UniCamp provides summer of fun for youths
Student volunteers interact with children from low-income
homes
By Susan Lee
Daily Bruin Contributor
fter a week of hiking, swimming and sleeping under the stars,
it’s no wonder one of the boys in Debbie Mac’s UniCamp camping
group refused to go to the closing ceremonies.
"He started crying halfway through and later on, we found out he
didn’t want to go because he knew it signified an ending to the
week of camping. And then all the other kids started crying too,"
said Mac, a head counseling assistant with UniCamp.
Founded in 1935, UniCamp is a leadership program which allows
students to interact with children from low-income families during
summer camp at the Angeles National Forest. About 1,000 children –
primarily from Los Angeles County – spend a week at camp,
participating in activities such as arts and crafts, swimming,
archery and field games.
Run by a small full-time staff, UniCamp thrives on its base of
student volunteers. Organizers said that students from the world
arts and cultures department frequently pitch in, volunteering as
instructors for the program.
Roger Kim, a fourth-year geography student and this summer’s
program director, said he is constantly amazed by the youths’
reactions to the program and the student volunteers.
"(Students) are the real role models for the kids," Kim said,
"and when you talk to the kids after the camp, they just want to go
from camper to getting to UCLA and becoming camp counselor to give
that experience back."
Alexa Kent, interim administrator for Unicamp, said the
program’s goals are all very recreational and
education-oriented.
UCLA student counselors are there to listen to the kids and help
with their lives, added Karen Lippold, a camper recruiter volunteer
coordinator for UniCamp. Lippold, who has worked for Unicamp for
three years, said that between 300 to 400 students volunteer as
counselors every year.
"I meet lots of people willing to give time and energy to
something important," Lippold said. "It’s neat because you meet the
kids and experience the camaraderie of the counselors. The kids are
amazing … they show you things you forgot about during your
childhood."
Lippold said that UniCamp affects both parents, counselors and
children. She cited a phone call from a parent excited about the
coming summer who told her "this is the best thing that ever
happened to them (her kids) … they love the camp and talk about
it all the time."
Kent explained that the camp provides a service that would
normally be out of reach to many children from low-income
families.
"The kids at the camp are able to go through a camp experience
that they wouldn’t be able to otherwise afford," she said.
Some student volunteers said the experience was so enjoyable
that they returned for a second year.
"I came back because it was a setting I really enjoyed and
wanted to share with others who haven’t had that experience," Kim
said. "I was able to see how much we could actually do for the kids
through the program.
While UniCamp traditionally consisted of eight one-week
sessions, only six were held this year. This cutback was partially
due to lack of funding, Kent explained.
Last year, the approximate total operating expenses were
$400,500 Kent said. Seventy-five percent of the total was spent on
food, supplies, leasing the campsite, and salaries for seasonal
staff, such as emergency medical technicians, nature teachers and
lifeguards. The other 25 percent of the money is spent on office
and fund-raising expenses.
As of March 4, UniCamp will have a new executive director, David
Meyers, who will be responsible for supervising fund-raising
efforts and formulating a long-range development plan with the
board of directors.
Although the cancellation of UCLA’s Mardi Gras – formerly
UniCamp’s primary fund-raiser – will economically hurt the program,
UniCamp has other strong fund-raising sources, officials said.
The organization gets funds from private donations, a Los
Angeles Times summer camp fund, a special event put on by the real
estate advisory council and grants from foundations and
corporations.
But this year, UniCamp organizers are looking toward the annual
Jamaal Wilkes/UCLA UniCamp invitational golf tournament as its
primary fund-raiser. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the
organization after the tournament’s expenses are paid, Kent
said.
"If everything goes as planned, we are in a stable economic
situation," Kent said.Comments to webmaster@db.asucla.ucla.edu