A Message From Chelsea Viola
Hey everyone! This year, I am a volunteer for Unicamp, UCLA Students’ official philanthropy that annually links 500 UCLA student volunteers with over 1,200 LA youth from underserved communities. Through the healing power of the wilderness and providing a unique outdoor camping experience, UniCamp delivers challenging new experiences that foster personal growth and transform lives during a week of affordable summer camp.
I am part of the Transitional Youth Empowerment (TYE) session. Transitional youth refers to kids, usually those in their teens, who are transitioning from adolescence to adulthood, and are in the foster care system. Without the proper resources, foster kids are more likely to not receive a college degree-only 3% of all foster youth graduate college. Sometimes individuals may prioritize getting these kids housing over giving them access to resources that help them get good grades, stay in school, and eventually get to college.
With a solid pool of social capital, this can be partially remedied. The TYE session incorporates many different types of programing outside of the normal camp activities to help provide an engaging and fun week of camp, such as scavenger hunts, open mic, self-care workshops, and more.
As a Unicamp volunteer, it is my goal to raise $450 before my session. The money will subsidize the cost of going to camp for the TYE campers and myself. Any contribution, big or small, will be greatly appreciated. Please donate to my Give Effect!
