Boys 2 Men Summer Day Camp

Los Angeles –

Kids First Comprehensive Conflict Resolution Services for Children is offering a day camp exclusively for African American boys, ages 8 to 12. Boyz 2 Men Summer Day Camp, run by African American men, begins Monday, June 23, 2008.

The day camp’s motto, ‘Men of the village training our boys to become men’, is based on the African Proverb: It takes a village to raise a child and Proverbs 22:6: Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart far from it.

‘We know many of our boys live in single parent homes headed by women. As a result we have boys who never learn to be men. As hard as women try, they are not equipped to train boys to become men. Our boys learn about manhood from videos, video games and pro sports. Not trying to cast blame, but that isn’t what being an African American man is all about, stated Robert Montiller, the camp director.

Boyz 2 Men exposes young boys to the positive aspects of being an African American male. The camp will be a ‘men only’ domain, where these young men will learn the meaning and importance of brotherhood and manhood. They will learn self sufficiency through learning their culture and history, mathematical applications, literacy, volunteerism, conflict resolution, and business strategies.

Camp opens at 7:00 AM. During arrival time, campers will play various board games. The purpose is to encourage them to use critical thinking, bond with one another and learn to develop strategies. Electronic games and music players will not be allowed.

Each day will begin with a morning meeting. The rituals of the meeting will include the singing of the Negro National Anthem, the recitation of the poem, ‘Our Deepest Fear’, and a discussion of the day’s plans, including the theme and focus. Here the young men will also learn leadership skills.

Many African American young men have never left their immediate neighborhoods. There are even some who have never seen the Pacific Ocean despite its close proximity to Los Angeles. To address this, Boyz 2 Men will be a mobile day camp. The day’s activities will take place in various parts and locations thorough out the city.

Each day of the week will have a different theme and focus. The Village is where the young men will learn about the African American community. They will visit such community icons as the Watts Towers, African American Museum, and other locales pertinent to the African American experience in Los Angeles. The focus of The Village is to teach African American history and values.

The theme of Volunteerism is designed to teach African American young men to give back to their communities. Each week they will undertake a project and donate 108 hours of service. They will learn the value of helping their community. The focus of Volunteerism is to teach the value of giving back.

In the Conflict Resolution theme the young men will learn skills and strategies designed to help them resolve conflict. The young men will learn anger management skills and anti-bullying strategies. African American young men often lack these skills and strategies and therefore they fight regularly in school and face suspension and expulsion. They will learn mediation and leadership skills. The focus of Conflict Resolution is to provide skills that will assist the young men in being successful in school, at home and in the community at large.

The Business theme is designed to teach African American young men about the world of business and fiscal management. On Business day shirts and ties are the mode of dress. This will be a new experience for many of these young men, who will be taught to tie their ties. Each week the young men will have lunch with an African American businessman. They will learn about the businessman’s business, including how he got started. They will also be encouraged to consider youth entrepreneurship. Each participant will receive a Kids Wealth Money Kit which teaches budgeting and money management. Every week the young men will go to the bank to make a deposit. The purpose is to instill the habit of saving and to teach the young men how to conduct themselves in a business setting.

The final theme is Just for Fun. The campers will learn the value of completing tasks and assignments and the rewards associated with completion. Each week the campers will explore amusement parks and other recreational facilities.

Literacy will be addressed by the young men reading articles and stories regarding the day’s theme. Math will focus on financial literacy, counting and managing money. Additionally the young men will work out with a personal trainer, learn chess, swimming and martial arts.

‘And no camp experience would be complete without arts and crafts’, stated Mr. Montiller. ‘This is our first year, so space is limited. If you want your son or young person to participate, please sign up early.’
For more information contact Kids First at 310-497-1640 or go to www.KidsFirstConflictResolution.com.

#2 Please recommend businessmen for Lunch with a businessman
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We need businessmen to have lunch with our boys. We are asking the volunteers to tell the boys about their business: what they do, why they are in business and how they got started. We would appreciate a tour of their facility. The boys bring their lunch, so they would join them in the park to eat. Business day is Thursday, so they would need to be available that day. Please email me any prospective volunteers.
#3 We need help with transportation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Do you know an African American male bus driver who is available this summer? Please email me.
#4 We need camperships ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We need camperships.

The cost for camp is $130 per week. Will you sponsor one week (or more, of course) for a child whose family can’t pay?

Please make checks payable to Kids First, 10736 Jefferson Blvd. #404 Culver City, CA 90230. Please put Boyz 2 Men in the memo section.

Contact Information~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~phone: 310-497-1640

Daybreak Counseling Service
www.daybreakservices.com
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310-995-1202