ITEM PHOTO BY OWEN O’ROURKE
Sailet Galvis, left, and Jessica Howell read a letter about them written by the councilors at Camp Fire North Shore Absolutely Incredible Kid Day at the Shoemaker Elementary School in Lynn.
By GABE MARTINEZ
LYNN — Incredible Kids enjoyed cake, tablets and inspiring letters at Shoemaker Elementary School.
The annual event was held Wednesday by Camp Fire, a national organization that specializes in summer camps and after-school programs. Counselors write encouraging letters to students. Parents are also asked to write positive letters to their children.
Amanda Drezek, program director of Camp Fire North Shore, said the idea of the event is to encourage children, and to let them know they are special in their own unique ways.
“I felt really good about myself,” said third-grader Ian Brown. “It made me feel good about my actions.”
Laurie Hamill, executive director of Camp Fire North Shore, said there’s evidence that the program makes the kids feel better about themselves.
“It makes them feel great,” she said. “It’s just a simple letter. No one writes a simple note or a letter anymore.”
In November, Camp Fire North Shore received 86 Samsung tablets from its national organization. The partnership with Samsung gives students an opportunity to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), according to Drezek.
The tablets come preloaded with the “Building Blocks” curriculum, which teaches students about STEM concepts and careers through hands-on activities.
“Samsung gave a grant to our national organization, and they picked six councils throughout the country to implement the STEM program with these tablets,” Hamill said.
Gabe Martinez can be reached at gmartinez@itemlive.com follow him on Twitter @gemartinez92.