Morgan Preps for 18th Edition of Annual Summer Camp Program

By: LaQuan Marshall
Special to the Morgan State University Newsroom 

Morgan State University is continuing a legacy of mentoring, tutoring, and engaging the youth of Baltimore through the 18^th edition of its annual summer camp program.  Formerly operated under the acronym for Kreating Unity Utilizing Morgan & Baltimore’s Adolescents, this year’s Brother-2-Brother program provides children ages 11-16 with a variety of activities to better their future as well as the future of Baltimore.

Launched in 1994 with a mission to put a dent in the dangerous elevation of crime among city youth  the college prep camp has built a sense of family for at risk children; a critical component to keeping them out of harm’s way.

“I remember when some of the youths went to a local house party and a huge fight broke out and they called some of the mentors to come pick them up around 1 or 2 in the morning,” says Deanna Ikhimwin, director of the Morgan State University Office of Community Service. “That’s more than a program to me; that’s a family created through a program.”

The camp has annually hosted more than 200 participants through its weekly program offerings of academic enrichment, knowledge about drug abuse and AIDS, peer resistance skills, leadership development activities along with discussions on the importance of positive social attitudes and behaviors are addressed. A majority of youths who have matriculated through this program have enrolled and graduated from Morgan State University.

The camp is one of the signature programs of the Community Service office, which also outreach initiatives to adolescent females, middle schools students, and after-school programs.