Project Rise Summer Camp!

Second grader Kacey says, “I love my family here at Shoestring, and I like to play board games and card games after school. I like second grade. I like it because we learn a lot about plants and energy.”

Mara Colon, a Millsaps College freshman who helps out in Kacey’s classroom, says that she loves “the unique relationships I have with each kid.” Mara has been working with our second grade students for close to a year now, and credits experiences like Operation Shoestring’s Project Rise afterschool program as part of what has helped her fall in love with our city. “As soon as I came back from winter break, all of them came running up to me and they were so excited to see me,” she explains. Mara says that her time with kids here is really important to her, and it has opened her eyes to future career possibilities she hadn’t considered before. 

Joycelun Linburgen, whose 2nd grade classroom Mara volunteers in, says that children are always so excited to come into her room each and every day and that it makes her excited too. In Ms. Linburgen’s classroom, you’ll see excited students conducting science experiments on the playground, creating works of art at their desks, and dancing their hearts out between class breaks. Students this semester have been exploring what chemical reactions occur between different compounds like baking soda, oil, and dish soap with the help of projects like tie dye, slime, and lava lamps in mason jars. With Ms. Linburgen’s help, kids in our program are practicing their STEM, reading and writing, and art skills all while in a safe place where they are cared for. Shoestring families frequently say that our year round program allows them to go to work assured their children are learning and playing in a place where they are protected by caring adults, and where they can thrive. 

Volunteers like Mara who spend time in our program agree. Mara explained that “I like what Operation Shoestring does for kids, and the extra support they give to families. It’s not just kids who get help at Operation Shoestring.” 

Ms. Linburgen’s students are excited to spend the summer with her at our Project Rise summer camp. This year’s camp will take place from early June to mid July, and serve roughly 175 children, Kindergarten through sixth grade. They’ll learn about STEAM, explore our city, create art, and have a whole lot of fun in a safe place during the work day. As Mara said, summing up her experience here:“Operation Shoestring provides the extra care and learning in their afterschool. I think they adjust really well to each child, and the kids love being there.” 

And kids loving to be at Operation Shoestring translates to some big wins for our community. High-quality afterschool and summer programs like ours are proven to increase academic performance and are correlated with higher high school graduation rates as well. That adds up to countless kids that will grow up to be engaged, bright college students like Mara, inventive teachers like Ms. Linburgen, and caring community members like our summer camp community partners! We all rise together