WHAT HARRIMAN MEANS TO ME
Every year after camp, we receive emails, cards, and letters from students and parents. These are the reasons Harriman is so important to the youth of today. Here's just one example of what Harriman means:
(Letter received February 2025)
To whom it may concern,
For the past 5 years, my oldest child has struggled with near debilitating anxiety that has caused issues with her grades amongst other things. She is very intelligent but has struggled to speak in class or participate with group assignments. Writing has been such a great outlet for her but she has never been able to share any of her work.
Last summer she had the opportunity to attend the Writers at Harriman Camp at the insistence of a friend that had attended the year prior. She was very hesitant but attended anyway. I was preparing for a phone call from her asking to come home the first few days she was there. The call never came. Instead, I received messages from her telling me how amazing everything was and how much she was learning and enjoying everything.
At the end of camp, parents and families are invited to come and listen to the students do a reading of writings they completed at camp. I watched my once anxious and soft-spoken daughter, stand in front of a large group of people, and read something she wrote with confidence and excitement. I would never have imagined that in such a short period of time my child could change and improve so much. I was watching a completely different person. After camp, her confidence peaked, her anxiety went down, and her grades improved.
I am so grateful programs like this exist. It is amazing that something so small could make such a big difference in a kid’s life. She is able to enjoy nature, learn and improve her writing skills, and form lasting friendships with amazing students like herself. She is excited to attend camp again this year and I could not be more excited for her to go.
(Letter received February 2025)
To whom it may concern,
For the past 5 years, my oldest child has struggled with near debilitating anxiety that has caused issues with her grades amongst other things. She is very intelligent but has struggled to speak in class or participate with group assignments. Writing has been such a great outlet for her but she has never been able to share any of her work.
Last summer she had the opportunity to attend the Writers at Harriman Camp at the insistence of a friend that had attended the year prior. She was very hesitant but attended anyway. I was preparing for a phone call from her asking to come home the first few days she was there. The call never came. Instead, I received messages from her telling me how amazing everything was and how much she was learning and enjoying everything.
At the end of camp, parents and families are invited to come and listen to the students do a reading of writings they completed at camp. I watched my once anxious and soft-spoken daughter, stand in front of a large group of people, and read something she wrote with confidence and excitement. I would never have imagined that in such a short period of time my child could change and improve so much. I was watching a completely different person. After camp, her confidence peaked, her anxiety went down, and her grades improved.
I am so grateful programs like this exist. It is amazing that something so small could make such a big difference in a kid’s life. She is able to enjoy nature, learn and improve her writing skills, and form lasting friendships with amazing students like herself. She is excited to attend camp again this year and I could not be more excited for her to go.
