Horizons Atlanta Summer Campers Enjoy Carnival
The day of fun was organized in conjunction with Creating Connected Communities.
A day of summer fun greeted students of the Horizons Atlanta summer learning program last month, thanks to a partnership with Creating Connected Communities (CCC), the volunteer-focused non-profit best known for Amy’s Holiday Party.
Horizons, whose larger mission is to prevent summer learning loss, keep learning fun, and close the opportunity gap for students from Title 1 schools, organized the event as part of their six-week, tuition-free summer program.
“The Carnival is an enrichment opportunity all about joy,” said Ann Marie Bedtke, Horizon Atlanta’s executive director. “This is a day where Horizons Atlanta’s summer learners get a summer ‘field day’ for a couple of hours spent having fun with friends and scholars from other Horizons Atlanta programs.”
The event, hosted at Congregation B’nai Torah, featured several activities for the more than 600 attendees. The students were guided through everything – from participating at crafts and STEAM stations, to dancing with the DJ, and bouncing on inflatables – by volunteers from CCC, which has partnered with Horizons since 2016.
“Programs like the Horizons Festival give our Jewish teen volunteers the chance to put those values into action,” said Amy Zeide, executive director and founder of CCC. “By implementing engaging activities for children, our teens step into leadership roles, develop empathy, and experience firsthand the impact of community service. It’s a powerful way for them to build confidence, connect with others, and see how their efforts contribute to the greater good.”
“We really appreciate our partnership with Creating Connected Communities as it has been helping make summer learning even more fun for our students for nearly a decade,” said Bedtke. “For many of our scholars, the Carnival is the highlight of their summer, a day filled with joy, movement, creativity, and pure fun.”
This certainly seemed to be the case this year, as some students struggled to even decide which part they liked best.
“The carnival was great,” said second-grader Joshua Felder. “My favorite part was decorating cookies, shooting basketballs, and the bouncy house. No, getting the Ice-ees was my favorite part!”
“One child ran past me and exclaimed, ‘Best day ever!’” said Zeide. “That’s a pretty great mark of success!”
comments