Santa Rosa art camp fun, fulfilling

After nearly missing out on a summer camp filled with fun and engaging visual and performing arts programming, 12-year-old Luisa Trejo discovered an important lesson.

She found the value of embracing opportunities.

Without a nudge from her mother, Luisa would have bypassed the Creative Arts Camp at the Child Parent Institute in Santa Rosa, where she and her peers were introduced to a broad spectrum of creative and expressive arts projects.

Luisa, who has a talent for painting and drawing, was initially indifferent about the camp, a lively program hosted by CPI’s creative arts troupe, the Chalkboard Players.

“I wasn’t going to come to camp,” said Luisa, an eighth-grader at Rincon Valley Charter School in Santa Rosa. “My mother was just like, ‘Do it. There’s art.’?”

Luisa, the youngest of about 15 middle and high school students at the recent camp, is grateful her mother encouraged her to go. If there’s a message she’s going to carry with her, “It would be something about opportunity,” she said.

It’s one of many lessons woven into sessions of drama, storytelling, improvisation, songwriting, musical performance, dance and visual arts projects at the camp.

CPI hosted four weeklong summertime camps, two at the nonprofit’s center in Santa Rosa, two at the Rohnert Park Community Center. In all, 85 campers from third through 12th grades participated in the free camps, many experiencing some of the enrichment activities for the first time.

Audrey Pacula, 13, picked up drumming and piano skills, gaining enough confidence and ability to perform during a show for families and friends.

“We got to learn so many different kinds of things, and the counselors were so nice,” said Audrey, an eighth-grader at Tech Middle School in Rohnert Park. “They were all taught really well and it was all free.”

The camps were funded through a Sonoma Wine Country Weekend grant, an opportunity to reach out to CPI clients and youth referred to the camps through partnership agencies including county child-welfare services and the Sonoma County Office of Education.

A parent-education and children’s mental health agency serving families throughout Sonoma County, CPI works with youth who’ve had “difficult early childhood experiences,” said Joy Thomas, CPI’s creative arts director. She and Dallas Munger, founder of Chalkboard Players, served as co-directors of the camps.

Roberto Acevedo shared his talents as music instructor, with Chalkboard Players members and CPI’s team of art therapists, staff and guest artists rounding out the diverse program.

One of the kids’ first projects was making art journals to express emotions, experiences and dreams for the future. Students, including those at first lackluster about attending camp, were encouraged to address their feelings and develop social skills and emotional growth through the programming.

“The arts provide a wonderful way to unlock some of those important skills we’re building,” Thomas said. “Diverse visual and performing arts experiences foster creativity and self-expression.”

She called the program an “upstream investment” impacting the students in numerous ways, from academic achievement, literacy and critical thinking to “their capacity for empathy.”

Santa Rosa grandmother Peggy Delaney was thankful she heard about the camps and encouraged her 13-year-old grandson to attend.

“I’m so impressed with what they were able to do with these children in five days,” Delaney said.

Her grandson, Santa Rosa Middle School eighth-grader Austin Basham, lives with her and needed something to engage him.

“I was at my wit’s end about what to do with him. This saved us all,” Delaney said.

Thomas said several kids like Austin might not have started camp enthusiastically, but quickly discovered the balance of caring staff, interesting projects and opportunities for self-expression were a welcome way to spend six hours a day.

“We view behavior as communication,” Thomas said. “We’re trying to build resilience by instituting healthy habits.”

Campers responded so positively to the experience that parents and grandparents were sharing positive feedback from the start.

“They were telling us kids were excited to come to camp. We consider that a huge sign of success,” Thomas said.

In a video presented at the camp finale, students shared their hopes, fears, desires and promises to love, succeed and create a bright future.

Participants’ artwork spoke clearly, too.

One boy, a recent immigrant from Mexico, drew a self-portrait of a green alien waving from outer space. A girl’s image showed golden hair, her face with a bright smile and a smattering of freckles, the self-portrait surrounded by colorful flowers and hearts.

Campers decorated journals and tote bags with messages declaring “Don’t Be Afraid” and “Yes, Cause Y Not.”

Luisa, the middle schooler so hesitant to attend camp, painted a portrait of an unknown person with golden enhancements.

Her message?

“Some people don’t know what they’re worth inside,” the budding artist explained. “It’s also that people are gold but not pushing forward.”

Luisa now doubts she’ll ever miss another opportunity for self-discovery.

For more information about the Child Parent Institute, call 707-585-6108 or visit calparents.org.

Contact Towns Correspondent Dianne Reber Hart at sonomatowns@gmail.com.