I had a surprise in the office this morning. A parent called out of the blue to tell us what a difference we had made in her daughter’s life. She said that years ago, her daughter attended a traditional camp, but as a child with a creative spirit and a keen interest in drama, she didn’t feel fulfilled there. Her mom found Centauri Arts Camp on the internet and decided to give us a go. The mom told me over the phone this morning that her daughter was a changed person after her first summer at camp: more confident, more sure of herself and her abilities. But that was just the beginning of her journey. She took courses with us in Toronto at the Centauri Arts Academy, and continued to take arts programs at Centauri every summer. She discovered who it was she wanted to be. Her high school did not have a strong drama program, but she continued learning and developing with us at camp. And the mom had a direct reason for calling us when she did. Her daughter has been accepted onto several acting programs at the university level. She would never have had the courage to audition, and would never have done this well, her mom told me, if it hadn’t been for Centauri Arts Camp.

I started this morning buried under paperwork, alone in the office. Camp – with all things creative – felt a million years away. Now, I’m working with a renewed sense of purpose. The hard work is worthwhile. Centauri changes lives. The kids we love so much and offer the very best we can give really do benefit from everything we do. If we can help create more confident children and young people, better able to know themselves and to find their place in the world, and with enough compassion to invest in those around them, as well as in themselves… then we have succeeded.

So thank you to all those of you who take the time to let us know the difference we can make. Hearing it makes a difference to us, too!

Julie
Director
Centauri Summer Arts Camp