About 90 miles east of Atlanta is the small town of Madison, Georgia. Known for being one of the largest historical districts in the state, Madison is home to Orchard Grove, a multi-family, affordable housing community.

This summer, Job Cannon, the Resident Services Coordinator at Orchard Grove, ran a camp for the community’s youth residents. Job had just returned to Mercy Housing after living out of state for several years. He had previously managed a very active resident services program at MHSE’s Terraces at Parkview. He wasted no time planning the five-week camp soon after.

“One of my first challenges was figuring out whether the kids here would even want a camp,” recalled Job. Sure enough, they did. Fifteen kids enrolled, spanning from wide-eyed kindergarteners to confident high school juniors. The older ones took on leadership roles, guiding and mentoring the younger campers.

Because we’re living in a digital world

“We had a lot of different programming to offer,” Job explained. “For example, the kids planted a peach tree with one instructor who also taught them how to create a home garden.”

Another session centered around using maps to navigate. Because we now live in a digital world, one of our goals was to give campers a break from screens by teaching them to navigate with maps instead of GPS. “I found it interesting that a lot of kids didn’t know how to use traditional maps,” Job said.

The summer camp at Orchard Grove also featured a combination of STEM workshops led by former teacher, Miss Cooper, and fun sports events, including kickball and relay races. The sports activities naturally turned into team-building exercises.

Call him “DJ Dee”

But the highlight of the summer was a DJ class, taught by a local DJ.

The students learned to count beats, and by the final day of the program, each left with their own custom mix. “He had them pick their favorite songs, and then he would have his set-up in the room,” Job explained.

One camper, Antrone, excitedly shared, “This summer I learned that I could DJ,” adding, “My DJ name would be DJ Dee.”

For Antrone’s mother, Miss Swain, having her son in summer camp provided her with some peace of mind. “As a parent who works during the day, I was able to know that my child was doing something constructive and had discipline during the day while I was at work,” she shared.

Miss Swain also found relief knowing that her son was spending time doing something constructive and not gaming in their home. “The camp helped to keep Antrone’s brain sharp.”

Engaging educational experiences

As the days grow shorter and summer becomes a memory, youth programs are now focused on Out-of-School Time—offering tutoring and engaging educational experiences.

“It will be a mixture,” Job shared. “The majority of it will be tutoring. With so many kids already signed up, the tutoring will be spaced out during the week – the kids not being tutored on a day will instead participate in enrichment activities.”

Job is already looking ahead to next summer, with plans to grow the camp and programs offered. “We’re here to have fun, but we’re also here to learn a little bit too.”