Camp Community for Wimberley kids

Just in time for summer, first-throughsixth- grade students in the Wimberley Independent School District are eligible to enroll in Camp Community, a Start Up Kids Club program that focuses on furthering academic and socialization skills while teaching critical knowledge for the future.

“After the departure of Camp Good Sam out of San Antonio, a giant void was left in the Wimberley community,” says Amber Wakem, founder of Start Up Kids Club and Camp Community. “I realized that we don’t need an outside entity to provide this crucial service for our kids. By partnering with Barnabas Connection, First Baptist Church of Wimberley, Cypress Creek Church and other community non-profits, we can build a camp program that keeps kids academically, socially, and creatively engaged during the summer months.”

Students who attend one of the three, one-week sessions will learn critical and creative thinking, collaboration and leadership skills, social and communication strategies and resiliency, grit and growth mindsets. Not only will their foundational literacies be supported in crucial areas like math, science, and technology, they will be exposed to career readiness and exploration.

The all-day camps fulfill learning and social needs and are crafted to help kids thrive.

“We don’t leave anyone out. We give scholarships, we give kids breakfast, lunch, and two snacks, and we pick them up if they need it,” said Wakem. “The program is built around inclusivity. Our goal is to even the playing field for all students, regardless of their background, ability, or need.”

Before Wakem created the Start Up Kids Club and Community Camp, she taught school for ten years. She recognized that, at two years of age, her daughter, Harper, “. . . was brilliant, able to name state capitals, and other skills way beyond her chronological age. But in kindergarten, she shut down. She became anxious, depressed and seemed unable to do things.”

“It turns out that she was dyslexic,” Wakem explained. “About that time, she wanted to open a lemonade stand for buyers attending a garage sale. After some discussion, she remembered how she attempted a lemonade stand one other time but failed because of a lack of planning. Suddenly she said, ‘Adults don’t want lemonade in the morning, they want coffee!’” According to Wakem, the step toward entrepreneurial thinking was game changing and left Harper “beaming” with a whole new way to be useful and successful in the world.

“We teach children to become resilient and to learn from failure,” Wakem said. “All of our community-focused programs teach students to thrive by teaching them to believe in themselves and to find their own voice. We inspire them to unlock their inner kid-boss so that they can make purposeful decisions for their future.”

Start Up Kids Club and Community Camp do more than teach skills, they teach values.

“We promote purposefulness and thoughtful risk taking that deliberately focuses on the goal,” Wakem explained. “We believe that every community brings a wealth of knowledge that must be incorporated into the whole experience. We deeply believe all kids should have access to innovative learning.”

“We value the perspective and connections gained by real world experience, and we teach ownership,” she continued. “Whether as a group or alone, kids are shown how to take ownership of their actions and the decisions that they made. By the same token, they learn to take ownership of results, either good or bad.”

The continuing success of the Start Up Kids Club and Community Camp depends on fundraising and volunteers. Since launching in 2017, more than 450 professionals have volunteered in their classrooms, and 72% of students have received either free or low-cost programming. According to their website, 88% of their students have reported an increase in self-confidence and seven out of eight kids have reported an increase in family connections.

Start Up Kids Club is Wakem’s umbrella non-profit that provides workshops, after- school programs during the school year, and activity and party space for Wimberley children. It also conducts programs in Austin and Cedar Park and, in the future, plans to offer online classes. The program has caught the attention of CBS and ABC news affiliates, the Austin Business Journal, the Austin American Statesman and other media outlets.

Camp dates are June 26 through June 30; July 10 through July 14; and July 31 through July 4. Camp times are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Camp will be held at the First Baptist Church, 15951 Winters Mill Parkway, in Wimberley.

To enroll, donate or volunteer, go to startupkidsclub. com. Look for the “Join” option at the top for enrollment in classes, workshops and camps or email info@startupkidsclub. com.