A Summer of Creativity and Choice: Paideia Summer Camp 2025
By Frank Yeboah ’26
Summer break offers students a respite from academics and extracurricular activities that envelop their lives. During break, many kids have the opportunity to sharpen their skills in sports, relax with their friends or go on vacation with their families. Throughout the years, summer activities have changed along with mainstream culture, though one pivotal activity remains constant: summer camps. Many organizations and schools offer their respective programs to kids and teens alike, but Paideia Summer Camp presents a unique opportunity to both campers and counselors.
Although Paideia Summer Camp has changed in recent years, from activities to locations, one thing remains constant: the opportunity to choose. Although other summer camps require campers to sign up for activities days or weeks in advance, Paideia Summer Camp allows campers to sign up for activities on a given day. Activities are made so kids can interact with one another freely and grow in different forms of art. Every day, campers have the option to participate in various activities, from crafting intricate jewelry to bowling at The Comet. This freedom allows campers to open their minds to different forms of creativity and play. The flexibility not only keeps campers engaged, but also counselors. “There’s lots of running around, but each day we do something fun,” said Aida Pardo, a new summer camp counselor.
At its core, Paideia Summer Camp allows for both students and staff to connect outside the classroom. Many of the camp’s counselors are former or current students of the school. The bond between older and younger students allows for a unique experience that cannot be replicated by members outside the Paideia community. Camp directors Lowell Thompson and Martin Aguilera ’96 attended camp at Paideia as children. As campers, they valued their freedom to hang out with other students and the variety of activities to choose from. Paideia Summer Camp values the autonomy of campers and strives to create an environment full of excitement and joy. “I hope that camp always centers around what the kids wanna do,” said Lowell. Paideia Summer Camp has gone through many changes in the past few years. In 2024, the camp was held in Oakdale Hall, which limited the number of campers. Fortunately, all activities were switched back to the Elementary buildings this year, which has helped the camp directors and counselors get back into the swing of things.
Mainstream culture may change throughout the decades, but Paideia Summer Camp remains the same; it allows students of all ages to have fun and build themselves up in different areas of life. Camp is a place for everyone to enjoy themselves and wind down during their summer vacation.
