Programming

JOYweavers 2024-2025

JOYweavers Day Camp

JOYweavers’ five-week summer camp provides community, mentoring relationships, and programming that promotes social-emotional development, learning and JOY. It is a place that celebrates children’s strengths and successes, and one that recognizes that every child may experience moments of dysregulation. Our low camper-to-counselor ratio ensures that we can provide one-to-one support as needed and the “in the moment” coaching that helps children find success in group activities. For campers, JOYweavers offers the chance to feel comfortable playing, learning, and exploring without fear of failure or exclusion.

Dates: July 7-August 8, 2025

Monday-Friday: 8:30am -2:30 pm

Site: To Be Determined within Cambridge Public Schools

Ages: 5 and through ages 11-13 as appropriate

Cost: Sliding fee scale aligned with Cambridge Department of Human Service Programs and based on the size of the family and income. No child will be turned away for financial reasons.

Transportation available for Cambridge and parts of Somerville

Counselors-in-training positions (ages 14-17) available

JOYweavers Day Camp:

• Prioritizes serving children from underserved communities and those from

  families with limited financial resources

• Offers a wide range of activities on-site, frequent field trips and community-based programming

• Provides opportunities for children to exercise choice, take initiative, show leadership, and demonstrate their generosity.

• Actively engages in practices that promote anti-racism, social justice and meaningful inclusion.

Sample Camp Schedule:

Times and days are provided only as examples. Activities like read aloud, playground time, gym time, drawing, building or playing a game are offered at many times during our days that are not shown here. Most on-site activities last 30-60 minutes and occur in small groups. Breakfast and Lunch are provided by the Summer Food Program. Campers can also bring their own lunch and snacks; however, no peanuts or nuts are allowed on site.

What do Families say about JOYweavers? On a scale from 1-5,

Level of Satisfaction with JOYweavers: 4.8/5

Likelihood of recommending JOYweavers to another family: 4.9/5

Likelihood of having their camper(s) return to JOYweavers: 4.9/5

JOYweavers Consultation and Caregiver Support

• We know that families face many challenges during the school year. JOYweavers’ executive director is available to discuss school challenges, IEPs, assessment reports, and to help families identify resources within the community to to address other family needs. This support is available to current JOYweavers’ families free of charge and to other families on a sliding fee scale. For more information, please contact Mia at mia@joyweavers.org.

Programming planned for 2024-2025 and beyond

• Monthly events for JOYweavers campers

• JOYweavers support for participation in community-based events

• “Caregivers’ events: great community-building experiences for adults and supervised play for children

• Activities developed with input from community members and JOYweavers families

Other offerings:

• Support for JOYweavers’ caregivers around school or after-school concerns, the IEP process, testing reports, and advocating for their children.

• Knowledge of resources and partnerships within the community to support caregivers and staff members seeking specific services (e.g., food, housing, fuel assistance, legal services, educational advocacy) or growth opportunities.

• Through social media, blogs, newsletters, and events, JOYweavers will actively disseminate information and promote awareness of local, state and federal policy and legislative initiatives related to reducing or eliminating punitive school discipline practices.

• Trainings and consultation for peer and partner programs

  • To help support the success of JOYweavers’ families in other settings

  • Increasing a program’s capacity to support children who demonstrate challenging behaviors