Ascend Morning Mentorship Program

The film camp went so well. There were several kids that seemed to truly have sparked some passion and creativity! There was specifically one boy in my 5th-6th class that was locked in on just about every detail I taught. He immediately took to the camera and seemed to be a natural with it. I used the opportunity to go more in depth with him on camera settings and advanced techniques, and he took to it immediately. I was very impressed by his fast learning and his love for the camera. He came to me halfway through the camp and told me he wants to be a photographer, and I truly believe he has the capability to tell amazing stories in Hoopa through the eye of the lens. He was engaged the for all the class sessions, and a lot of his classmates followed suit in his passion. It was so encouraging to see my love for film and telling stories being passed on to these kids!

One of our students in Visalia remembered Mrs. Clare from the previous summer and kept asking when she would be returning to his school site because he was so excited to learn from her. I reached out to Clare and asked if she could record a video for him so that I could show him that she was coming. Clare kindly said she would and made an amazing video for the student. When we showed the student, he was SO excited that he was physically shaking and could not speak. At the end, he was teary-eyed and asked if he could speak to her on the phone, so we called her and she spoke to him. The entire time, he was beaming and shaking, just so excited that he could speak to her and that she was coming to teach them again soon about how to make their own songs.

We had a student who was having some behavioral challenges in camp and was really struggling to listen and avoid being physically violent. Because a few staff members believed in him and gave him opportunities to grow—and with the Baseball Talents really showing up for him and calling him higher—he no longer had behavioral issues and was able to stay in camp, whereas in the previous camp he had to be kicked out. This was a huge character shift and truly impacted the entire team on-site.

The District Director for Armona Unified School District pulled me (Amy) aside and told me how impactful the Ninja Course Team is and was for the entire week. She called me to tell me that she had never witnessed any teamwork with such positive attitudes, so athletic and so good with kids. She praised the leadership team and our Course Foreman for their incredible encouragement and leadership, asking how we have such amazing staff. It was a true testament to the incredible team that we have and the way that our team shows up with a unique culture and true character beyond the surface.

There was a student in the Morongo camp who was struggling in 3D printing due to a physical disability. Getting frustrated and thinking that he couldn’t do it, he began to give up and throw his things. One of our Directors was in the room and encouraged him to try again, reinforcing that he truly could do it and that she believed in him. Later, when she came back to check on the class, the student was happy and smiling—he had made her a 3D-printed cross and wanted to give it to her as a gift for helping him. He told her, “Thank you for helping me. I want you to have this because you remind me of Jesus.”

We had a student at Willow Glen who was having an emotionally difficult time. After speaking with him and offering to let him be my helper for the day, he completely turned his day around. Every day after that, he wanted to hang out and be my helper, serving other students. One day when I was at a different site, the site leads called me and informed me that the student missed me and wanted me to come back. I happened to be headed that way and connected with him when I got there; he was crying and said that he missed me because I made him feel loved and cared about, and he didn’t want to leave. This impacted me greatly.

The CAC staff are amazing. This is my second camp with CAC, and both camps were great. Our students loved all of the Talent (especially skateboarding and baseball). There are some staff members that worked both camps here, and the students really enjoyed seeing them again. I appreciate how respectful and professional each member is. Most importantly, I appreciate their dedication to including every student and making sure everyone is having a great time. I look forward to future opportunities with CAC.

My own daughter got to experience CAC, and she has had the time of her life. She lives with autism, and the way she was held up, lifted, and treated with so much love and respect just blew my mind. Nobody told her "no"—everyone said "you can do it too" or "just try." She tried so many new things and accomplished so much; I can't thank you all enough. You have all even encouraged other students to be her friend and give her a chance.

Friendly and Accommodating. I’ve immensely enjoyed my time at CAC. The staff is friendly and honest, with a clear and concise structure in our work environment. I always feel taken care of here!