Ty takes the plunge
Recently, Camp Spring Creek said goodbye to Tyion, who has spent three summers with us. Ty came to us through our partnership with OpenDoors of Asheville, an organization that connects local children who have financial need with an active, individualized network of support, including tutoring and enrichment opportunities such as attending Camp Spring Creek. Ty is now age 15 and enrolled in Odyssey Community School in Asheville. We sat down to talk to him about his experiences here.
Think back to your first time arriving here. What was it like for you?
I didn’t want to be here. I was homesick. It was probably the third day when things changed.
What turned things around for you?
I realized that there were a lot of people here who believed in me and were striving to help me do what I wanted to do.
What kind of changes can you see in yourself as a result of camp?
I’m not afraid to read aloud in class or read in front the class anymore. I believe in myself a lot more.
What kind of books do you like to read?
I like history books. For example, Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis. That’s probably my favorite book.
How do you feel about being done with camp?
Kind of sad, but excited.
What is your biggest takeaway from camp?
I feel like I can do whatever I put my mind to. I’m more comfortable being in the real world. I’ve come along way.
What are your plans for the future?
I play football for the Asheville Saints (a team that gives homeschooled kids and kids from private schools the opportunity to play middle and high school football). My dream is to play for the NFL, but I’m also interested in sports medicine.
"Campers like Ty are the reason we get so much satisfaction out of what we do," says Susie. "We love to empower children to be the best they can be. The road is often rocky, but it gets smoother the longer you stay with it. Ty will have to overcome many more hurdles in his life, but I believe he has a stronger personal conviction now and will tackle and conquer many obstacles. We are so proud of him and his many accomplishments. We miss Ty here at Camp Spring Creek, wish him the best and hope he will stay in touch!
Ty with counselor, Conor
Ty with family friend Denise and mom Sheila
We're excited to be hosting our first guest blogger, Jennifer McBee from 
When campers first arrive at Camp Spring Creek, they might be a little shy if they don’t come along with a friend or family member. These campers need to meet Grace Stevens: she has a way of making everyone she meets feel at ease. Grace hails from Hartford, a village in the English county of 
Who’s that intrepid adventurer, fording that mountain stream with ease? Why, it’s Ollie Todd, one of our first-year counselors at Camp Spring Creek. Ollie has the distinction of being the counselor who has the longest journey to make to get to Bakersville. It will take over a day to arrive from Invercargill, on the very bottom of New Zealand’s South Island. Invercargill has the distinction of being the southernmost and westernmost town in the country and one of the southernmost cities in the world. If you keep going south from there, you end up in Antarctica!
The countdown is on! We’re just a few months away from the start of camp and we’re excited about the summer of ’16.
Technical Community College told her he had signed her up for Orton Gillingham Associate Level training with Susie van der Vorst. As she began looking through the training materials that had been forwarded her way, the English Language Learner teacher, who had recently been asked to take on GED classes as well, felt clearer.
“When I took a look at the notebook we’d be working from, I was overwhelmed,” Bridget says. “Once we got started, though, I realized every teacher and every student should have this understanding of language.”
Scott Fisher’s enthusiasm is contagious. "The thing I love most about teaching is that moment of discovery, when children make connections and their little brains explode," says Scott, who teaches kindergarten at Asheville’s Isaac Dixon Elementary. "You can see it in their faces. It's priceless."
Scott also believes the Orton-Gillingham (O-G) training he recently went through is priceless. "O-G training has had a huge impact on my understanding of both the English language and developmentally appropriate teaching practices for reading and writing."
Jen Ramming had no idea that volunteering in a third grade classroom would change her life. “The dynamics fascinated me,” she recalls. “I asked the teacher what I could do to help. One day, she asked me to take three boys, who were disruptive, out of the classroom. We went to the library for books and curled up in the hallway where we took turns reading. Although I realized they were clearly bright and capable, not a single one of these young boys, whose lives had been touched by multi-generational poverty, knew more than five words by sight. One knew the alphabet, but not the sounds. They were learning to read while other kids were reading to learn.”![images[1]](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/572e2bdcd51cd4708373efa6/576841a83f405861058de241/576842583f405861058e01ad/1466450520273/images11.jpg?format=original)
host of educational and enrichment opportunities. These opportunities, which range from tutoring to summer camp, are designed to help children begin to invest in themselves and ultimately break the cycle of multi-generational poverty. Jen is proud to serve as the organization’s executive director.![unnamed[1] (8)](http://static1.squarespace.com/static/572e2bdcd51cd4708373efa6/576841a83f405861058de241/576842583f405861058e01a7/1466450520160/unnamed1-8.jpg?format=original)
Sherry Robinson realized Bald Creek Elementary had some serious gaps in their literacy program. The Exceptional Children’s (EC) population was the highest in the county. Math scores were unacceptably low. The recently hired principal had been told the school was identified for needing improvement given poor test scores. The question she found herself asking - what was the problem and more importantly, how could she address the challenges?
Although she recognized the path toward academic success was going to be an arduous one, she was still shocked when her newest hire, 4th grade reading teacher Lori McCourry, stepped into her office and told her 13 of her 27 students were reading at only a first grade level.
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OpenDoors of Asheville is a remarkable non-profit organization that helps local children reach their potential with individual support and a host of educational and enrichment opportunities. These opportunities are designed to help the children begin to invest in themselves and ultimately break the cycle of multi-generational poverty.
Tyion Lucas just finished his 2nd summer at Camp Spring Creek. OpenDoors Board Member and Team Leader Denise Turner remembers hearing about Tyion’s fears concerning his participation in an upcoming spelunking adventure. Initially, he insisted he wasn’t going to repel into a dark cave, let alone jump into an underground lake. After discovering one of the staff members, who was also afraid, was going to participate, he decided to open himself to the possibilities. He believes his courage paid off. In addition to this adventure, Tyion tried other new things like whitewater rafting, Asheville’s Color Run 5K and glass blowing.
continues to make progress and his confidence is growing,” Denise says. “He’s got a great sense of humor and isn’t afraid to use it. At his school, he was asked to join the football team and is experiencing great success. A page is clearly being turned for Tyion. I can’t wait to see the next chapter.”
