The past couple of weeks have just flown by — and not because I’m wasting my summer away on my laptop or keeping up with the Word Cup. I’ve been far too busy for that! So busy, in fact, that every day I come home and collapse on the couch in a sort of contented exhaustion. I’ve spent the last two weeks volunteering at my local art association’s art summer camp — not the most mind-blowing of summer stories to tell, but incomparably rewarding and just as entertaining.

    Being an avid artist myself, I was interested in helping out at the local art association. Art associations promote art by holding exhibitions and classes, supporting community events, providing scholarships, and, of course, holding weeks and weeks of summer camps for children.

    The five-day camps offered by my local art association each focused on a specific theme, such as jewelry making, clay working, or science-inspired projects, each catering to a specific age group. Well, I figured, why not volunteer? It was bound to be two weeks of fun and creativity. Following an email and an orientation, I was on my way to my first day of “interning” at the art camp.

    The beauty of the art association’s building was one of the first things that struck me as I walked in for the first time. Sculptures of trees and life-size animals loomed tall around the perimeter of the building. I imagined that spending a few weeks of my summer here would not be bad at all, and I was right!

    The art camp consisted of two sessions daily: the morning classes that started at 9:30 a.m. and ended at 12:30 p.m. and the afternoon classes that ran from 1 to 2 p.m. Having volunteered to stay all day, I was there from 9:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every day!

    It was an even longer day than school, but infinitely less dull. First, I was to ensure the safe and proper pickup and drop-off of the day’s campers from their parents’ cars. For half an hour, I’d transform into something of a traffic conductor as I waved parents and children back and forth. Following that, I would go help a morning class. For the first week, I helped in a 3-to-5-year-olds’ camp. This camp introduced different mediums, techniques, and fine motor skills to the young campers. I watched and offered my advice and instruction as the little ones worked hard at finger-painting, creating sculptures, making papier-mache bowls, painting and assembling giant paper fish, trying out acrylic paint on tiny canvasses, dabbling in oil pastels and tempera. The children were so young and eager to learn — it was absolutely adorable! But it was also exhausting. Making sure each camper was safe, engaged, and confusion-free was a trying job! I had experience counseling small children before, but washing brushes, pouring paint, gluing paper, organizing markers, passing out paper plates AND counseling small children? It was a new experience. In the afternoon, I worked in the ceramics room, helping budding pottery artists.

    For my first official experience working as a volunteer, I reaped many rewards. I learned so much and helped others learn. Watching young children paint for the first time — even read and write for the first time — was an experience that meant so much to me. Having attended countless summer camps as a child myself, it was eye-opening and exciting to switch roles and play counselor for a change.

    Hope you’re all having a safe and enjoyable summer, wherever you are!