Summer
Enrichment Camp – Church of the Resurrection, Miramar, Florida
If you were asked to rate, on a scale of 1 to 10, the most fulfilling experience you have ever had in your life, you would probably ascribe 20 to that precious time you taught and watched a child master an activity. Whether it was to recite the alphabet without saying “kel-em-en-oh-peeeh”, ride a bike minus the training wheels, throw a wicked curveball to confuse the opposing team, or make Chicken Cordon Bleu from scratch, you always remember that the sense of excitement and accomplishment were quite delicious and palpable. Ok, maybe not the Chicken part, but we have all had that ecstatic feeling as we savor the wonderment of the child and witness the transfer of that precious life skill to the next generation. This is the essence and mission of the Church of the Resurrection’s Summer Enrichment Program.
Standing on the irrefutable promise that each child is uniquely and wonderfully created in the image of God (Psalm 139:13-16) and imbued with special gifted and talents (Rom12:6-8) that purposefully prepare him or her for a divine calling, the Summer Enrichment Program is designed to help children fully understand their value and worth and learn them practical life skill. There is definitely no “lazy day of summer” at the Summer Enrichment Camp! Students ages 5 to 15 are engaged in 2 intense weeks of fun, stimulating, and meaningful activities that encourage critical thinking and creativity. In collaboration with Legacy Learning, Inc, the Camp partners with mentors: teachers, artists, engineers, doctors, performers, and chefs who bring their professional training and experience to meet the children and teach them skills that will last them a lifetime. Our SEC kids learn computer coding, animation, and video game design, drone technology, visual and performing arts, photography, and our signature program, culinary arts.
Each day of the culinary camp, our young chefs are taken on a tour of a different continent, where they learn to design a full menu of the most delectable culinary delights. The first day, the students learn the intricacies of fine dining. Our resident Maître D, Mr. Trevor Medley, engages campers with a full lesson on how to set a formal table, including artfully folding linen napkins and arrange place settings. The campers learn formal dining: dinner etiquette, table conversation, old-fashioned chivalry, and the importance of showing gratitude to those who serve. The junior chefs assist in preparing a simple 3-course meal, but on this first day, they are served in fine style by the adults, who model the dining process. The next four days, the chef apprentices are in full culinary mode, culminating with a high-intensity cook-off on the last Friday.
Camp Culinary Arts kicks off with a night in Venice, with chefs preparing dishes such as Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil, Garlic Butter Braised Salmon, and the consummate Italian dessert, Tiramisu. Other days include a Tour of Asia, A Taste of the Islands, and The American Breakfast. Friday is the day of excitement when the young chefs team up for competition under the eagle-eyed tutelage of the mentors. Parents and friends are invited to a formal luncheon, where they dine on a complete meal prepared by the chef apprentices. Although there is an invited judge, most of the scoring is done by the guests themselves in the areas of plate presentation, creativity, taste, cooking technique, and of course, service. Only one team wins!
Church of the Resurrection is particularly proud of the Summer Enrichment Program because of its ability to reach children of all ages, ability, culture, or economic background. Thanks to our volunteers and sponsors, no child is turned away. The SEC provides a great evangelical opportunity for us to minister to the local community and mentor children to dream big, work hard, and enjoy the fruits of their own labor. They may not yet fully understand the value of the life skills they are acquiring, or how they are uncovering the gifts and talents that God has already imbued in them, but when they go home and bug their parents to let them cook dinner, with full “mise en place” precision, we know that the seeds that have been planted are immediately bearing good, delicious fruit! We are especially proud that two of our resident mentors, Chefs Luis and Jose Mojica, are also members of our Rez family, who grew up in the church watching the adults prepare scores of meals for formal events over the years. In fact, it was at the age of twelve, during one of our Christmas Pageants, that they fell in love with the Culinary Arts after watching us prepare…you guessed it…Chicken Cordon Bleu! Our loving Father is so amazing and is always in the seed-planting mode.
To God be the glory!
Fr. Jerome & Lorraine Tracey, SEC Directors
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