Naperville campers learn value of service to community

Their shirts read “Live,” “Inspire,” “Dream” and “Believe,” and that's just what Watch My Feet tries to help kids do.

The group is part of LeaderShop, an organization that provides service-oriented programming for youth.

Watch My Feet is one of those programs, started six years ago by a group of students who realized they had performance skills and wanted to use them to mentor kids on topics that affect them.

The group performed inspirational skits and led interactive activities on topics such as bullying, substance abuse and positive decision-making at the Fry Family YMCA's Camp EDGE at Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville.

Camp EDGE ends its first year this week after enrolling three sessions of sixth through eighth-graders in weeklong service and volunteer opportunities, which have included packing meals at Feed My Starving Children, volunteering at DuPage Children's Museum, building lunch kits for guests of DuPage PADS and gardening with We Grow Dreams, an organization that helps special needs adults gain work experience through gardening.

Camp director Sean Roe said the Naperville camp was inspired by the abundance of service and volunteer-based organizations in the community.

“We wanted to find a way to organize all of them around three sessions so kids could have a diverse experience,” he said. “It's part of helping kids grow up to be good citizens.”

The ages of the campers make the experience that much more valuable, Roe said.

“That's a time where kids can become self-involved,” he said. “By doing volunteer work, they can come to understand there's organizations that need their help.”

Roe said the continuance of the program will depend on feedback from the kids. It looks promising considering what Roe has heard from the participants so far.

“They just said they've had a lot of fun, but that's a fine answer because if they find community service fun, I've done my job,” he said. “What we're hoping is that they'll remember these experiences and come back to service work and make it a permanent part of their life.”

LeaderShop Program Manager Meredith Schilsky said the messages campers took away with them are important for their future.

“Your self-esteem can increase from this, your confidence,” she said. “Know that you have the power to make changes every single day just depending on who you meet, what you do and what you say.”

Lupe Castro, of Summit, has had kids come up to her on the street and recognize her from Watch My Feet. That kind of peer-to-peer interaction is what makes for such a strong program, Schilsky said.

“I'm a social worker, so I talk to students all the time, but when I have another student who comes in and gives my same message, there's just something a little bit stronger in what they hear,” she said.

Seventh-grader Lauren Bernard said she learned yet more ways to help those around her after interacting with Watch My Feet.

“It kind of taught us that bullying is bad and that we should all try hard to stop it,” she said. “You can do anything to help out people, and that's what life is about — helping people out.”