Camp Hazen YMCA is one of New England’s most remarkable summer camps and outdoor education centers. They have been providing quality camping experiences for kids, families, and school groups for more than 90 years. Camp Hazen YMCA is committed to helping youth develop valuable life skills through camping experiences that build healthy bodies, open minds, and awakened spirits. Our BRAYCE recruits attend Camp Hazen YMCA as either young campers or leaders-in-training, or as counselors once they have completed the BRAYCE program. Camp Hazen YMCA has been our partner since our inception in 2005.
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Energea is a renewable energy investing platform that connects investors with low-carbon infrastructure projects globally. They envision a global community of investors who benefit financially from their products and capitalize on the shift toward decarbonization, decentralization, and digitization. With several projects in Brazil, Energea was seeking a way to give back to the local community and found BRAYCE to be the perfect match. Energea supports BRAYCE through the funding of various programs—from our annual fundraiser to our transportation and creative funds to providing internship pathways for BRAYCE alumni in Brazil. Henrique, a 2023 graduate of the program, was hired by Energea from their internship program.
EduMais is a Brazilian, non-governmental organization (NGO) that fights against education inequality in one of the world’s most unequal cities, Rio de Janeiro. EduMais offers complementary programs in the Pavão (peacock,) Pavãozinho (little peacock,) and Cantagalo (singing rooster) communities. Their programs teach underprivileged young people in these favelas the English, digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and enter the labor market skills needed to build their own path out of urban and digital poverty. They also use positive discipline and social and emotional learning so students can work through the trauma of growing up in areas marked by drugs and violence. Like Camp Hazen YMCA, EduMais is at the heart of our program as they help find young people with similar ideals and goals, creating a recruitment pool for our intercultural exchange work and the Camp Hazen YMCA Leadership Program.
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The Sports Creative believes in the transformational power of play and that every child should have access to it in their community. They partner with communities to co-create inclusive play and storytelling programs, ensuring they reflect local voices and needs. Founder Joseph Hewitt has pioneered soccer programs that transform individuals and communities and contribute to global development. His proven model engages a community in defining, delivering, and sustaining its programming, offering the greatest chance of social transformation. In Brazil, The Sports Creative’s work focuses on supporting children in Complexo da Penha, one of Rio de Janeiro’s largest favelas, through football. Complexo da Penha is where Richard and Margot, founders of BRAYCE, were first introduced to the community and returned many times over the years, building lasting relationships and opportunities for youth. Joe has been a BRAYCE Board member since 2017.
Learn More: The Sports Creative