Alliance project with YMCA shines promise over Camp Silver Beach
by Clayton Mercurio

A strategic alliance has been formed between Virginia Wesleyan College and the YMCA to form a new campground called Camp Silver Beach. Wesleyan students, particularly recreation and leisure majors, will have the opportunity to participate in internships, employment and educational programs developed through this partnership.

The new camp site, scheduled to open Memorial Day 2000, is on a small island located on the Eastern Shore over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. It will contain approximately 20 family cabins, 15 group cabins, a sports pavilion, a dining hall, a swimming pool, a pier, boats, an amphitheater, and facilities designed to serve 400 people at any given time.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for the college to have a unique and valuable resource on the east coast,” said Dr. Doug Kennedy, coordinator of recreation and leisure studies.

Camp Silver Beach will be used as a learning facility and provide opportunities for employment for Wesleyan students. This campground will be used by the college year round for environmental education, seminars, retreats and the arts. Expect conjunctions with science classes, Freshman Seminar, PORTfolio students and various weekend activities.

In addition, a limited number of summer jobs will be available to VWC students. “Basically, you’ll get paid to play,” said Vice President of Operations William George. This summer, Camp Silver Beach will test what they already have developed, and they need Wesleyan students to help.

“We are testing the infrastructure in 1999 to make sure it works in 2000,” said George. Starting sometime between mid-June and mid-August, 100 children from local YMCA locations will arrive daily at Camp Silver Beach to participate in this facility test run. Groups of ten children will rotate among different activities provided by the camp, most of which will be student-run and student-designed. At the end of the day, all the children will return to their own YMCAs. This eight-week program will continue throughout the summer. Wesleyan students who are employed will go through a one week orientation at the camp, and once hired, meals and lodging are included. Opportunities in outdoor education, sailing, the ropes course and arts and crafts are part of the summer package.

“The YMCA came to us and said, ‘think about the facility as if it’s yours,’” said Kennedy, “because they want to know how can we make it a nationally recognized camp and retreat.”

Any Wesleyan student is invited to apply in the spring. The inclusion of students as employees is important in bringing the visions of the YMCA and VWC together.

Virginia Wesleyan and the YMCA both have a similar Christian mission that merged the two. The YMCA believes in building character and establishing life long relationships with families while putting Judeo-Christian principles into practice.

The capacity in which this integration is taking place is providing Wesleyan with national distinction, and those involved are excited about that.

“These beginning stages are providing a lot of potential for Virginia Wesleyan and the YMCA,” said junior Sara Willoughby.

“There is no doubt in my mind,” Kennedy said, “that Camp Silver Beach will be one of the ten finest facilities of its kind in the country.”