Summer Camps 2021

Sankofa Community Connection had two different summer experiences this year, pictured above is the Black History Summer Camp (campers in green shirts). We had weekly visits to the State House and tours led by Lane Sparkman, Associate Director of Education and Public Programs, lunch at the West Wing (they baked cookies for our second visit as a gift to our well-behaved group) and then on to the State Archives to see historical documents and items-students were so excited to see things up close! We ran into Governor McKee during one visit and Secretary Gorbea came to visit us in Newport at Sankofa Community Connection. We also got a private tour of the Wanton-Lyman-Hazard House led by the director of the Newport Historical Society, Ruth Taylor (pictured above). Activities included painting art outdoors at the Liberty Tree in Newport, A visit to Patriots Park, A visit and presentation from the author of the book “The Black Regiment of the RI Revolution” Linda Crotta Brennan. 

During Self-Care Summer Camp parts one and two, we visited several places and explored Newport, Middletown, Jamestown and Portsmouth as we discussed self-care plans, and various styles of practicing self care. Self-can take place anywhere. So we went to Sweetberry Farms for sunflower and blueberry picking and came back to make smoothies with them,we visited Adventureland, Touro Park, Ft. Wetheril in Jamestown where we had bubbles, and music and ribbon dancing and lunch, Charter Books, Downtown Designs Gallery (showcases artistic creations by individuals with and without disabilities) we love the items we created and took cards back for them on GratiTUESDAY to thank them for their talents, Scratch Kitchen for lunch, Pebble Beach. Our last days of camp we will visit the local Farmers Market and Ben & Jerry’s where they both will treat the campers to goodies- we are grateful for their contributions. One of the campers’ favorite times was on GratiTUESDAY, where we would make cards and give them to passers by and various people in the community. Activities included, self-care bingo, journaling, practicing mindfulness, gratitude, meditation, nutrition, connecting with nature, going to the movies, and learning from the book called Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson. The pictures show us in action at some of the places we visited. 

Campers also came up with a TikTok page @SelfCareCrewNPT check it out for some of our adventures. We will update often.