Weekly youth-led summer camp hopes to promote camaraderie and decrease violence in Sacramento

The Summer Nights of Impact camp hopes to develop and empower Sacramento’s youth by providing opportunities for camp goers to practice team building, camaraderie, mentor ship, and participation in positive activity.

Sacramento residents ages 13-20 are invited to the free weekly Summer camp that kicked-off on July 17 and is expected to run every weekend through Aug. 21.

The hours will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. every Friday and Saturday at the Fruit Ridge Collaborative Community Center on 44th Street.

Activist and Voice of the Youth founder, Berry Accius, says the program is more than giving a job to young people

“We’re creating a whole environment, we’re creating a culture,” said Accius. “We’re doing so much more than just employing young people, we’re really trying to cultivate and change philosophies and lifestyles. We’re trying to encourage, motivate, and inspire them.”

Youth members also lead the camp and collaborate with community leaders across the Sacramento region.

“It’s probably important that a lot of kids like me are here because it opens new doors to new opportunities,” said youth staff member, Jaimia Beaver. “Really I want to start in my community first to make a difference, seeing people who look like me doing more for the community makes me more positive and opens my mind too.”

Tyler McClure, a community activist that works with Voice of the Youth says youth engagement is a way to prevent violence.

“More youth opportunities prevent lives being taken. That’s how we were impacted [last year], the violence, too many vigils, too many deaths, too many shootings and killings,” said McClure. “We’re just excited to be back doing the work. Back in the field, making sure these young people have a safe place that they can look forward to on the weekends.”

Sacramento saw an increase in homicides in 2020. The Sacramento Bee reported on 100 homicides last year, the highest it’s been since 2015.

This story was originally published July 21, 2021 at 5:00 AM.