High Fidelity
How loyalty to his dream of composing and producing music put Joe Khajadourian on the path to success
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September 05, 2013
AGBU Pasadena Day Camp Celebrates Another Successful Summer
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Children spend the day at the Long Beach Aquarium, one of the many local field trips the AGBU Pasadena Day Camp offers. -
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A game of human chess becomes a welcome addition to the AGBU Pasadena Day Camp’s itinerary this summer. -
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Campers and counselors play alongside one another at the AGBU Pasadena Day Camp.
Program Doubles Enrollment in its Second Year
The AGBU Pasadena Summer Day Camp is proud to celebrate the end of another successful season, one that was marked by record-breaking enrollment. Over 140 campers participated in this summer’s program, more than twice the number that registered in 2012, its pilot year. For six fun-filled weeks, from June 24 to August 2, 2013, they enjoyed meeting new friends, playing sports, making crafts, cooking kid-friendly recipes and mastering computer skills.
The AGBU Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Center in Pasadena, California offered the perfect venue for campers to create and learn with a team of experienced counselors. The participants took full advantage of the building’s gymnasium, customized dance and music rooms, commercially equipped kitchen, computer classroom outfitted with the latest digital technology, and a stage for musical and theatrical performances, all of which is surrounded by vast outdoor space. When they weren’t at the center, the campers, who ranged from 3-13 years old, were exploring some of Southern California’s most popular attractions. Weekly field trips to destinations such as the La Brea Tar Pits, the site of ongoing fossil excavations, the Pasadena Kidspace Museum and the Long Beach Aquarium kept kids of every age group engaged.
Camp Director Garine Seuylemezian credits this summer’s soar in attendance to the open communication between parents and staff, which allowed the camp to cater to each child’s interests. As Seuylemezian commented, “We made a point of asking for feedback from last year’s families and we listened. By popular demand, we added chess and martial arts as new activities this year, and we opened the camp up to kids younger than six years old with a specialized program for toddlers.” If anyone could successfully integrate parents’ suggestions into a new curriculum, it is Seuylemezian. She has been at the helm of the AGBU Pasadena Summer Day Camp since its inception and brings to the position a strong background in Education and Child Development along with years of involvement with AGBU.
Drawing from that experience, this year Seuylemezian oversaw a staff of 27 activity leaders and counselors as well as more than 15 volunteers. Together, they created a safe and nurturing environment where youth could develop an appreciation for their cultural heritage and form lasting friendships with their Armenian peers. It was a sense of community that many of the staffers knew well, having participated in AGBU programs themselves from a young age. “We pride ourselves in the fact that most of our counselors and activity leaders are alumni of AGBU schools and programs who have chosen to dedicate part of their summer to give back,” stated AGBU Western District Chair Krekor Karageuzian. “The dedication and attention to detail that they offer campers is unparalleled.” It is that level of commitment that is sure to bring many more campers back to the AGBU Pasadena Summer Day Camp for years to come.
To learn more about the AGBU Pasadena Summer Day Camp, an American Camp Association affiliate, email Garine Seuylemezian at gseuylemezian@agbuca.org.
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