VCU professor spends her summers at camp

By Mike Porter

Barbara Myers has always cared about children. The Virginia Commonwealth University psychology professor has made them the center of her research.

Over the years, Myers has taught courses about parenting, infant behavior and development and developmental psychology. She has researched children who are at risk for developmental problems for a variety of reasons including medical, family or societal factors.

More recently, Myers has focused her research on the children of incarcerated mothers. Myers says these children are at greater risk than their peers for depression and anxiety, behavioral problems, school failure, teen pregnancy and criminal involvement. But she found no organized effort to help or even track them.

That’s why Myers is eager to help promote and participate in camp “All God’s Children” which runs for one week in August and is open to Virginia children primarily between the ages of 7 and 11.

For the eighth consecutive year, Myers will serve as a camp mentor as she observes the young campers and researches the challenges they face. It’s all part of an effort to develop programs to benefit the children, their incarcerated mothers and the extended family members, usually grandparents, who care for the children.

Many of the campers haven’t seen their mothers in a long time, if ever. And Myers says many of the children have trouble with impulse control and accepting limits. Professionals are brought in to help them improve these negative behaviors. One hour a day is devoted to working on conflict resolution.

Myers says changing negative behavior is an essential part of “All God’s Children,” but equally important is the chance to let the children have fun at a summer camp.

“The kids look forward all year to arts and crafts, playing and swimming, riding horses and singing around the campfire. For the rest of the year, they lead stressful lives, but for one week a year they can be kids,” Myers said. “This is a real gift to them.”

And the camp’s organizers say Myers is a real gift to them.

“Barbara has been involved from the very beginning,” said Ann M. Davis, director of Children’s Ministries/Discipleship for the Virginia Conference of The United Methodist Church. “We initially pulled her in because she had experience working in prison ministries.”

The seed that grew into camp “All God’s Children” was planted 10 years ago when the bishop assigned a task force to identify the most “at risk” children and develop ways to reach out to them. The task force determined children of incarcerated mothers face the greatest challenges in life.

“Challenges like being temporarily homeless because they are living with someone other than their mom, poverty, and sometimes growing up in a bad neighborhood,” Davis said.

The first camp was held eight years ago at Westview on the James in Goochland County. Organizers soon added a second location to serve children in Northern Virginia at Camp Highroad in Middleburg. And last year, two more “All God’s Children” camps opened to serve children in the tidewater and Roanoke areas. The expansions allow about 225 children a year to experience a week at one of the four camps every summer.

But that doesn’t mean they are without support the rest of the year. Mentors must commit to keeping in contact with the children by letters or phone calls for a full year.
 
The camp requires one adult mentor for every two children who attend. Finding enough mentors, especially men, can be a challenge.

But once again, Davis says Myers has come through, developing and offering an advanced-level summer class for VCU students interested in working with at-risk children. Each summer, 20 students who are studying psychology, social work and criminal justice enroll in the class which includes an “All God’s Children” camp counseling internship.

And while there is only one opportunity to take the class for credit, many students come back on their own in following years.

“She’s modeling to her students how important it is not just to research but to be there with the children,” Davis said.

Myers says the camp experience enriches her research and is personally rewarding.

“During seven years of studies, I’ve learned about the types of problems these children face. I’ve learned the role that stress plays in their lives. And I’ve learned about the role that hope plays,” Myers said.

And at the same time, camp organizers say they’ve learned something about Myers too.

Davis said, “She’s there for us year round, with planning and support. Barbara Myers has gone above the call of duty.”