Dear friends,
Welcome to the first edition of the Summer 360° Weekly Update! Over the next six weeks, we'll bring you highlights from our Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and Fairfield camps, sharing the academic achievements, enrichment activities, field trips, and special moments that make Summer 360° such a transformative experience for children experiencing homelessness. Each week, you'll also learn about our community lunch partners, field trips, and the many supporters helping make this summer possible.
UpSpring Summer 360° Cincinnati is off to a fantastic start, with campers quickly settling into routines that balance academic growth, enrichment, and summer fun. It has been especially exciting to welcome both returning campers and staff alongside many new smiling faces, creating a vibrant and supportive community from day one. Students enjoyed a visit to Star Glazers for paint-your-own pottery and participated in yoga sessions that encouraged mindfulness, movement, and self-confidence.
A standout feature of UpSpring Summer 360° continues to be our partnership with Project Plus at the University of Cincinnati's Children's Cognitive Research Lab. Each morning, every grade level participates in individualized online math instruction designed to strengthen foundational skills and support continued academic progress throughout the summer. University of Cincinnati students, working under the supervision of Dr. Heidi Kloos, provide targeted one-on-one support that helps campers build confidence, strengthen foundational skills, and remain engaged in learning throughout the summer.
Science Adventure Week brought hands-on discovery and excitement to UpSpring Summer 360° Northern Kentucky, giving campers opportunities to explore STEM concepts through engaging, experiential learning. Students welcomed visits from Kids Discovery Factory and iSpace, two outstanding regional partners that introduced campers to interactive science, technology, engineering, and math activities designed to spark curiosity and encourage problem-solving. Campers also participated in scent-making workshops, learning about the science of smell while creating their own unique fragrances.
Beyond the fun and exploration, these experiences help ensure that students continue building critical academic skills throughout the summer while gaining exposure to STEM fields they may not otherwise encounter. Campers have also been focused on embodying UpSpring's core expectations of being safe, being respectful, being kind, and doing their best.
As UpSpring Summer 360° Fairfield begins its second summer serving students in Butler County, campers are already making the most of a week filled with outdoor adventure, exploration, and fun. This year's program is off to a strong start, with students embracing opportunities to learn and grow while building lasting summer memories. Campers decorated their own pool bags to use throughout the summer’s aquatic activities, explored nature at the Cincinnati Nature Center and are wrapping up the week with an exciting field trip to Wake Nation. A special thank you to Payton's Lemonade Stand for helping make aquatic equipment and supplies available for campers this summer.
In addition to these enriching experiences, Fairfield's expanded Junior Counselor program is helping older students build valuable leadership skills and prepare for future success. Through NaviGo's college and career readiness curriculum and a partnership with the YWCA FIERCE program in Butler County & Hamilton, junior counselors are developing confidence, exploring future pathways, and gaining tools that will serve them well beyond the summer months.
This week, our Cincinnati campers enjoyed lunch provided by UpSpring's Board of Directors in partnership with Skyline Chili. In Northern Kentucky, Locey, Mitchell & Associates treated campers to Raising Cane's, while Fairfield students enjoyed Jersey Mike's and Busken Bakery cookies thanks to the generosity of Lipps Electric and Payton's Lemonade Stand. We are grateful to each of these partners for helping make Summer 360° a welcoming, enriching, and memorable experience for the children we serve.
