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Youth-N-Creation Summer Camp was born out of a desire to re-establish an Islamic school in the Raleigh/Durham area by students of Imam W. Deen Mohammed from both Ar-Razzaq and As-Salaam Islamic Centers. Believers from Raleigh and Durham came together after the 2004 Mosque Cares Annual Islamic Convention to share information pertaining to education and to discuss collaborative efforts to establish a full-time school.

 

Out of the initial meetings held at Ar-Razzaq Islamic Center, the Joint Education Team (J.E.T.) was established.  3 phases of growth were identified - Phase 1: Development (which included identification of teams and responsibilities & conducting a survey), Phase 2: Logistics (which included the formation of a joint Board of Education & selection of a site), Phase 3: Implementation (Phase 1 + Phase 2). 

 

A survey was developed to poll believers in both cities about their interest in a full-time Islamic school that would comply with the guidelines set forth by The Mosque Cares Office of Education.  Believers were also asked to identify in what capacity they would assist with this effort by working with one of the following teams: (Standards Team, Philosophy of Education & Curriculum Team, Resource Team, Endowment Planning/Fundraising/Investment Team).  Thus, Phase 1 was completed. 

 

After about 3 meetings it was decided that as an immediate, concrete, obtainable goal, our initial step towards our long-term goal of starting a school, would be to work jointly to establish a Summer Camp for the youth.  One of the goals was to have the camp serve as a yearly fundraiser for the school.

 

Ironically, N-C stands out in the middle of the logo which entails the sun, a smiley-faced kid and a tree. Inspired by the meaning of her daughter’s name, Aqueelah Rasheed came up with the camp motto - “Enriching the Mind by Engaging G-d’s Creation.” This was incorporated into the logo as the outline of the sun. She also came across the following quote from Imam W. Deen Mohammed - "Nature is the mother of education … with knowledge that has been extracted out of Mother Nature, the child .. begins to see how the intellect can assist Mother Nature and a New World begins to develop - a world of science, industry [and] great progress." This quote became an additional source of inspiration for the planning team and was added to YNC Camp collateral such as flyers, handbooks, emails and to the back of all YNC Camp t-shirts which also lists the names of the sponsors.

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After about 6 months of planning, the Joint Education Team of Raleigh/Durham hosted its first weeklong, overnight, Youth-N-Creation Summer Camp at Umstead State Park in Raleigh, NC in 2005. The camp was for rising (Kindergarten - 8th grade) with high schoolers being counselors-in-training (CITs) and those in college being young adult counselors. A core group of planning team members served as staff, planned, organized, prepared and facilitated all activities, prepared meals, campfires and ensured that safety measures were in place for the 7 day, 6 night, rustic cabin camping adventure!

 

There were 25 original Camp Organizers/Joint Education Team Members in 2005. There names are listed below. (* Indicates special project fundraisers for the camp.)

 

Aisha Abdul-Ali, Tahira Abdullah, Najiyyah Aleem, Naomi Shakir Feaste, Felecia Griffin, Kevin Griffin, *Doretha Hamidullah, Aqila Sharif-Hanifa , Najla McClain, Beatrice Muhammad, Haneef Muhammad, Dara Muhammad-Richardson, *K. Earl Muhammad, Letha Muhammad, Salah Muhammad, Kia Rahman, Rashad Rahman, Aqueelah Rasheed, Baheejah Rasheed, Luqman S. Rasheed, II, Claudia Sabur, Khadijah Salaam, Baaree Saleem, Na'imah Ubaydah-Saleem, Abdul-hafeez Waheed.

 

The following year, 2006, Youth-N-Creation Summer Camp was held at the Environmental Education Center and Lodge at Blue Jay Point County Park in Raleigh, NC. The move to new the location allowed YNC campers and staff to experience air conditioned lodging and gave the organizers access to Activity Boxes supplied by Blue Jay that correlate to the NC Standard Course of Study. Although the Joint Education Team did not continue meeting/planning for a full-time school, the annual summer camp has continued. 

 

Over the years the YNC leadership and planning team has rotated and changed. It now consist of Kia Campbell, Qadriyyah Debnam, Letha Muhammad, Rashad Rahman, Aqueelah Rasheed, Luqman Rasheed II, Baaree Saleem, and Na’imah Ubaydah-Saleem. With this team in place, YNC Summer Camp celebrated its 10th Anniversary in 2014 and continued to operate as a 6-day, 5-night camp through the summer of 2019 which marked year 15.

 

Although Youth-N-Creation Summer Camp is an overnight camp, the goal has always been to be affordable for families whether large or small. The registration deposit and camper fees are always minimal and families can apply for scholarships if needed. This has been possible thanks to the financial support of very generous business, individual and family sponsors that allow YNC to cover all expenses, hire caterers to prepare delicious meals on site and cover all fees associated with the following: lodging, daily activities and meals, YNC Camp T-shirt and the annual end–of-camp trip. Through the years, sponsorship has been so outstanding that YNC has charted buses for trips to amusement parks, the aquarium and the beach at the end of camp.

 

Youth-N-Creation Summer Camp has evolved into a S.T.E.A.M. Camp where kids are literally “unplugged” and reconnecting with their G-d given “original nature” while completing science and nature-based activities nestled in the woods amongst beautiful deer, scenic Falls Lake and numerous hiking trails. Honoring the Legacy of Imam W. Deen Mohammed, the camp has welcomed and enrolled participants from various faith traditions. This environment allows for a good, wholesome experience dedicated to the holistic education, upliftment and encouragement of the youth, Muslim and non-Muslim alike. In February 2015, Jennah Baker, a beloved camper passed away unexpectedly at age 11. Youth-N-Creation established an annual award to honor her memory. The "Jennah Baker Spirit Award" is given to (2) campers each summer who go above-and-beyond to exhibit enthusiasm for camp, kindness towards others and a love of nature as Jennah did.

 

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the Lodge at Blue Jay Point County Park was temporarily closed. Therefore, in the summer of 2020, the YNC Staff shared several affordable, hands-on and engaging camp activities, videos, and experiments on their website (youthncreation.org) that parents and caregivers could conduct with their children in the safety of their homes or outdoor recreation space. During the summer of 2021, the YNC Planning Team arranged (2) Weekends of Family Outings, one in June and the other in July. Each weekend included an outdoor activity at a local park and an indoor activity at a local entertainment venue following COVID-19 safety protocols. At present, the YNC Camp Planning team anticipates that it will host the 18th Annual Summer Camp in-person at Blue Jay or at a local outdoor state camping site.

 

Reflecting on this journey, there are countless individuals, named and unnamed, who have worked tirelessly in many capacities, seen and unseen, to ensure that Youth-N-Creation Summer camp is sustained each and every year. Their unwavering dedication, commitment, hard work, sacrifices, support, and travels from near and far, have created a nature-based camp that kids look forward to attending annually.  The YNC planning team prays that our children will collectively recognize the camp as their inheritance and work together peacefully to sustain the camp for generations to come. It may not be a full time school - yet, but it's our "humble beginnings."