Unleashing An Innovator: Why I Chose Summer Camp For My Daughter

09Jul
by Daniela Felix

Growing up in a low income household, summers were expected to be a time spent at home watching TV and lounging around. However, my mother hustled and worked really hard so that we could participate in some extra curricular activities with other children our age. This usually meant receiving financial aid to make it possible. Nevertheless, she persisted and made sure that we were being challenged and exploring opportunities during our time off from school. I want the same to be true for my own daughter, which is why I made the decision to send her to Camp Galileo this summer.

As I pick my daughter up from summer camp over the last few weeks, I am eager to hear all about the exciting things that took place during her day. Most recently, these conversations included learning about white blood cells defeating germs, using household items to create art pieces and testing out projects and reflecting on her work. My daughter attends Camp Galileo, an innovation camp for kids. Camp Galileo has a reputation for being a family favorite camp, one where parents are happy with the experience their kids receive, and one that kids simply can’t get enough of. From personal experience, this reputation is well deserved and accurate.

Camp Galileo has California locations both in the Bay Area and in Southern California, more information about specific locations can be found here. As an organization, Camp Galileo believes “in camp—and innovation—for all kids,” which is why every year, they award thousands of scholarship weeks to families. Financial assistance is available for qualifying families, for more information on financial assistance, visit this link.

My daughter considers the camp staff to be family and is always greeted with warm “hellos” and high fives. As a working mom, it’s a goal of mine to find quality, safe, fun environments for my daughter, and Camp Galileo is exactly that. Not only is my daughter having the time of her life singing songs, screaming chants, and participating in elaborate team building, she’s also developing key critical thinking skills and content knowledge in art and science. As a teacher, I know how important it is for students to continue polishing these skills during the summer months to ensure that learning time is not lost. Most importantly, she is developing her confidence in her ability to be an innovator and make her mark on the world, a truth that I always want her to keep close to her heart as she grows up. This is her second year attending summer camp, and I look forward to her many adventures in years to come. If you’re still looking for summer options for students, check out Camp Galileo to see if it would be a great option for your child.

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Daniela Felix

Daniela is a first generation college student who is heavily involved in education in her home district, West Contra Costa Unified. After becoming a mother at a young age, Daniela’s passion for education justice only intensified and she began to fight for an equitable education for all children, regardless of background or zip code. Daniela played a key role in organizing parents with the California Charter Schools Association and is a firm believer in school choice for all families. She is currently a Lead Organizer with Students for Education Reform, organizing college students around education justice issues in her home district. She was recently accepted into Teach for America and plans to continue impacting the lives of children in her hometown of Richmond, CA as a high school social studies teacher. Daniela is a UC Berkeley senior pursuing her B.A. in Legal Studies and Education along with her 4 year old daughter and husband. Daniela is a firm believer in that every single child is capable of meeting high expectations if given the correct support. Daniela hopes to be a provider of that support.

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