Participants of Grant Halliburton Foundation’s Youth Summer Wellness Camp focus on a creative arts and crafts activity. Led by the Foundation’s mental health resources team, the summer program for children ages 6 to 12 helped young people express emotions, build confidence and develop healthy coping skills through hands-on learning.

This summer, the Grant Halliburton Foundation Resources Team led a hands-on, art-based summer wellness camp designed to help children explore emotions, develop healthy coping skills and build self-esteem, all while having fun and making connections.

Held in partnership with Dallas ISD and Together We Thrive, the six-week program served 188 youth ages 6 to 12 years old through weekly sessions focused on emotional wellness and positive self-expression. Each session included structured activities, such as group check-ins, guided art projects and story time, all tailored to meet kids where they are developmentally and emotionally.

Led by Foundation staff members Theresa Aguirre-Bennett, MSW, community support resources coordinator, and Maggie Wolters, bilingual mental health facilitator, with additional support from Grant Halliburton Foundation staff who rotated site visits, the summer camp included interactive lessons on understanding emotions, self-esteem and positive thinking, coping skills and stress management, building healthy friendships, expressing feelings through art and music and reflection and moving forward.

“The Summer Wellness Program gave kids space to express themselves freely and build emotional tools they can carry into the school year and beyond,” Blanca N. Garcia, LCSW-S, vice president of mental health programs, said. “We saw confidence grow, friendships bloom and kids who might normally be quiet really come out of their shells.”

By combining creativity with emotional learning, the Foundation continues to show how early mental health support can be both meaningful and joyful.