Making a Difference

Xcel impacts lives: creative expression; awards; friendships; community fun.

Organizationally and programmatically, Xcel is committed to exploding myths, exceeding expectations, and making a difference in individual and community lives.

In 1996, Xcel was founded by thirteen Gen X-ers who defied the stereotypes about their generation.

Today, YW8? (Why Wait?) is an initiative by millenials who resist the myth that they are the future. They have a future, yes, but they don't have to wait until some undefined future point to start making a difference.

Xcel's summer 2002 programming embraced "Making a Difference" as the theme for its summer day camp and incorporated it into arts and crafts, group dialogues, and recreation activities.

One example was the launch of a community service initiative dubbed "Adopt-A-Building." For one week in June, an army of 100 young people armed with brooms, mops, AJAX, and other cleaning supplies went door-to-door seeking to serve residents and merchants at no charge. What a concept!

Additional opportunities to express this creed came through youth led projects such as student elections, charity bake sales, and a home chore challenge.

To round out the summer, Xcel's youth served over 500 families at its annual community carnival; another 500 families at two block parties and a basketball tournament; and forty children a day from 8:30-5:00 for eight weeks at its summer day camp.

Teens learn to lean on each other at a spring retreat upstate.

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For more on past summer activities, read one intern's 2001 Summer Diary or visit the News Archives.