Camp Kindles Kids’ Diploma Dreams with University Experience

Clad in a New York Giants jersey, former NFL linebacker Keith Davis towered onstage in a lecture hall at The University of Texas at Dallas overlooking a sea of rainbow-colored caps.

“Winners look at what they’re going to,” he said. “Losers look at what they’re going through.”

Davis, who crushed and curled a frying pan with a gloved hand to show that change is difficult, delivered a powerful message to more than 100 children who are experiencing homelessness. He spoke during their graduation ceremony from Kids University held at the Harry W. Bass Jr. School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology.

“You’re not born a winner. You’re not born a loser,” he said. “You’re born a chooser.”

For four days in July, children living in homeless, transitional or domestic violence shelters came to UTD to take classes that exposed them to art, science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

UTD hosted the educational camp with local nonprofit Rainbow Days for kids ages 5 to 13, many of whom attend Dallas Independent School District schools, where an estimated 4,500 students are homeless, according to the district’s Homeless Education Program.

“They got a glimpse into what their future could hold,” said Amanda Saucedo, a co-organizer of Kids University and finance officer in the Bass School. “As a university, we were blessed to be able to partner with Rainbow Days to give them this experience.”

Children who experience homelessness are at a higher risk of repeating a grade or dropping out of school. The goals of the camp were to improve the kids’ self-confidence, engage them with subjects such as math and science, and develop in them a desire to stay in school and pursue higher education or career training.

Inside a dance studio, children ages 10 to 12 stretched, jumped and galloped in a class led by Melissa Johnson, UTD associate professor of instruction in dance. “Came Here for Love” from Ella Eyre blared from the speakers.

“You have to create a safe space for them,” Johnson said. “This is the place to try new things, dream and grow. They’re not being judged or looked at differently.”

In a classroom, children built miniplaygrounds out of flat wood sticks, clay and pipe cleaners.

“I want to become a structural engineer,” a boy in an orange shirt blurted out.

A girl wearing a green bandana on her head marveled at the integrity of her pink and purple swing.

“Yay, it’s not falling on me,” she said.

A boy sitting on the floor was not having as much luck. As he dismantled his creation, he said, “This thing keeps falling apart.”

Shaquanda Owens, a prevention specialist for Rainbow Days who led the class, asked another girl to help the boy on the floor.

“Engineering can be intimidating,” Owens said. “They start with a foundation and work their way up.”

Mina Mason, a 12-year-old who dreams of becoming a doctor, said meeting many people and being on a college campus through Kids University was one of the best experiences of her life.

“I did not know I was going to college,” she said of her time at UTD. “Now I want to go even more.”