The Journey of a Lifetime

Each year the California Community Partners for Youth- Step-Up to Brighter Futures program helps 50 new students change their lives.  One of the biggest milestones for students in the program is attending the mid-program 4-day camp retreat.  This extended weekend is a transformation for students and mentors.

Through an initial current reality review process each teen identifies three personal goals they would like to accomplish over the year with the support available. They also make a commitment to the full program on their own - students have to make the choice to be there. The students have met weekly with highly trained CCPY Life-Skills coaches who help them address issues, setbacks and options.They have been paired with a mentor who supports them as a listener and positive role-model. Both the students and their mentors participate in CCPY community meeting workshop/activity twice a month.

Much of the work that is completed throughout the student’s time at CCPY is working towards attending camp. The youth, mentors, volunteers and staff all work hard over the 80 long hours of camp. Each day starts at 7:00 am with a run followed by showers and breakfast. Following their morning ritual, they must be ready and in the training course room by 9:15. Lunch at 12:30, dinner at 6:30 and bed by 11:00. The course work is a combination of exploring life-skills, life-experiences, current life-path and choosing a preferred future given evolving insights. After 30 years of fine tuning, the camp retreat consistently generates significant momentum and clarity that is used over the next four months of weekly coaching, mentor support, after-school support and bimonthly half-day community workshops/activities

The culmination of the camp experience is a Welcome Home Ceremony which we would like to invite you to come and be a part of.  This is a unique event that involves not only the students, coaches, and mentors that ensure camp is a success every year, but also the parents. The Welcome Home Ceremony is the first time that the parents see their children after the long weekend of camp. This is the first chance the students have to share with their parents the growth they have achieved, their insights, and their hopes for their future.  It is emotional, yet incredibly inspiring to see how each of the students has changed. They are committed to helping their families, their community, and most importantly, themselves.

Each of the students that wishes to share their experience speaks onstage in front of the entire audience of friends, family and community explaining which aspects of camp were the most important and influential. As the students share their experiences, the significant impact that the camp had on each student’s life suddenly become clear. With the completion of camp, each of these students have completed a rite of passage and they do so in front of the people who care about them most. They are each given a certificate of accomplishment to mark all of their hard work. Finally, there is a reception where food and drinks are shared and the families have the opportunity to meet the people who have had a hand in changing the students outlook on life.