fp Turks and Caicos

The Department of Youth Affairs wrapped up this year’s Camp Hype last week, and officers were very pleased with the result.

The camp included nearly 20 participants who ranged in age from 9 to 14. The majority of these participants traveled from various locations across the island and converged at the Felix Morley Community Centre in Five Cays, Providenciales.

Under the theme “Building Character and Creativity,” the camp was highlighted by a variety of events, which included tips and activities for Healthy Living with Alvin Parker, Director of Sports, who encouraged the youth to eat and drink healthy and engage in physical activity.

Another highlight was the Cultural Pride Day with David Bowen, Director of Culture, whose main topic focused on taking cultural pride in the country and being proud of cultural heritage. Youth engaged in cultural activities including making a cultural drink.

Bowen also encouraged the youth to use TCI flags when competing in sports and other national events. At the end of the whole day session, each of the participants was given their own national flag.

The “Emergency” day stressed the importance of readiness and lending a helping hand, with presentations by Elery James from the 911 team. He shared with the youth the importance of knowing their street address and who to call in case of an emergency. He appealed to them to use the 911 service for emergencies only and not prank calls.

Team Building was another point of interest as participants joined a series of team-building exercises with National Youth Director Angela Musgrove. She illustrated how to work well with others, whether in a group or as a team.

Throughout the weekend, all participants enjoyed many opportunities to learn and make friends. They all received Certificates of Completion and were very pleased with the outcome of the camp.

In addition to optimistic feedback from the participants, many parents voiced extremely positive opinions of the camp.

All of the Youth Department members who volunteered their time to run Camp Hype this year had a great experience as well. Through sharing skills and giving advice, these mentors helped each participant make the most out of the programme.

“We are proud that we were able to achieve our goal once again this year. Our hope is that with continued growth and the number of participants, we will be able to continue this tradition for years to come,” one volunteer said.

Musgrove thanked everyone who made this year’s Camp Hype a huge success.