08/14/2026
Week 9: The Final Chapter 🦹♂️🦸♀️🌟
And just like that… Week 9 is officially in the books, and our 2026 Summer Program has come to an end! ❤️💙
This summer has been filled with faith, friendships, laughter, challenges, field trips, and so many memories that we know our students and staff will carry with them. As we wrapped up our Heroes vs. Villains theme, our final verse was John 1:5: "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
We ended our summer with our Back to School Blast, where our students had the opportunity to perform for their families, and they absolutely knocked it out of the park!
Our entire group kicked things off with "Love Theory" by Kirk Franklin and recited their verse of the summer, Exodus 14:14: "The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.", followed by performances from each of our groups:
🕺 K–2 boys: a Michael Jackson mashup of Beat It and Human Nature
💃 K–2 girls: Waka Waka by Shakira (Just Dance version)
🕺 3–5 boys: a mashup of A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton, Crank That by Soulja Boy, and Hit the Quan by iLoveMemphis
💃 3–5 girls: Kirk Franklin's STOMP
🕺 6th grade & older boys: I Want You Back by the Jackson 5
💃 6th grade & older girls: a dance and step performance to a mashup of Lose My Breath by Destiny's Child and Crazy in Love by Beyoncé.
Our students worked SO HARD all summer long preparing for these performances, and seeing them finally take the stage for their families made all of that hard work worth it. We couldn't have been more proud of them!
We also did something a little different with our Team Leaders of the Summer! Each week, our groups chose a Team Leader based on qualities like leadership, growth, setting a positive example, and the way they treated others. Throughout the summer, we talked about how heroes aren't defined by superpowers, but by their character and the choices they make. While we normally recognize our Team Leaders with just our students and staff, this year we had the opportunity to announce our Team Leaders of the Summer in front of their families. These students consistently demonstrated those heroic qualities all summer long, whether they were setting an example from day one or showing incredible growth from the first day to the last. Being able to celebrate them in front of their families made this year's recognition extra special! ❤️
After the celebrations, we moved into our back-to-school preparations. This year, we were blessed to provide 123 backpacks filled with school supplies for our students, along with 119 pairs of brand-new shoes for qualifying students. 🎒👟
On our final day of summer, our interns put together a special performance for the students featuring Thriller by Michael Jackson, along with a music video to Beauty and a Beat by Justin Bieber. 😂🎶 Our students absolutely LOVED seeing their leaders get on stage, dance, and act goofy one last time!
We also announced our Summer Group Challenge winner that day! After competing and working together all summer long, our 3–5 Boys Group came out on top! They worked hard to earn their medals, and we were so proud to see how excited they were. Congratulations, boys!
Finally, we want to say a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this summer possible. To our staff and volunteers, those who prepared and served meals every day, those who helped stuff backpacks, and everyone who donated money, supplies, shoes, time, or resources to help us give our students an amazing summer, we could not have done it without you! ❤️
This summer was about so much more than field trips and activities. It was about faith, friendship, growth, teamwork, and teaching our students that they can be heroes through the way they love, lead, and treat others.
Nine weeks. Countless memories. So many laughs. So much growth. And so many reasons to be thankful. ✨
Thank you for an incredible summer, 2026! We can't wait to see everyone again on September 8th when our After-School Program begins! Until then, keep shining your light! 💙☀️
