Oak Cliff Cultural Center's Camp Celebration

Hi, I’m Callie Williams and I have the privilege of interning in the marketing department here at Big Thought. I grew up here in Dallas and am currently a junior at the University of Texas at Austin majoring in marketing. My days here at Big Thought have been filled sitting in on meetings, drafting press releases, and making name badges, just to name a few things. I am learning so much about the working world!

To kick off Fourth of July weekend, last Friday, I got to take a break from making copies to attend a special performance done by students who had been in Big Thought summer camp all of June. On July 1, the Oak Cliff Cultural Center hosted an end-of-camp performance and celebration event for the families of the middle school students who had been participating in a four-week Thriving Minds summer camp program. From the yarn “God’s Eyes” in the front window, to the paper cutouts that served as the backdrop for their stage, the center was covered with artwork the students had made during the camp.

The students put together a theater performance based on biographical stories they had written. They had musical instruments, costumes and masks they had crafted to go along with each scene. They also highlighted the history and culture of Oak Cliff by acting out famous individuals who grew up in area.

During the creative writing portion of the program, the students learned about different types of poetry, and a few shared what they had written. I had been out earlier in the week as they were preparing for their final performance, and they all had so much enthusiasm about displaying all they had learned for their families.

The event closed with, what the kids said was their favorite activity of the whole program--guitar playing. Prior to the program, the majority of the students had never picked up a guitar, and I was amazed by how much they had learned! They split into three different group based on age and ability. The most advanced group played Guns ‘N Roses’ Sweet Child of Mine and one of the talented students sang along.

Afterwards they had a reception filled with hugs and congratulations from proud family members. It was easy to see from all the smiles that the kids and parents were so proud of all the students had learned in such a short time!