A seriously good time

When students are sitting in class learning how to conjugate a verb, all they can think about is the thrill of summer vacation. Whether they have plans to go down the shore with their family or just enjoy the public pool, the thought of lazy summer days makes them smile.

Yet one group of children is finding that working to make an impact during their break isn’t too bad either.

The youths are enrolled in the Foundations Inc. summer enrichment program at Christopher Columbus Charter School, 1242 S. 13th St. Although the program holds field trips, arts-and-crafts sessions and sports like most camps, its priority is bettering the community.

First- to seventh-graders have the opportunity to perform service-learning projects that include an educational aspect.

"For example, the students build birdhouses and then they learn about birds too," said Toni Rzasa, Foundations lead teacher. "Whatever project they are working on, they learn something about."

The students’ days are split into summer school sessions each morning and service-learning projects in the afternoon. Through their work, the campers are helping develop Columbus Square Playground, 13th and Wharton streets.

The children chose to focus on the playground after walking around the area to determine where they could be of help, Rzasa said.

"We need somewhere to play and somewhere that’s clean," said Erica Brennan, 10. "We don’t want little kids to come to the park and pick up things and trash from the ground."

The camp, which runs until July 29, also has created some nature lovers and mini-landscapers.

The youths donated a unique birdbath they made from plastic terracotta pots as well as a store-bought bird feeder to the South Philadelphia Older Adult Center, Passyunk Avenue and Dickinson Street.

The second- and third-graders have been busy beautifying Columbus Square Playground’s landscape with hand-printed cement blocks and mini-fences, which create a border around the trees on the sidewalk.

"We had our vision of what we wanted the park to look like," said Alicia Arnold, Foundations art teacher at the school. "We wanted to make it a little nicer so other people can see that the park is important to us."

ABOUT 75 CAMPERS have been fixing grass patches, sculpting the areas surrounding the park’s street trees and constructing larger, more visible signs about cleanliness for pedestrians. One sign the students were working on read, "Please clean up after your dog – Kids Play Zone."

The first-graders, the youngest participants, have been patching the barren areas of grass by planting seeds, putting down mulch and painting the mini-fences for the trees while learning how a seedling grows, explained Rzasa.

Amid all their hard work, the children and counselors have realized keeping the surrounding area clean has become a priority.

"We have been getting trashcans donated and putting up the signs [the kids made] for neighbors to pick up and clean up after their dogs," said Rzasa, who has been involved with the organization for the last three years.

The children are now enjoying the results of their efforts.

"I like it because we’re doing it for the community and because it’s good to be clean and not dirty anymore," said Jade Fuller, 8.

Though Foundations’ main focus is education and serving the community, campers also participate in activities from weekly movies to Field Trip Fridays.

"Overall it’s a really good learning experience," Rzasa said. "Each of the four teachers also teaches a specialty such as music, art, writing and recreation and the kids rotate between classes."

A guest speaker from the Abington-based Briar Bush Nature Center will head the camp commencement next Thursday and will explain the community and environmental benefit of all of the projects completed.

With just a week left to go, Rzasa is hoping her young charges have planted lasting seeds.

"Our hope is that during the school year, we have someone who takes over care of the park and what we’ve done."