Maryland Community Newspapers Online
Twelve-year-old Tamara Delaney says she is going to keep her promise. The seventh-grader at Maya Angelou Public Charter School in Washington, D.C., wants to be a lawyer, she said, which will require hours of studying.
"I need to start preparing now," Delaney said, sitting on a haystack July 23 at the one-day Healthy C.H.O.I.C.E.S. camp in Brandywine. "That's what they told me," she said, referring to camp leaders, who emphasize positive decision-making.
A second-year participant, Delaney said the camp, which offers a variety of speakers focusing on education, etiquette, abstinence and morality, helped her to realize she can become a lawyer if she dedicates herself to schoolwork now.
After a hike through the woods looking for birds, Delaney said she was determined to follow through with her college dreams. She said the camp has taught her to try new things that might be intimidating at first, like horseback riding.
The day camp, on a Brandywine farm, brought together 65 students from Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County for a day of activities such as horseback riding and bird-watching, and educational lectures.
It was the second time the camp had been held. It was held last August for youths from the District, but this year's camp was opened up to youths in Prince George's County, with 20 county children participating. Campers ranged in age from 10 to 13 and came from local summer camps in the District and the county.
Karon Etienne of Brandywine said she and her husband, Roussan Etienne, envisioned the camp after moving to the area a year and a half ago from New York and buying a seven-acre farm on Baden Springs Drive.
The day camp will offer a session Aug. 23 to older youths who live in the District and participate in D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty's 2009 Summer Youth Employment Program.
Karon Etienne said she wanted to use the land to bring together local children in an effort to combat social problems, such as gangs and teen pregnancy.
"It's realistic to expect kids to make the right choices," she said. "It's a great time to improve their thinking with positive values."
The Etiennes, who have two daughters, ages 4 and 7, bought the farm with the intention of holding a summer camp where local kids could not only play and explore but also learn values and adopt morals.
Andre Pearson of Clinton, a volunteer at the camp, said he was happy to see his two sons, 13 and 15, take part in positive lectures that covered all the bases — emotional, physical, spiritual and mental activities.
Pearson's 13-year-old son, Terrence, a student at Gwynn Park Middle School in Brandywine, said the camp sends a message for youths to make good choices in both school and their personal lives.
"If you don't make the right decisions, there will be consequences," he said.
The camp is part of the Etiennes' nonprofit, the ZOE Group Foundation, which offers eight-week parenting workshops to churches, schools and other community organizations.
Each day the camp needs $2,000 to cover costs for meals, snacks and supplies such as arts and crafts and sports equipment.