The Ramapo Times - Ramapo for Children

 The Ramapo Times Spring 2016 In this Issue: 
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Ramapo in NYC Community Schools Introducing the Camp Ramapo Alumni Program Ramapo’s 9th Annual Youth Worker Leadership Conference A Family Campus: Growing Up Ramapo Ramapo in NYC Community Schools by Katie Van Ness, Individual Engagement Manager The Community Schools initiative, launched in New York City in 2015, fosters partnerships between schools and Community Based Organizations to create neighborhood hubs where students receive high‐quality academic instruction, families can access social services, and communities congregate to share resources and address their common challenges. Since the introduction of this initiative, New York City has been at the forefront of a national movement for a more holistic and comprehensive approach to education in urban centers, and Ramapo for Children is actively involved with 28 of the Community Schools. Ramapo works with the Community Schools’ educators to provide coaching and workshops designed to deepen classroom management and whole‐school climate practices in order to address students’ social and emotional needs. Our Rhinebeck campus and Retreats program supplement this coaching with off‐site programming that provides students and staff with an opportunity away from school to interact with one another and reflect on ways to foster and strengthen relationships as a school community. On a Ramapo Retreat, students and staff develop new social and emotional skills by utilizing our unique curriculum based on experiential, outdoor adventure activities that promote positive peer engagement. As part of the holistic approach to education reform, Ramapo also offers resources that allow schools to deepen their parent engagement. Through supportive and specialized workshops, caregivers are given the opportunity to learn new strategies to use at home to address behavioral challenges and support student development. As both a direct service provider and professional development organization, Ramapo understands the value of a holistic approach to supporting success for students of all abilities. Through the Community Schools initiative, NYC public schools can bring a more diverse range of resources to bear on their whole school communities, and Ramapo is proud to provide high‐quality, proven resources that support all of the adults in a child’s life.
The Ramapo Times – Spring 2016 Page | 1 Introducing the Camp Ramapo Alumni Program By Mike Kunin, Camp Director – Camp Ramapo This July, Ramapo for Children will welcome the unveiling of our Camp Ramapo Alumni Program! After many meaningful discussions with camper parents, we recognized a great need for services designed specifically for young people who were no longer of age to return as a summer camper, but still required guidance in developing fundamental social, vocational and self‐care skills. Through the duration of summer session two (July 10th‐29th), up to 12 former campers will receive training in a variety of life skills, participate in off‐campus volunteer opportunities and excursions designed to integrate them with the community, and enjoy the fun activities associated with camp. Participants will live in a dedicated “Alumni Residence” and all activities related to this program will be designed to match each person’s age and meet their individual needs and capabilities. When we first thought of creating a program like this, we sent an email with details to 14 of our former camper families. By lunchtime that same day, we had six former campers who were ready to fill the proposed program, and by the next morning, we had enough confirmations to double it in size! As Ramapo’s Camp Director, I was thrilled to see that we could help fill a need experienced by our former campers and their families. Although our campers will eventually grow beyond the age we serve, we want to maintain our long‐standing relationships with them and keep them involved with our organization as we continue to evolve. Once the camper alumni complete the program, we hope they will feel confident enough to pursue jobs, further their educations, or perhaps join Ramapo again as part of our Staff Assistant Experience. I’m looking forward to being a part of the inaugural Camp Ramapo Alumni Program cohort in 2016 and will update the community on this program’s success. Ramapo’s 9th Annual Youth Worker Leadership Conference By Alicia Barry, Manager, Operations & Parent Support On May 20th, over 250 high‐school students chose to spend their Sunday afternoon learning skills that can be applied to future jobs working with youth of all abilities. The day began with a keynote from choreographer Heidi Latsky, Founder and Artistic Director of Heidi Latsky Dance company – a group famed for using dancers with unique attributes to bring art and movement to a diverse audience. Heidi challenged conference attendees to look beyond the labels we impose on ourselves and others and to understand what it means to own your own identity. As part of the afternoon, youth participants were invited to participate in Heidi’s latest digital campaign ‐ #MeOnDisplay – and to post a selfie and claim what it means for people of all abilities to put themselves out there in the world. Throughout the afternoon, students went on to participate in workshops, activities and career panels, learning about the range of professional opportunities in the youth development field and the skills needed to do this work full time. We at Ramapo salute these young people who chose to devote their Sunday afternoon—and hopefully their careers—to creating inclusive environments where all children and adults can feel accepted and be successful. The Ramapo Times – Spring 2016 Page | 2 A Family Campus: Growing Up Ramapo By Kate Wrightington, Development & Communications Assistant In the last two decades Ramapo’s direct‐service work in Rhinebeck, New York has grown from a Summer Camp to include a year‐round retreats program and young adult residential experience. As these activities continue to grow, one of the unintended, and happy consequences is a burgeoning community of staff who reside and work on campus full time – living out the Ramapo philosophy every day. At any given moment you may find a girl fishing at the lake with her grandfather, a family pushing a stroller down the driveway or a child popping in after a day at school to taste warm maple syrup during sugaring season. Some of the residents have lived here for 25 years, like Jen Buri da Cunha, Director of the Staff Assistant Experience, who started as a summer counselor in 1991 and has been a resident at Ramapo ever since. Jen was the first staff member to start her family on the campus, and she feels that having the children of staff members live on site has cultivated a family‐friendly attitude across Ramapo. During the busier seasons, Scott Kemp, Associate Director of the Rhinebeck campus, tends to work long hours, but he is able to make time for his two children to join him for lunch in the dining hall. Growing up in an intentional community also exposes the youngest members of the Ramapo family to a unique diversity that they wouldn’t otherwise have. Living on campus as an adult senior staff member also gives a new meaning to the popular phrase “work‐life balance,” and finding that balance is key to succeeding in this arrangement. Although the staff who live here treat each other like extended family, it is important for individual families to carve out enough personal space for themselves, and find ways to separate from work. On the flip‐side, bringing work home takes on new meaning as well. Noel Delgado, Director of Ramapo Retreats, can recall several occasions in which staff visit him at his house for dinner. He notes the importance of these informal moments that allow him to deepen his relationships with the staff. Each year in August, after the last camper bus has pulled away, it has become tradition for the senior staff members to reflect on their journey as they address summer counselors for a final time. Last summer, Jen recalled getting a bit choked up while delivering her speech, as she turned to her co‐workers who have become her extended family and told them, “I can’t think of a better place to raise a family.” The Ramapo Times – Spring 2016 Page | 3