Eye Love You Summer Camp 2021

This summer Eye Love You is partnering with Major Adams Community Committee, to provide a FREE 7-week camp for underprivileged youth on Chicago’s Westside. Our diverse curriculum was created to inspire, educate and empower students to be their best selves, while providing them with a well-rounded camp experience to explore the arts, sports and dance. In addition to the fun, each week we'll focus on one of four educational topics: self empowerment, financial literacy, food nutrition, and multicultural history.

Our curriculum includes: meditation, soccer, dance, skateboarding, basketball, swimming, drawing, painting, fashion design, photography, computer science, and more! Each week a guest speaker will be brought to host a workshop that focuses on one of our themes, opening our campers’ eyes to new interests and career paths. With two weekly field trips our campers will travel the city of Chicago and engage with some of the city’s most acclaimed museums, community gardens, architectural landmarks, and sports stadiums. All campers and staff will also receive two healthy meals and a snack per day.

Why This All Matters

Summer Slide (educational retainment)

In the summer following third grade, students can lose nearly 20% of their school-year gains in reading comprehension and 27% of their school-year gains in mathematics. By the summer after seventh grade, those numbers increase to 36% loss in reading and 50% loss in mathematics.
According to the National Summer Learning Association a summer-long absence of educational and social engagement can cause them to slip an average of two months of grade-level equivalency.

Summertime Sustenance

Summer is a time of greater food insecurity for low-income children and youth who rely on free and reduced-price lunches during the school year.
Only 15 percent (3 million students) of the 20 million children who receive free and reduced-price lunches during the school year consistently receive free summer lunches during the summer.
A recent study indicates that there may be an unmet need for free summer meal programs.

Summer of SEL (social and emotional learning)

A 2005 study of 80 camps by the American Camp Association (ACA) found significant growth in children’s social-emotional skills after a session of summer camp. Camp staff, parents, and children reported increases in children’s self-esteem, independence, leadership, friendship skills, social comfort, and decision-making skills.
Overweight children who attended a summer program for at least 29 days had short-term weight loss, improved blood pressure, and increased aerobic fitness.
Belonging to a community is crucial to childhood development. Summer camp creates an ideal community environment.

Our Story

Eye Love You Summer Camp began In May of 2015 when a group of 20 young adults raised over $6,000 to provide a free, one-week program to 40 students in the south side of Chicago.

In 2017, we hosted the camp again; this time for four weeks. We raised over $23,000 and served 100+ students! We developed an Eye Love You pedagogy focused on identifying strengths, encouraging individuality; and exploring new ideas and environments. Additionally, we added weekly field trips, brought in guest speakers, and led campers in daily meditation practice.

This past year, the pandemic prevented us from hosting the camp as we had planned. Instead, by May 2020 we had raised $20,000 through private donations and distributed the funds to 60 families across the Chicago-land area. Later in the summer, Eye Love You hosted a supply drive with M.A.S.S. Mothers Against Street Shooters, to provide youth with back to school supplies and clothes for the fall.

Since the fall, Eye Love You has hosted monthly events in the Englewood community. Provided the residents of the South Side with groceries, programming, seminars, activities and more. This summer we’re headed to the West side and partnering with Major Adams for our 3rd camp. Thanks for supporting us on our journey! We love you, we care.

Eye Love You Summer Camp 2021

By Eye Love You

Eye Love You Summer Camp 2021