To the Editor:

As a Princeton resident and loyal Town Topics reader for more than 20 years, I have always enjoyed browsing the annual summer camp issue. Having recently become a trustee for the Princeton-Blairstown Center (PBC), I notice how many opportunities there are for summer programs for the children of families in our community. But for so many families in communities not far from our own, there are limited resources and options for summer enrichment.

All of us have struggled in various ways as the pandemic has continued for more than two years, but young people from historically marginalized communities have had to face additional challenges as their families and neighbors were hardest hit physically and economically. In many cases, schools in these neighborhoods were closed for more than a year and students did not always have the resources to make the best of their remote learning situation. Their confidence in themselves and the world around them has been shaken and their ability to develop and maintain relationships with peers and adults has faltered.

That is why I believe so strongly in the work the Princeton-Blairstown Center is doing with young people from Trenton and Newark through their award-winning Summer Bridge Program. Since 1908, PBC has been helping young people from historically marginalized communities have equitable summer experiences. Offered at no cost to the students, their families, or organizations, Summer Bridge provides a week-long leadership and academic enrichment experience to hundreds of young people each summer. The fun and engaging curriculum is intentionally designed to build awareness around food and environmental justice while also providing the space to take healthy risks and build self-confidence.

All young people deserve opportunities for enriching summer experiences in a safe outdoor environment to help them navigate the world in which they live.

Bruce Ellsworth
Glenview Drive
Board of Trustees, Princeton-Blairstown Center