Not Just a Summer Camp, it’s A Different World

TL:DR: Each One Teach One’s 9-week summer enrichment program goes beyond childcare, it’s a transformative experience. Inspired by the 90s sitcom A Different World, our camp combines academics, weekly field trips, cultural exploration, and HBCU pride to help children learn, grow, and belong.

Every summer something special happens at Each One Teach One. This isn’t another childcare program where we just “watch children.” We’ve implemented a program to offset summer learning loss that occurs during summer break. 

This year’s summer program was hosted at the Woodland Hill Impact Center in Rankin at 104 Fourth Ave. Pgh, PA 15104. We also offer transportation from our two centers, Wilkinsburg & Garfield to our new summer camp location with our Each One Teach One busses.

A Different World Theme

Each One Teach One’s ‘A Different World’ summer enrichment program flyer

We pick a theme each year to encapsulate the program as a fun learning experience. This year’s theme, “A Different World,” inspired by the 90s sitcom, sets the stage for a transformative summer where students will explore new horizons and discover their own potential. 

A Different World television series aired from 1987 to 1993 as a spin-off of The Cosby Show and followed a group of students attending Hillman College, a fictional Historically Black College and University (HBCU). The show broke ground by highlighting important issues like cultural identity, higher education, self-confidence, and social responsibility. 

This theme resonated with Each One Teach One because, like HBCUs, EOTO is black owned and operated. Within our theme each age group proudly carried the name of a Historically Black College or University (HBCU), creating a sense of identity, pride, and belonging throughout the camp. By the end of camp many groups create a chant to hand-sign to represent their college. 

Program

Our summer enrichment program is 9 weeks long with weekly field trips, fishing every Wednesday with the Anglers Fishing Club of Pennsylvania, morning academics and afternoon extracurriculars. Students are grouped together by ages for an intimate hands-on learning. 

The afternoon extracurricular activities consist of a rotation of workshops such as gardening, art, magic, STEM and cooking. We’ve partnered with Chef Kevin, The Propagation Lab &  Moon Shot Museum to provide specialized learning for our students.

Our Weekly Fields consisted of:

• Movies - We kicked off the summer with a classic movie outing, giving students a chance to relax, bond with friends.

• Gateway Clipper - For many of our campers, the Gateway Clipper ride was their first time seeing Pittsburgh from the water. Students learned about the city’s rivers and landmarks, while enjoying the views.

• Pirates Game (School Age)

  • Children’s Museum (Preschool) - Our youngest learners explored the Children’s Museum through sensory play, art exhibits, and hands-on science activities that sparked their natural curiosity.

• Science Center - This trip was a huge hit for both preschool and school-age students! They explored interactive exhibits, experienced real-world STEM concepts, and even got to visit the USS Requin submarine.

• Field Day - Midway through the summer, our centers came together for a day of friendly competition, teamwork, and celebration. Students participated in relay races, water games, and tug-of-war, closing out the day with a well-deserved popsicle party.

• Living Treasures - At Living Treasures, campers got up close with exotic animals and learned about habitats, conservation, and animal care in an engaging outdoor setting.

• Hiking - Our nature hike taught campers about local plants, wildlife, and the importance of environmental stewardship. It was a day of discovery, teamwork, and fresh air.

• Cultural Fair - A highlight of the summer, our Cultural Fair gave students a hands-on opportunity to explore global traditions, music, language, and food. (See below for a full recap!)

• Kennywood - To wrap up our unforgettable summer, campers enjoyed a day at Kennywood filled with laughter, rides, and shared memories.

Summer campers posing outside of the Carnegie Science Center for field trip day.

Cultural Fair

A highly anticipated field trip is our cultural fair. We bring in food from local restaurants of different cuisines for our students to try. We’ve brought in butter chicken from People’s Indian Restaurant, churros from La Bodega & fufu & stew from African Cuisine just to name a few. 

Our camp counselor Mr. Josh reading the Lincoln University tri-fold at the cultural fair.

Students are given a passport at the beginning of the events. In groups they take a journey around the world learning about different countries, their culture, language and sample food from that culture. As they travel around they fill their passport with stamps from different countries. 

This year our camp counselors created trifolds based on their groups HBCU name allowing students a chance to deepen their knowledge of HBCU. Counselors also appreciate the opportunity to share their experiences being on those campuses. 

Here’s a recap of our Cultural Fair:

Each One Teach One (@eachoneteachonepgh) • Instagram photos and videos

Don’t just send your kid to summer camp. Send them somewhere they belong, learn & thrive. See other activities we did this summer on Instagram @eachoneteachonepgh.