Today I ventured into an area of Memphis I was very unfamiliar with and probably, had I been lost, I would have called my dad asking how to get out of South Memphis. What I found was a hidden gem, Knowledge Quest, tucked away on a street corner. When I walked up, a small, old church and classroom type portables, I was greeted by warm, smiling faces, welcoming me. I walked into a small sanctuary of kids and adults excited to start another day of summer camp. If I am being honest, for the first few moments, I was uncomfortable and felt like I stuck out like a sore thumb; for the first time in my life I was the minority. This feeling and thought quickly subsided, as I was introduced to the adorable Pre K through 1st graders that I would be helping with that day and met their lovely and inspiring teacher Ms. Hill. In that moment, I was reminded that kids just want to have fun and they don’t care who you are, as long as you are there to have fun with them. They are looking for a friend to have fun with, as we all are in life.

Knowledge Quest has grown so much in the community, they have actually out grown their main buildings. K.Q. opened in 1998 as a community initiative to help the children and youth of the community. K.Q. has an after school program that cultivates young minds not just academically, but creatively as well. They also offer a summer camp program for children who have completed Pre K through 8th grade. They have expanded to have a site at College Park and use the gym, rooms, and play ground at Gaston Park. K.Q. does not require a fee for the children to attend camp and that most of the staff are volunteers. Outside the structure activities and learning opportunities, K.Q. provides the children with breakfast, lunch, and a snack. The children participate in normal summer camp activities: sports, arts, a dance class, and will even help to cultivate a garden. Each class is responsible for coming up with a class color, mascot, cheer, and song with a dance. I became an honorary member of the K.Q. Lions who were working hard on their roar, masks, and song and dance. The kids are so creative and as all kids do say the some hysterical things. I think one of the high-lights of the day was trying to explain my freckles to a 5-year-old!! And the most heart warming was when I got hugs from all the kids as I was leaving!

The kids had art today and worked on making the outside a part of their art work. They drew a picture of something in the sky and something on the ground. Their pictures will eventually all be put together to make a “quilt”.

Then it was onto lunch time! Today the kids had chicken quesadillas, pear, chocolate milk or water. And then a small snack of chex mix and juice or water.

After lunch we headed back inside for sports. A little stretching first and then “playing” soccer as only 4-6 year olds can!

As a former summer camp kid and summer camp counselor, I understand parents worries about leaving their children all day. As a child I didn’t worry about that, every day I got to see my friends, and have a new adventure. As a counselor, I would hear parents talk about the trust they put in the staff. South Memphis is an area the news likes to talk about. We hear about the poverty, violence, and schools. But, what they should be talking about is Knowledge Quest. The children attending K.Q. are well taken care of by the staff, who entertain them and take care of them in a safe environment all day long. The kids are excited to be there every morning and ready to tell their parents all about the day when they are picked up. The area of town might be different, but the love of the kids, the activities of the day, and the devoted staff are the same in South Memphis as in the suburbs.

Thank you for reading! I’m searching for a job as a Dental Hygienist. If you know of a great fit, please send it our way: jobleads@volunteerodyssey.com or to aliciawooten@gmail.com

————————————————————————————————————————
If you like our work, please consider making a contribution to keep it going!

Want the insider story and more pictures? Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter!
————————————————————————————————————————-
————————————————————————————————————————-