Almost every night this week we've featured a summer camp on this newscast and in all cases, the camps feature kids doing things: playing sports, taking pictures, drawing...but we literally ran into a very different one at the George Price Center in Belmopan today.
It is dubbed "Peace Camp", which is teaching kids between the ages of 7 and 11 how to deal with conflicts, but in a fun and unique way.
Francisco Fernandez, Peace Camp Facilitator
"Friendship and loyalty are examples of what?"
Kid
"Values."
Francisco Fernandez, Peace Camp Facilitator
"Values, very good."
Francisco Fernandez- Peace Camp Facilitator
"Talking about someone behind their backs, it's on what side of the line?"
Kid
"Below."
Francisco Fernandez- Peace Camp Facilitator
"Giving everyone in the class a piece of candy is?"
Kid
"Share."
Francisco Fernandez, Peace Camp Facilitator
"Good, and this is something you say to make another person feel better about themselves."
Kid
"Compliments."
Elsie Alpuche, Director, George Price Center
"It came very obvious to us that children have a difficult time relating to each other, communicating with each other in a good way. We notice that in our summer programs over the previous years, we have got to talk to principals and teachers and they all told us the same thing, that yes, there is definitely a problem as to how kids deal with other and deal with conflict and so we decided to do something to help them."
Francisco Fernandez- Peace Camp Facilitator
"This is the color that most people would give too conflict."
Kid
"Red."
Francisco Fernandez, Peace Camp Facilitator
"The Camp is a conflict resolutions camp and its base off a concept we have here at the George Price Centre for peace and development, and essentially geared towards the youth and just trying to get them to think of none violence or peaceful ways to resolve conflicts that they might have with themselves with their teachers or anywhere around them. The younger that you give kids the tools to resolve conflict peacefully the longer it's going to stick with them."
Jim McFadzean
"Now outside the whole issue of learning how to deal with conflicts. what else will they take away from this camp?"
Francisco Fernandez
"I am hoping that they develop friendships and things like that. There are a lot of kids from different schools of different ages, so just letting them learn about each other and develop those friendships, it's going to be a really important of it as well."
Jim McFadzean
"Are you having fun with this program?"
Richard Beane IV, home schooled
"Yes, I am having a lot of fun."
Jim McFadzean
"What are you learning from this program?"
Richard Beane IV
"Well a lot about being respectful and being nice to others."
Jim McFadzean
"And you?"
Michael Gomez, United Evergreen Primary
"About how to be respectful to others and how to be nice to other people."
Jim McFadzean
"Are you glad that you are attending this camp. It gives you something to do during the summer break."
Michael Gomez
"Yes.'
Jim McFadzean
"What would you be doing outside of this? Let's say this program was not available."
Michael Gomez
"I would play my Nintendo game and watch TV as much as I can."
Jim McFadzean
"And out of the two of them, which is more important and which is more fn for you? Being here or the Nintendo?"
Michael Gomez
"Being here."
Jim McFadzean
"And what about you?"
Amber Hyde, Our Lady of Guadalupe Primary
"I learnt that it's good to be friendly and to care for each other and share a lot. Alpuche says the center is considering the sponsorship of similar camps during the Christmas and Easter holidays."
