Building Confidence, Culture, and Community at WeBridge’s 2025 Summer Camp
Building Confidence, Culture, and Community at WeBridge’s 2025 Summer Camp
WeBridge Community Services’ 2025 Summer Camp offered Black children and youth in London a vibrant, culturally grounded space to learn, grow, and thrive. Supported by a $9,000 grant from London Community Foundation, the four‑week program was intentionally designed around the needs of African, Black, and Caribbean children, and includes programming on mental wellness education, creative arts, cultural exploration, and leadership development. 115 campers participated, supported by trained staff, volunteers, and community partners.
“From mental health awareness to cultural celebration and leadership development, the camp’s structure reflected a deep understanding of the social, emotional, and developmental needs of its participants,” said Executive Director Massah Tarawalley.
The Foundation’s grant paid for the majority of staff salaries, resources for inclusive arts programming, and contributed to excursions to Storybook Gardens and Pioneer Village – experiences that broadened children’s horizons and strengthened community connection. Additional support was also received from the Thames Valley District School Board, the Black Medical Students’ Association of Canada at Western University, London Food Bank, and parents of the campers.
Weekly themes – Mental Health & Empowerment, Music & Arts, Culture & Careers, and Leadership & Celebration – set the framework for activities that built the children’s confidence, cultural pride, and emotional resilience. Among other things, the campers engaged in Zumba, mindfulness exercises, storytelling, drama, and mosaic‑making. A dedicated Afrocentric Mental Health Camp Counsellor offered individual and group sessions focused on coping skills and emotional awareness.
“Activities were tailored to be age-appropriate and inclusive, with adaptations made for children with varying learning styles and abilities,” said Massah.
Photos from Week 2 of the Summer Camp
During the final two days of the program, older campers (ages 10-13) were invited to become Junior Volunteer Counsellors – a leadership opportunity where they could support groups of younger campers. They were also given the opportunity to design two days of programming for the younger campers, and present their ideas to supervising counsellors.
Despite initial nervousness from some of these volunteers, over the two days they showed great growth in their leadership – navigating challenges such as weather disruptions and the energy levels of their fellow campers while running activities that included dance sessions, scavenger hunts, and crafts. The written reflections from the Junior Volunteer Counsellors showed the experience had increased their confidence and empathy, and their willingness to take on similar roles in future camps.
“WeBridge Summer Camp 2025 was a profound and joyful journey of growth, discovery, and connection. Through the generous support of the London Community Foundation, WeBridge Community Services was able to deliver a program that not only met the developmental needs of its participants but also celebrated their cultural heritage and empowered their voices,” said Massah.
Following the success of the program in the summers of both 2025 and 2024, WeBridge is now looking forward to the 2026 program where they hope to extend the camp’s hours to make it more accessible to working families, build the mental wellness sessions into the daily schedule, and deepen the Afrocentric and cultural components of the program in ways that further develop the campers sense of identity and community belonging.