Clean Energy Summer Camp At The Rogers Road Community Center

There are big doings these days at the Rogers Road Community Center. Barely a year into the existence of its brand spanking new building, and run on a shoestring, the center ran a successful, free 5-week summer enrichment program for 57 neighborhood kids this summer. The kids got to experience activities like a bike rodeo led by local police, a workshop on animal care from staff at the Animal Shelter just around the corner on Eubanks Road, a workshop on building a rain garden with materials from Friends of Bolin Creek, camping classes teaching skills like pitching tents and navigating with a compass, dance and music workshops, a dental workshop from Dr. Lenise Clifton, and a solar power workshop with Solarize Orange County program founder Rob Pinder. As of this writing (mid-September), the community center is about to start back up its free afterschool enrichment program, complete with a computer lab, bookroom, a tutoring program, and a weekend gardening program led by UNC student volunteers.

The Rogers-Eubanks community is a historically African-American working class community which has existed in that spot since the 19th century. In recent years it has expanded to include a sizable presence of both Latino immigrants and Karen immigrants from Burma. I went by recently to talk with David Caldwell, a lifelong Rogers Road community activist and retired law enforcement officer, whose chief activity these days is helping to run the community center (along with Rose Caldwell and Minister Robert Campbell). I live near the Rogers-Eubanks community, and my interest had been piqued when I heard about their current efforts to raise money for materials for a weeklong clean energy summer camp for the kids next year (more on that below).

Mr. Caldwell articulated a clear vision for his community, a vision into which renewable energy fits very well. His community has historically been neglected and dumped on by the powers that be – literally, as the Orange County landfill was sited right next door in 1972, with a host of resulting ill effects such as soil and groundwater contamination. Efforts are finally being made to fulfill promises made long ago for city water, sewer, and a community center. A veteran of the struggle to get those promises fulfilled, Mr. Caldwell talked about his hopes for his community going forward.

The theme he emphasized the most was building self-sufficiency. He noted in past emergencies, when the power has gone out, the community has had to wait longer than many other neighborhoods for service to return. So he wants the community to be prepared. Renewable energy is part of that. So is the community garden. This past summer the older kids put up a solar-powered light at the community garden. Next summer, if they raise enough money, maybe the kids will install solar-powered lights all around the garden!

At the same time, recognizing that solar power is providing good, sustainable local jobs in Orange County, the camp can educate the kids in how the technology works. The kids were really excited about this past summer’s solar workshop – the younger ones built solar ovens and everyone got to examine a solar water pump and a solar wagon. Next summer, they’d like to expand it to four days and learn and build even more.

I asked Mr. Caldwell what the community center needs, and he replied that there’s a long list! Funding is not easy to come by, but here’s one simple thing we can all help with to educate kids, excite them, and prepare them for a more locally sustainable future. Thanks in advance, readers, for doing your part.

Please help purchase materials for the Clean Energy Summer Camp, if you can! The fundraising campaign is here. Or you can write a check to the Rogers-Eubanks Neighborhood Association (RENA), noting on the memo line that it is meant for the Solar Summer Camp, and send it to: RENA, POB 16903, Chapel Hill, NC, 27516. If you’ve got any questions, you are welcome to contact the community center at 919-918-2822.

Clean Energy Summer Camp At The Rogers Road Community Center

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