I enjoyed working with the youth of Detroit and watching them have a good time while doing it. I really liked the community I could be a part of again and the new people I'd been introduced to work with throughout the summer. I lastly appreciated how accommodating my coordinators were.
What I wish was different
I wish that the employees could've had more time to work on protocols for working with children and understanding what to expect when dealing with them. I also wish that the camp counselors weren't so close to the campers' ages due to them all being in their early teens and it becoming a future problem.
Advice
When you are working with young people, try your hardest to embody the type of role model you may have needed when you were their age. A lot of young people nowadays just need an outlet to release the negativity in their lives and/or a friend to listen to them and be there to show them love and support. With that being said, you should have a mental goal of being the most authentic version of yourself so that the youth you are working with can reflect that same level of confidence and self-love within themselves.
