DEFY Camp Success for New Weed and Seed Site
By Joan Scanlon, Site Coordinator, Weed and Seed of Upper Darby Township
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For more than 10 years, the Department of the Navy (DON) has opened to the Department of Justice (DOJ) Weed and Seed sites their Drug Education for Youth (DEFY) program. DEFY works to equip children from at-risk neighborhoods with the tools they need to resist drugs, gangs, and alcohol. At the heart of the program is the DEFY Summer Camp, where children can have fun while learning about leadership, team building, conflict resolution, and goal setting, and can acquire increased self-confidence. The program has two phases: Phase I is the residential summer camp (5 days and 4 nights), and Phase II continues with a 10-month mentoring program during the school year. Residential camps for Phase I are usually held at a National Guard base or military facility.
To find out more about DEFY and how to put this program together, Carol Neylan, DOJ, encouraged the site coordinator, Joan Scanlon, to attend the DEFY Annual Summit being held in Nashville, TN, in January 2007.
The conference was a positive experience filled not only with facts and data that were useful but also with a diversity of people that were a wealth of knowledge from past DEFY camps. The DON and DOJ combined efforts made the conference a success.
Scanlon went back to the Weed and Seed site of Upper Darby Township ready to make DEFY a reality for children of the targeted area. Receiving tremendous support from Mayor F. Raymond Shay, District Attorney G. Michael Green, and Police Superintendent Michael Chitwood, she put DEFY camp plans in place.
Identifying mentors was paramount. Scanlon contacted the Weed and Seed Partners, primarily Upper Darby Township, the District Attorney of Delaware County, and the Upper Darby Police Department because Phase I being 5 days and 4 nights could have been an issue. The Weed and Seed partners came through with flying colors, authorizing employees to attend Phase I of DEFY, the camp, with pay. This made it easy for interested people to volunteer. Phase II of DEFY is not such a problem because its monthly meetings do not cut into work time.
Next, a meeting for potential mentors explained DEFY in detail. Scanlon was able to solidify 10 mentors who could go to the camp and were willing to continue through the school year as mentors. The mentors included Joan Scanlon, Weed and Seed coordinator; two township administrators (John McMullan and James Maloney); three assistant district attorneys (Joseph Lesniak, Ian McCurdy, and Wana Saadzoi); a police officer (James Billie); and three recent graduates in early childhood education (Sabrina Perry, Trevor Deter, Elizabeth Martinelli). Joe Lesniak and Ian McCurdy both are Eagle Scouts and Joe Lesniak is also an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). Because the DEFY conference stressed the need for medically trained staff, Scanlon wanted to make sure an EMT or paramedic would be present.
Scanlon then contacted Sgt. Michael Reardon at the National Guard Base at Indiantown Gap, partner for this DEFY camp. The camp dates were confirmed and Sgt. Reardon agreed to come to the Weed and Seed site to meet with the mentors and school counselors from the Weed and Seed area elementary schools.
The meeting discussed the specifics of the camp and DEFY. The elementary school counselors were asked to provide a list of children they felt would most benefit from this program. The counselors left with DEFY brochures and information defining DEFY that they could send home with students. Scanlon put together these brochures and information on DEFY using the material she received at the DEFY Summit.
As with most DOJ DEFY camps, the Upper Darby Township DEFY camp was paid for primarily through the Weed and Seed grant. This site also received some donations for such things as bathing suits (many of the kids did not own a bathing suit and an afternoon at the pool was in the itinerary), toiletries, journals, and sm'ores (what's a camp without them?). Matching funds came through the partners of Weed and Seed whose employees took part in the DEFY camp.
Sgt. Reardon was an invaluable source of information and suggestions. He provided several camp agendas so that Scanlon could model Upper Darby's camp around them and he also suggested having the camp catered. This eliminated having to bring food to camp and extra personnel to prepare it.
Another meeting for the campers, parents, and mentors explained the DEFY program and camp. Thirty-one parents came to the meeting. Many of their questions could be answered because of the DEFY conference. Questions revolved around what DEFY was, how the children were chosen, the activities that would go on at camp, how the mentors were chosen, and what would happen after camp. Parents received copies of a DEFY brochure and the camp itinerary and were reassured that background checks and child abuse checks were done for each mentor.
Having the mentors at the meeting give a brief description of their backgrounds was very helpful. This put the parents at ease, many of whom are single-parents and immigrants. Only one child from that meeting was unable to attend the DEFY camp, and this was because the family was moving.
With the final count for camp at 30 children (17 boys and 13 girls), it was decided to meet one more time for a pizza party. This gave everyone an opportunity to get to know each other and for the parents to complete the necessary forms (e.g., permission slips, insurance information). It was a great ice breaker and the parents felt at ease when they saw how quickly the children warmed to the mentors.
On June 25, 2007, the campers were off to the National Guard base at Indiantown Gap. The camp went off without a problem: no accidents or reportable injuries. The days began bright and early at 6 a.m. when everyone gathered for PT (physical training). Then it was off to breakfast and to the scheduled activities. Witnessing the children's reactions to new experiences such as the obstacle course and LRC (Leadership Reaction Course) and their will to succeed in every event was priceless. They were awed by the helicopters, tanks, and other military equipment they were able to tour and have "hands on" experience with by climbing through and pretending to operate. Every day was packed full of things to do.
There were leadership games, team building, conflict resolution, drug and alcohol teaching sessions, and a poster contest for drugs and alcohol that everyone participated in. The children also learned about bullying, family violence, and Internet safety. Education in these subjects was combined with the fun of making posters, writing stories, and having circle talks, and it was clear from their posters and stories that the messages were sinking in. The sessions were facilitated by the mentors from the Delaware County District Attorney's Office, the police, the National Guard, the Weed and Seed coordinator (who is an expert in family violence), and a township official who has a background in conflict resolution.
A scheduled event on the itinerary was an afternoon at the base swimming pool. Some of the children had never been swimming, but an unexplainable exhilaration came over the group. Swimming really broke a lot of barriers, so that kids that were a bit on the shy or reserved side joined in a game of keep away in the pool. The sense of working as a team took over and continued throughout the rest of the camp. It was decided to expand the use of water sports and go for paddle boat and canoe rides at the base lake.
The children wrote thank-you letters to some of the supporters of the camp on the last day. The letters are priceless. The camp was a great experience for not only the campers but also the mentors.
Afterwards, the Weed and Seed site hosted an after-camp barbecue for the children and parents. Twenty of the thirty children were able to attend. They came wearing their DEFY t-shirts and looking for the friends they had met at camp. The children were talking about all the things they did at camp and parents said that's all they hear about. The children were eager to hear about the next meeting. Their enthusiasm was invigorating. The parents are more anxious to get involved now not only with DEFY but also with the Weed and Seed strategy.
Mayor F. Raymond Shay of Upper Darby Township intends to present the DEFY children to the township council and proclaim a "DEFY Day" in Upper Darby Township. Scanlon, the other DEFY mentors, and the DEFY children are all looking forward to the mentoring projects scheduled over the next 10 months. And the Weed and Seed site of Upper Darby Township has already booked next year's DEFY camp with the National Guard.
For more information, please contact:
Joan Scanlon
Site Coordinator
Weed and Seed of Upper Darby Township
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