So it’s finally come down to the last week of the program, the Charlestown Navy Yard week. It’s been a memorable, exhausting, but definitely rewarding summer. It was very emotional but also so great to see how much we’ve grown together, not only with the campers, but as a team.
This week, we brought each YMCA to the Navy Yard basically showing them the community in which we work and our office. We started our day with a big opening circle, then broke out into our groups and established rules of what we should and should not do in our parks.
The first activities we had planned for them was exploring the USS Cassin Young and USS Constitution. The goal of this activity was to help explain and identify the historical significance of why these ships were stationed here in Boston. We then brought them around the Navy Yard and mentioned some historical information about why it was important while having fun throughout the day. We closed out the day and our summer with them with some yard games and giving the option to draw what they’ve learned from the National Park Service.
Our next activity was “Life on the yard”. The objective of this activity was to get the kids walking around the navy yard, we gave the kids a picture from the past in different locations around the navy yard. The kids task was to find where that picture was and to recreate the picture. We would encourage them to wonder what that building was for and how they have adapted and changed through the years.
Through our essential question “What can parks do for people and What can people do for parks?” We wanted to create a fun and enjoyable activity that embodied this question. So we decided on a mural. Together as YCCs we drew an outline of what the National Parks of Boston meant through our eyes. So we sketched the arrowhead and a few of Boston Harbor Islands.
And last but certainly not least our final activity was their very own Jr. Ranger Ceremony Whoo!!! Yeah they were pretty pumped up about this activity. So we said bye to them and wrapped up the summer.
