This year was particularly important in being Project Jericho’s 25th year of using art to help improve lives of local kids and families, and the 20th year for the summer camp. The focus was on the novel, doing something unique for the student that told their story and capitalized on their emptions.
In recent years, the camp had focused on one area of art, but for this first full camp following abbreviated ones after the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers went all out to include dance, poetry and painting.
“It allowed them greater freedom,” said Kristi Limes, Project Jericho success coordinator. “They could layer their emotions and embrace the novel. This is about our community, our schools and families and the chance for the community to see what kids can do.”
To spark the creativity, guest artists were invited including members of the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, poet Marjory Wentworth and professional artist Blue, who came in from Baltimore to help; Blue has been a guest artist with Project Jericho’s annual ChalkFest since its inception.
The staff was pleased several Project Jericho alumni volunteered as it gave the kids a different perspective from the staff, Limes said.
To tap into the novel theme, the dancers expressed their own interpretations of their emotions, many of whom had never danced before, much less in public. Project Jericho did a successful dance program at Hayward Middle School with DCDC and led to offering it at the camp.
The poets and painters used paper and canvas to convey their emptions.
Camp participant Rashid K. enjoyed art before the camp and found new methods working with Blue. Doing mostly drawings, Rashid was used to black and white and has now embraced color and the use of India ink to broaden his artistic palette.
Eddie D., who is an illustrator and enjoys creating comics, found painting an outlet for several emotions, pointing out colors for love, anges, fear and anxiety, acceptance, amazement and curiosity, all parts of him and this may help him branch out.
“It was an expression of me and my representation. It’s good to try things,” he said.
While the celebration event was the grand finale to the summer camp, Limes is hopeful the kids will take what they’ve learned to explore more and know there’s an ongoing place with Project Jericho.
“We try to create a family environment, a home. Especially for the performers, there can be a letdown after you put everything you have into it. The arts matter and they had an audience for them,” she said.
Project Jericho director Lauren Houser said it was a very diverse group of students and looks forward to serving these kids and others.
“Project Jericho will continue to be a place to celebrate who they are. There’s a lot wrong with the world right now. This camp is about everything right with the world,” she said.
About the Author