)
Click here to see our 2010 camp brochure!
Camp Kesem GW is a student-run summer camp for children who have or have had a parent with cancer. It provides an opportunity for campers to build self-esteem and gain support from peers facing similar challenges.
Children who have or had a parent with cancer are neither physically ill nor visibly distinct from other children. As a result, their situation at home is often unknown to peers and teachers and their emotional needs often go unnoticed. In addition, it is challenging for these children to find peers with whom they can relate, and they are often left feeling completely alone when coping with the fear, anger, guilt, and sadness associated with having a parent who has cancer or has died from cancer.
Aside from providing campers with a magical and care-free week of traditional summer camp fun, children are empowered with the tools to express their emotions through camp activities, such as arts and crafts, drama, and cabin chat. These tools, and the friendships gained provide support for these children well beyond the week of camp.
Camp Kesem is available to children in the Washington, DC area between the ages of 6 -13 who have or have had a parent with cancer. And for the first time at CKGW, we will be offering a teen program this year for campers ages 14-16. In addition to regular camp programming, our teens will have the opportunity to complete a service project, go on an overnight camping trip, and more!
Camp Kesem is a secular camp and is open to all children regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, or financial status. Due to the financial burden experienced by families coping with cancer, Camp Kesem is provided free of charge to the families it serves.
Our camp is run by a committee of 10 coordinators who work continuously throughout the year to make Camp Kesem GW a reality. Our camp is staffed by enthusiastic volunteer students from GW giving us our unique 2:1 camper to counselor ratio. It is this individual attention that creates lasting bonds between counselors and campers, and helps to foster a safe and welcoming environment for children.
Still have questions about Camp Kesem GW? Feel free to contact us about our program!
