CIT Spotlight

This posting was written by Hannah, a returning CIT at Vacation Arts Camp.

The Counselor-in-Training program is for teens 12-15 years old, who are interested in being a counselor at ACA’s Vacation Arts Camp someday. In the mornings we learn leadership skills, then we eat snack with the campers. After snack, we split up and go to different classrooms. CITs help the teachers during classes. During lunch, we talk to the campers and then during recess we play with them. After lunch, we get to make art of our own.

On Thursdays, the CITs go on a field trip. We’ve gone to the MFA, MIT, the Aquarium and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. When we get back, we usually stop for ice cream at the Capitol Creamery. It’s overall very fun – I meet new CITs and see old ones each week. Even if we don’t know each other in the beginning, by Friday we’re all friends.

The CIT art projects are very fun and interesting and challenging. Some of the projects I’ve done include screen printing a selfie onto cloth, creating a collage about my interests, hopes and dreams, and making a stamp based on a country and making a joint passport project with the rest of the CITs. The art teachers are awesome and often let us alter the project to our liking.

Once or twice a week, the CITs lead games during recess. A few weeks ago, we led a game called snapshot. To play, the campers break into teams. The teams get a subject and they have to work together to act out a still scene from a made up skit or play based on that subject. Three CIT judges score each team for teamwork, creativity, originality and the team with the most points wins. This time, the winning group won a prize – the privilege of throwing water at Gavin, another CIT. The campers on the winning team got paper cups filled with water and Lydia, the CIT leader, counted down. At zero, everyone splashed Gavin.

Overall being a CIT is great! You learn about leadership and work skills and make so many friends. I’ve been a CIT since I was 12 and I’ve been a camper since I was five. I hope to be a counselor next year!