After breakfast each day, campers break into teams and head to volunteer at our partner nonprofit destinations in and around the city of Hartford: CRT Day Care Centers, elderly and disabled housing centers, FoodShare, and The Village for Children and Families, among others.
Upon returning to our camp facilities, campers enjoy free time to unwind and get to know one another better before enjoying dinner together. Each evening involves either an educational program related to social-emotional learning or a leisure activity (talent show, basketball tournament, all-camp games). Time is designated for each of the teams to debrief their day. Each evening closes with a gathering of all campers, which includes stories of the day and slides of each of the teams’ work sites.
On the weekend, campers fan out to grocery stores to conduct food drives for local food banks. They engage in team-building activities and games, and each team builds a picnic table or bench that is donated to a local charitable organization.
On the final day of Heads Up! Hartford, our campers enjoy a picnic and excursion to a local state park. That night, members of the community and families are invited to our closing ceremony.