826LA students leave exhausted yet excited after a fun day at the Huntington Gardens.
Thanks to the generous support of the Huntington Library, our English Language Learner (ELL) Camp students—and volunteers and staff!—from Echo Park and Mar Vista had the opportunity of a lifetime: to visit the beautiful outdoor botanical gardens.
After splitting up into small groups, students braved the over-90-degree heat and explored everywhere from the Desert and Jungle Gardens to the Lily Ponds. Some even found a hidden tunnel or two…and thankfully some shade.
While several students declared this field trip to be one of the best days of their lives thus far, we decided to sit down with one in particular and let her share her experience with us. Caleigh has been coming to 826LA at our Echo Park center for three years now, and we are so proud of all she has accomplished as a(n adventurous) writer! Learn a little more about here here:
How long have you been coming to 826LA?
Three years already! After school I come to tutoring.
And how old are you now?
I’m nine. So like all of elementary school I’ve been coming here.
Caleigh and AmeriCorps VISTA Summer Associate Kathy pause for a fun post-field trip selfie.
What are some of the things you’ve learned during your time with us?
I’ve learned so many things each week, like during Nature Week [at ELL Camp] we had different things to do, and we learned about different leaves. Last week we did STEM, then before was Arts & Culture where we went on a walk to look at murals in the neighborhood, then Food Week.
And which week has been your favorite?
My favorite one is…I can’t say it yet, because there’s going to be more!
That is true! But so far, if you could pick between STEM, nature, and food, and art?
It’s going to be nature, because we went on a field trip to the Huntington Gardens. But that wasn’t my first field trip with 826LA. The other year I came to summer camp, and we walked to Echo Park [Lake] to see all the trees.
Which parts of the Huntington Gardens did your group visit?
We went to the Japanese Garden. That was my favorite because we could rest there, and there was silence. And there was a good view and shade.
I know during your time there you all did a lesson on writing with adjectives—like things you saw, heard, or smelled—and how to use them. What were some of the things that you saw or heard specifically?
I heard a lot of birds chirping, and I smelled nature’s air. It even tasted clean! I saw a lot of grass and fish…and then I saw a duck and a giant turtle at the lily ponds.
This last question is a little random. What would the title of your first book be?
I don’t know…I like the titles of my books to be adventurous!
So then when you write stories about adventures, how do you pick a title for it?
I have to write down my story. I read it, and then I think about it, and then I just pick the title. If I wrote a story about the Huntington Gardens, I would call it “A Wonderful Place.”
Want to help students like Caleigh discover their voice through writing? Become a volunteer! Also, you can check out more photos from our field trip to the Huntington Gardens here, and here.