IN HARTFORD'S NEIGHBORHOODS
A Well-Rounded Summer
BY MELISSA PIONZIO COURANT STAFF WRITER

Jasmine Cooper doesn't mind getting her hands dirty. During
a recent visit to the Knox Park Foundation greenhouses at Elizabeth Park, the 9-year-old and her fellow campers were so busy planting bean, pea and squash seeds, they didn't seem to notice the soil sliding down the fronts and sometimes the backs of their T-shirts or into their sneakers.

"We always put the plant's middle in first," she said, explaining the technique for potting a plant. "We made big pots and put plants in them and put them all over Hertford." Melyssa Correa, 10, said she enjoys gardening. "I like how we get to pick our own flowers, put them in the dirt and make it pretty."

Jonathael Rodriguez, 11, has done some gardening before at his home and likes the way it looks when he is finished. "I planted sunflowers, marigolds azalea flowers," he said. "I don't mind getting dirty" The children are exposed to many hands-on activities through the weekday summer camp offered by Organized Parents Make a Difference.

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They took a field trip to the Science Center of Connecticut where they learned about the solar system in the planetarium. They, are learning to cook through a partnership with City Fare catering in the South End. There, they made and ate, breadsticks and pizzas using fresh tomatoes. The camp's themes are environmental science, arts and drama, city explorers and sports. Campers select one, but Kathy, Evans, program development director for OPMAD, said the themes often overlap so children get a well-rounded experience. The camp is funded by several local foundations and includes students from Noah Webster and Batchelder elementary and South Middle schools. Other schools could be included if there were more finding, said Evans. "Other collaborations include the Connecticut Historical society, New Britain Museum of American Art, The Antiquarian Landmark Society, where they do some walking tours on Main Street and art projects at the Butler McCook House" said Evans. "At the end, each of the theme groups put together a presentation to let everyone know what they learned and did."

At the greenhouse, with the help of Knox Parks supervisors Ron Pitts and Maria Lopez, they learned new words, such germination; how deep to plant each seed and the length of time it will take for them to grow. "When we first mentioned the greenhouse, they complained that it would be boring, that they would get sticky," said Lucy Smith, OPMAD theme coordinator. "But when we came, they had, a blast. They didn't want to leave!" The children can record their experiences in a journal on their bus ride home. They seem to enjoy writing and it calms them down after a busy day, said Smith. Melyssa said after the gardening experience, she filled up six pages.

Local teenagers, who attend high school or have gone on to college, serve as interns. "We never have a lack of teen interns that want to participate. The kids look up to the teens like their movie stars," said Evans."I love listening to them after the first week. They say the kids don't listen at first, and then they realize they need to learn how to, talk to them in an adult manner. The transition from them being a student to being an authority figure is really interesting. They're on the other side now.

OPMAD summer intern Sheldon Bish, a student at Hartford High School, said the camp is cool and working with children keeps things interesting. "I learned how to communicate with kids better," he said. "And I learned a lot about their imaginations. It reminds me of when I was their age."