Skip to main content
< Go Back to Project Connect

Project Connect

Julia Hunter, Summer 2015

Julia Hunter's booth on summer safety at Project Connect
At the end of her summer working with children experiencing homelessness, our Summer 2015 intern at Project Connect organized a booth on summer safety for a culminating event for the children and their families.

Project Connect is an organization involved in advocacy for children experiencing homelessness. Founded in 1996 through Cincinnati Public Schools, Project Connect strives to offer these children specialized educational and lifestyle enrichment opportunities. One of Project Connect's most successful programs is a 6-week summer program for children aged 5 through 12, which is held at Fairview German Language School in Cincinnati. Transportation is provided for the children to and from camp and two meals as well as a snack are served daily. Activities offered during the camp include academics as well as enrichment opportunities such as field trips, crafts, arts, and swimming.

My internship with Project Connect involved helping as a staff member with Project Connect's 2015 summer camp. I worked specifically with the 5-7 year-old age group. One of my main goals with Project Connect was to embody a stable, supportive, and fun presence for the children when they came to camp each day. I also planned and taught a lesson on summer safety to each of the three classrooms at camp. A typical day at camp would start with the kids arriving on their respective buses. We'd all gather outside for “Moving in the Morning,” in which I and three other interns taught the children a fun dance routine to get them moving for the day. After that, we'd go inside for breakfast. Most of the morning would be dedicated to academics, reading the children stories, playing spelling games, and so forth. We'd then have lunch and recess. The afternoons were reserved for enrichment opportunities including swimming, an outdoor education program called Nature Next Door, and field trips to museums, theme parks, etc. At the end of the day, we'd serve the kids a snack before they'd head home on the buses. I have told so many of my friends and loved ones about the incredible impact that my summer with Project Connect has had on my life. Learning from these children, sharing in their joy and laughter, empathizing with their struggles, and just joining in their fun has given me a chance to create memories that will last my whole life long. I am so grateful to have been a part of Project Connect's mission and for the honor to have served children experiencing homelessness in Cincinnati. One of the greatest lessons that I learned through my experience with Project Connect is that no matter their circumstances or hardships, children are ultimately just that, children who want nothing more than to love and be loved.