Reading Camp 2025: Wild, Wonderful West Virginia

Those of our readers who were able to attend the presentation by our campers on the last afternoon of St. John’s Reading Camp 2025—held for the benefit of their families—will appreciate the jaw-dropping progress our campers made in just one week! Not only did they make impressive gains in reading skills, but they also grew in self-confidence and enjoyed cultural enrichment opportunities not generally available.

In addition to literacy work in learning centers each morning, campers had the opportunity to enjoy theater and music, as well as afternoon field trips to places related to this year’s camp. Our theme, Wild, Wonderful West Virginia, reinforced their sense of belonging.

Our partnership with St. Christopher’s Episcopal on the West Side was of enormous benefit, and we also had the support of many in the community, including Taylor Books, Baskin-Robbins, the Clay Center, Kanawha State Forest, the WV Museum at the Culture Center, and the Booker T. Washington Memorial in Malden. Some of our wonderful learning center leaders came from beyond our congregation, and we are so grateful to them.

A special thank you to local author and artist Colleen Anderson, who once again designed our gorgeous T-shirts, wrote the principal book we read aloud throughout the week, and hosted the campers for a brief visit to Arlington Court, where the book is set. Each camper received a copy of that book, Missing Mrs. Cornblossom, signed with a personal message by the author.