A 6th grader hops down an inflatable slide eagerly. Behind her waits two high schoolers in navy blue “Parker Summers” shirts. This hot summer day in Chicago is a place where you will find young students, high schoolers, and teachers making the most of the weather at Parker Summer‘s day camp.

The over 45 year-old camp takes place on Parker’s campus and allows kids from around Chicago to partake in six weeks of sports, arts and crafts, day–long and overnight field trips, and a day of inflatable activities every Friday.

Along with the young campers and the teachers working to run the camp a small group of high school and college students get to spend time back at school in the summer counseling Parker Summers, and help out younger kids along the way.

176 campers ranging in age from kindergarten to eighth grade attended the camp this past summer. Campers had the choice of attending one week to up to nearly six weeks of camp, from June 18th to July 27th. The staff in charge of running the program involved 19 individuals, including 11 adults, some of whom are former Parker teachers. The seven counselors of the camp were a mix of Parker high school students and college-age alumni. Additionally, Jessie Mather was the Parker Summers nurse.

Co-Director of Parker Summers Stacie Newmark reflected on a counselor’s experience at the camp.“I think it’s a fun way to spend your summer,” Newmark said. “It’s hard work, but we try to make it as fun as possible, because if the counselors and teachers are having fun, that usually translates to the kids having fun.”

Newmark directs the camp along with physical education teacher and Department Chair Jan Zoufal. Together, they oversee the day–to–day operations at the camp, such as planning the field trips and big events, hiring the staff, and coordinating bus schedules for transporting campers to activities.

Some of the field trips that the campers took were trips to the North Avenue Beach, Oz Park, and the Lincoln Park Zoo. Students of older ages took trips to Great America and a Chicago White Sox game. There were also two overnight trips: one to the Wisconsin Dells, and another to Sheboygan, Wisconsin, which featured a water park and ziplining.

Fifth grader Alex Sarnoff explained what her favorite parts of the camp were. “There were a lot of field trips,” Sarnoff said, “and I thought those were all really fun. It was super fun and enjoyable, and I liked all of the people there.”

Although the camp is designed for the enjoyment of the campers, the student counselors and teachers participate in the activities. Newmark explained how the staff is encouraged to go down the inflatable slides, zipline, and enjoy themselves during field trips.

Senior and summer ‘18 Parker Summers counselor Maddy May, who also has worked at the camp in 2017 for the past two summers, expressed her thoughts on being a counselor. “Even thought I was still at Parker,” May said, “it was a much different environment to be working with younger kids.”

Although the number of staff at the program was relatively small, there were a variety of duties that the staff had. One teacher is assigned to oversee each group, along with at least one younger counselor helping to manage that group. The groups are created by age, which include entering JK-SK, 1st-2nd, 3rd-5th, and 6th-8th. (changed spacing in-between hyphens)

While the teachers and students have the opportunity to work with many Parker students, they also meet students from Chicago Public Schools, and even international students. This summer drew attendance from kids living in Japan, Brazil, Colombia, and France.

Jalen Benjamin ‘18, who has been a counselor at the camp for two years, reflected on his relationships with the campers. “I had a strong connection with the campers I worked with both this year and last year,” Benjamin said. “I make it a priority to get to know the kids and talk about what their interested in.”

Visual arts teacher Travis Chandler led campers in classes with photoshop, digital filmmaking, and designing 3D structures in minecraft. During his ‘tech playground’ for a week of Parker Summers. “Parker is delightful over the summer,” Chandler said. “It’s laid back and always fun. I love getting a chance to keep my teaching skills sharp over the summer break, and it’s a pleasant change of pace.”

Starting next year, the camp will introduce a more formal application process, which allows students and teachers to apply online. It is a program created for students from kindergarten to eighth grade, but as Newmark explained, Parker Summer hopes to be a place for teachers and older students to be part of the fun, who may or may not have had the chance to participate before.