2010 Day Camp

This past summer Restore Cleveland Hope and the Montessori School at Holy Rosary (MSHR) came together to celebrate the last day of summer camp. It was the first summer camp experience for the school with a yearly student population of approximately 130. The summer camp served 15 – 25 half day and full day students ranging in ages from three to twelve years old.

As our readership is aware, Joan Southgate has traveled to many schools sharing her journey and educating youth. As Restore Cleveland Hope grows and develops more educational programming we have found the best of the best to help create effective programs. Therefore, in keeping with our mission to celebrate Cleveland's historic anti-slavery past and our desire to educate today’s youth a team was formed. Joan Southgate and Rosemary Nemeth, an award winning teacher at Gesu Elementary School, along with Rosemary’s daughter Maria came together to share stories and create art on the final day of summer camp.

The three women created three stations for the children to explore. Joan set the stage with a quilt showing the path to freedom in Ohio as she read to them stories like Freedom River by Doreen Rappaport. Rosemary lead the art activity that involved creating quilt squares depicting symbols of the Underground Railroad. And Maria guided the children through an interactive website on National Geographic that placed the students in the position of the slave embarking upon the journey to freedom. The day ended with an amazing potluck prepared by the older kids and staff and the unveiling of the finished quilt.

It was a day spent telling old stories, honoring the past and nourishing the future. Special thanks go out to the students of the Montessori School at Holy Rosary and its morning session summer teachers, Anna Discenzo and Kate Comella for extending the invitation to Restore Cleveland Hope.