Project Lighten Up

Mission: To provide youth with educational opportunities and recreational adventures.

Project Lighten Up is a unique summer day camp and afterschool program that blends education and recreation into everyday activities. This educational opportunity for low-income and minority youth, provides meaningful education with a focus on developing the self-esteem of youth in a positive camp environment. Project Lighten Up strives to reduce the achievement gap among African American students by eliminating summer learning loss, developing self-esteem and self-confidence through learning and earning, and to deter juvenile delinquency and criminal activity through positive enriching activities.

The Community Summer Day Camp and the afterschool program provide constructive and supervised programs. Through the mentoring component, the camp helps to foster a positive self-image among children and youth who may have experienced issues in developing positive self-esteem due to an underprivileged or unsupportive environment. By providing a safe and healthy environment for children and youth during work hours, the camp helps to alleviate difficulties faced by working families with dependent children.