The Creative Grove: Summer Camp

Where Creativity, Nature, and Healing Come Together

Amplified Change’s Summer Camp is a thoughtfully designed experience for children with four or more Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Our camp blends creative expression with time in nature, offering both indoor and outdoor activities that support emotional healing, confidence, and connection.

We create a safe, structured, and nurturing environment where children can slow down, explore, and express themselves, through art, movement, and nature-based experiences, while building trusting relationships with caring adults and peers.

Our programming is grounded in the HOPE (Healthy Outcomes from Positive Experiences) framework, which focuses on increasing Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs). These protective experiences help buffer the effects of trauma and support long-term emotional well-being. Through consistency, encouragement, creativity, and time outdoors, children are given space to reconnect with themselves and rediscover a sense of possibility.

What Children Experience

Each day begins with  intentional connection time, helping children settle in and feel supported. From there, campers move through a balance of indoor and outdoor activities, including:

• Visual arts such as painting, drawing, and mixed media
• Nature-inspired creative projects
• Outdoor exploration and sensory experiences
• Collaborative and individual artmaking
• Guided reflection and calming routines

These experiences are designed to:

• Foster safe, supportive relationships
• Encourage self-expression and autonomy
• Build confidence through skill development
• Promote a sense of belonging and accomplishment

Our focus is always on the process, not the product which allows children to explore, experiment, and create without pressure or judgment.

Celebrating Growth: End-of-Week Art Show

The week concludes with a student art show, where families are invited to attend and celebrate their child’s creative journey. This experience gives children the opportunity to share their work in a supportive, affirming environment, building pride, confidence, and connection between home and camp.

The art show is a moment of recognition, reflection, and joy, honoring effort, expression, and growth.

Why Families Choose Amplified Change

• Trauma-informed, ACEs-aware programming
• Rooted in the HOPE model to strengthen Positive Childhood Experiences
• A balanced blend of creativity, nature, and connection
• Growth celebrated through progress, not perfection
• Calm, predictable routines that support emotional safety

Throughout the program, children experience stability, encouragement, and joy. Families often notice meaningful shifts, including increased confidence, healthier emotional expression, and greater engagement.

At Amplified Change, we believe creativity and nature are powerful partners in healing. When children are given the right environment, relationships, and support, hope doesn’t just appear, it takes root and grows.