Those End of Summer Feels
It's been a while since we sent our last official update! We've been through a whirlwind of a summer, meeting amazing new friends at our service trips and camp-conferences, as well as preparing for some BIG changes for what is shaping up to be an amazing 2019.
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In this Month's Adopteen Newsletter
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- Love to a Month of AGBOST
- Job Opening: Program Coordinator
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Before you jump in, let us say right away that our 2018-2019 programming will be announced by the
end of September
- this will include final dates and locations for Adopteen Camp-Conferences, Adoptees Giving Back Orphanage Service Trips, AdopTween Denver, and more! With that out of the way, let's get to it!
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An Adopteen Camp Summer
Summer 2018 marks ten years of Adopteen wonder and amazement. Thank you so much to everyone who participated in our tenth summer - whether you were an AGBOST traveler, summer camper, counselor, volunteer, or enthusiastic supporter, please know your contributions to our success did not go unnoticed and that we love you all!
We kicked things off in June, continuing our partnership with the University of Denver and staying on campus in the heart of Denver. Out of 91 campers, you represented 24 states, ages 13 to 20, and 48(!) of you were first time Adopteens! We broke some ice (literally), drew all over our leaders in the spirit of competition, and ran downtown Denver amok. We learned all about adoption’s portrayal in the media, made sensory jars, and made 91 new friends!
Immediately after we closed the book on Denver, our Director Amy took off to China, where she served orphanages in need in two provinces with two groups of amazing service volunteers (read more in our
Love to a Month of AGBOST
below).
To close the summer, our team hosted a small but powerful conference on the beautiful University of Minnesota campus. Our leadership team was green, but mighty – a first-time Conference Assistant along with four brand new leaders – and luckily we had an amazing crew of campers to help us learn the ropes. 39 attendees represented 19 states (and 2 countries!), ages 13 to 19, and 23 were brand new Adopteens! Our group put on some truly inspirational Disney lip-sync performances, got stuck on rides at Valley Fair, discovered previously unseen corners of the Mall of America, and cheered on our leader champions as they braved the Wall of Jubilation. Workshops like
Pieces of Me
,
Adoption 101
, and our group discussions made immediate and meaningful impact on us all.
Though we closed the book on Adopteen Summer 2018 a few weeks ago, our hearts are still full as we feel the impact you all had on us in these past two months. As we prepare to change our organization in a big way over the next few months and years, this season gave us incredible confidence moving forward that we’re doing this for the right reasons; that we have an incredible, compassionate, eager community that loves all that we do and can’t wait to participate.
Thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts, for TEN incredible years of amazing memories and making our jobs feel like recess every day. Here’s to the next ten years and beyond!
-Your Adopteen Team
Amy, Adam, and Kate
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This summer’s Adoptees Giving Back Orphanage Service Trips marked our 9
th
and 10
th
trips since our first pilgrimage to the motherland in 2013 and both trips were filled to the brim with heartwarmth (and heartache) and new adventures.
Truth be told, it already feels like our trips were ages ago. Life and work keep rolling along and it's a bit unbearable how much I miss everyone (our travelers, the children we were so blessed to work with, and the loving orphanage staff) and I am still floating on the highs of this summer. Strange that, after so many years and so many trips, this year’s trips feel harder for me to talk about and I guess that’s important and nice in its own way. Sometimes, the most important memories are just for your heart to remember.
Trip 1 made their 16-hour (or longer!) voyage to the homeland on July 4
th
and found themselves in Beijing, making new friends and exploring new sights and sounds and flavors with quick succession
Trip 1:
- July 4th - 14th
- 25 travelers (22 girls, 2 boys)
- Traveler age breakdown: 15 (4), 16 (8), 17 (7), 18 (4), 20 (1), 23 (1)
- 12 US states
- 2.5 days in Beijing (CCCWA! Great Wall! Temple of Heaven! Hutong Tour!)
- 5-hour bullet train ride to Wuhan, Hubei to start our volunteer work.
- Hotel was just around the corner from Wuhan Children's Welfare Institute, a quick 15 minute stroll to work every morning (made even better with the awesome chance to witness daily life – retired friends chatting and fanning themselves on sidewalks, kids on summer vacation peeking into every grocery mart, the smells of delicious breakfast following our every step.)
- Worked Monday through Friday with amazing children between the ages of 10 months to 17 years
- Had a chance to take the older kids out for a field trip to visit Wuhan City’s Science Museum and Hubei Natural History Museum!
- We donated 56,000 RMB to Wuhan CWI and helped them purchase baby formula, diapers, sterilizing units, educational toys, and an outdoor trampoline!
- Our last day at Wuhan CWI was filled with bittersweet tears and endless hugs. It was a hard one and we had all grown so close...
