Summer Leadership Academy

In July, BJP students attend a four-week Summer Leadership Academy at Fairfield University in Connecticut. The experience builds on students' academic work during the school year and provides necessary and fun summer programming. See below why camp is such an integral part of the BJP experience:

• Academic Enrichment: Camp allows students to continue their academic growth in small classes with plenty of individualized attention. Additionally, students benefit from camp's controlled environment and consistent routine. "A summer away is often what a wayward student needs to buckle down," says Irene Locario, BJP's science and math teacher of 15 years. "Camp shows students what good studying looks like," helping them form habits that they can take home and use during the school year.
• Leadership Skills & Formation: During camp, BJP students develop their leadership skills and continue their character formation. Camp homerooms mix students from different grades, which fosters relationships between younger and older campers. This format sees the older students become mentors for their younger peers and encourages younger students to interact with their older peers as equals.
• Summer experiences: Camp provides students with much-needed programming over the summer, much of which our students may not have experienced before. Studies documented in National Geographic and the Center for American Progress have documented the rise of a "nature gap" between white neighborhoods and Black and Brown neighborhoods. Black and Brown families are three times more likely to live in nature deprived areas. Many of our students have never been hiking or swimming before. Many have never been away from home for so long before. Through these new experiences, our students develop their independence and make lifelong memories with their friends.

‍"Hiking, swimming, climbing, and not to mention the ropes course! That’s a rite of passage for all BJP students. The ropes course, and all of camp, encourages you to push yourself and try new things. That’s how you grow.” - Kim Philander (BJP '10)

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COVID-19's Effect on Summer Camp

BJP students usually attend camp at Fairfield University, engaging in academic enrichment, outdoor sports and activities, leadership skill building, and making timeless memories.  The COVID-19 pandemic has hampered BJP’s ability to hold summer camp in 2020 and 2021.  BJP held a virtual camp last year.  This year, we plan to hold a summer day camp here in New York.  But COVID’s impact on camp is more wide-ranging:

The pandemic cost students vital course hours, which they will need to make up over the summer and during the rest of their time at BJP.

Camp offers our students a controlled environment away from potential stressors at home, in which they can focus on their schoolwork.  Because of the pandemic, students have not benefited from this learning environment.

Camp is where our students rely on getting their meals over the summer.  Without camp, many of our students did not consistently eat three healthy meals per day during the summer.

While our day camp cannot replace our beloved Fairfield Camp experience, nor meet all of the challenges posed by COVID, we still strive to mitigate the obstacles our students face by providing them a rigorous and fun summer camp experience.