Over the course of the three days, campers created a Chester Made museum, each of them creating a triptych that described their story. In a reception at the end of camp, they each presented their exhibit to an audience, having learned about the importance of considering your own legacy.
On the first of the three days, campers took a bus tour of Chester’s incredible—and often-overlooked—historical sites, including the Calvary Baptist Church, the Frederick Douglass School, and the original Ruth L. Bennett home.
Michael Gray generously welcomed the camp into his “I Can I Will” garden, showing them his gardening awards, hockey box, and Andrew Turner Museum.
During an interviewing portion on the camp, one of the campers, Jannah Islam, said she learned a little about herself and where she comes from. She and the other campers all said they wanted to continue learning about Chester history and stay connected to the Chester Made project.
The week ended with a closing reception where campers showed attendees the displays they had created throughout the camp. These told stories about the campers, their families, and their legacies, accompanied by artifacts that were on display. Each camper received a certificate of completion and their own pair of archivist gloves so they can continue the work they started during camp.
The Chester Made Camp LegaCy campers and leaders certainly made their legacies known.
Photo credit: Greg Irvin
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