- A quiet train ride back to Beijing Friday night, but then we went to KARAOKE and sang our lungs out. A much-needed release and a great end to our journey.
As quickly as Trip 1 was over, Trip 2 joined me in Beijing on July 18
th
and, of course, also found themselves in Beijing, making new friends and exploring new sights and sounds and flavors with quick succession. Trip 2 was a slightly older group than Trip 1, on average, and made me feel less crotchety ;D
Trip 2:
- July 18-28
- 24 travelers (all girls)
- Traveler age breakdown: 15 (1), 16 (7), 17 (6), 18 (6), 20 (2), 21 (1), 22 (1)
- 14 US states, 1 CA province (2 travelers from Canada, eh?)
- 2.5 days in Beijing (CCCWA! Great Wall! Temple of Heaven! Hutong Tour!) Some of us even got to see our original child match files! We looked so cute. (We're still cute)
- 7-hour train ride to Changchun, Jilin to start our volunteer work -- Jilin is the third-most northern province of China!
- Changchun Child Welfare Home was a 20-minute bus ride from our hotel. Our commute every morning passed by a daily farmer's market and a mix of rural and forest landscapes.
- Worked Monday through Friday with amazing children between the ages of 1 year to 17 years at Changchun CWH. Changchun CWH was an incredible facility, with amazing resources and warm, loving staff -- a happy surprise for sure!
- Had the incredible opportunity to visit the Jilin Province Orphan School and work with 25 students, ages 12-18. We were the first ever foreign group to ever be allowed to visit the Jilin Province Orphan School and it was an amazing day spent with new lifelong friends. So hard to leave.
- We donated 40,000 RMB to Changchun CWH and helped them build a brand new computer lab(!), along with 20 new sets of bedding, children’s therapy playsets, musical instruments, children’s clothing, and tons of toys!
- Our last day at the orphanage was too short and too many emotions to adequately express. Can we work here forever, please?
And just like that. It was a summer to remember and one that will forever be in my heart. Endless thank-yous to my amazing teammates - Kendra, Ryan, Joanna, George, Lily, Josh, and Art - for taking such good care of me and our teams throughout the month <3
Ten years of Adopteen and ten AGBOST trips. Wow. It has been a true honor and privilege to travel with so many amazing humans and witness their individual light and strengths on a trip that means so much to so many. Thank you, AGBOST 2018, for being just the best.
So many more trips to come! I'll see you all soon :D
With Love,
Amy
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Quick Stats
-1,104 total adoptees served, from 46 states and 3 countries
-21 camp-conferences in 12 states and 2 countries
-10 service trips in 9 Chinese provinces and 11 orphanages
-Countless other events, hangouts, and discussions that make up ten years of the time of our lives
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Adopteen Chapters:
We Need Your Help!
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Are you an adoptee over 18 with time each month to lead an Adopteen Chapter all your own? Contact us if you're interested in becoming a Chapter Leader! Our dream is to have a chapter in every community in need, and we need your help!
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Adopteen Chapters are locally coordinated and meet once a month (or every other month) for a sweet hangout to connect adoptees in the area and have some fun. Adopteen provides gear and promotion for all Chapter Leaders so the world's your oyster! Meet up for a movie, throw a slumber party, or just grab some coffee. Whatever you want to do, we want to help you connect more adoptees in your area!
As we're looking for Chapter Leaders for brand new chapters, a couple of our existing chapters also need a little extra help!
Denver, CO
and
Atlanta, GA
chapters are looking for an additional Leader to help coordinate hangouts that the current Leaders cannot attend. Please email us at
info@adopteen.org
if you think you can help!
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Join Our Full-Time Staff!
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Job Opening:
Program Coordinator
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Adopteen is joining forces with several other post-adoption programs to build a full-fledged adoption community center! With a new community center comes a new job opportunity!
This is a full-time position working mainly in non-cultural programming at the adoption community center for the adoption community at large. This position will assist with the development and implementation of new programming and curriculum at the center for adoptees, adoptive parents, friends, and the local community alike, and will be responsible for ensuring that all events at the center run smoothly. Applicants should be very comfortable communicating with and leading individuals of all ages, both individually and in large groups.
Personal connection to adoption (adoptee, adoptive relative) strongly preferred.
For best consideration, please submit application materials by August 20
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Everything we've talked about in this newsletter is only a fraction of the amazing things we do at Adopteen, and we have even more news and programming coming at you in 2019 - but we need your help.
Adopteen is a program nested in CCAI, a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization, which means that 100% of your contribution is tax deductible. Please consider donating to Adopteen today to help us continue the work that we are so dedicated to, and help expand our community in even bigger ways!
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