Brazilian Camp Counselor participants take their U.S. exchange experiences home to inspire their community.

Summer camp is often celebrated for its profound impact on campers, but the benefits extend far beyond the children. Counselors, too, gain invaluable personal and professional skills, becoming more independent and effective leaders as they return to their families, communities, universities, and careers.

For Dener Xavier and Taynara Gois Dias, two international counselors from the vibrant community of Vila Margarida in São Vicente, Brazil, summer camp is more than just an experience—it’s a transformative journey. As participants in the BridgeUSA Camp Counselor Program, they’ve spent two summers in the U.S., immersing themselves in American culture and forging deep connections with both campers and fellow counselors.

This experience is not just about cultural exchange; it’s a powerful force for change that ripples back to their community in Brazil. Through their NGO, Instituto Familia Chegados, Dener and Taynara channel the skills and insights they’ve gained into meaningful action, empowering others in their local, underserved community (known as a favela). Taynara, who is still mastering English, uses this opportunity to practice and enhance her language skills, which are crucial for the English classes and other educational initiatives they lead through their social enterprise, GlobalHood.

This summer, Cenet, a nonprofit organization located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, who is designated by the U.S. State Department to administer camp counselor programs and other BridgeUSA exchanges, served as the program sponsor for Dener and Taynara. In a conversation with Cenet staff, Dener shared a sobering glimpse into the harsh realities of his upbringing, highlighting the challenges faced by youth in their community and the alternative path he, Taynara and their team are striving to create — one that inspires others to pursue their dreams through education.

In Vila Margarida, children roam the streets freely, playing with one another. Yet, this freedom comes at a cost, as the children are exposed to the pervasive crime that shadows the community. For years, it was the unfortunate norm for adolescents, aged 13 to 18, to become entangled in criminal activities.

Even as a child, Dener envisioned a different future — one shaped by education, especially through learning English. At the age of 12, he began studying English, understanding, as his parents did, that education could be the key to a life beyond crime. By the time he was 18, Dener had the chance to explore new horizons, traveling the world and working in hospitality on cruise ships. This experience was a revelation for him. As Dener reflects, “I saw a portal…” — a portal that showed him that access to the world beyond Vila Margarida wasn’t reserved for the wealthy. It was within reach for anyone with the vision, opportunity and determination to succeed.

Having traveled to 21 countries, Dener returned home with a renewed sense of purpose: to inspire his community to dream bigger, and not just to dream, but to equip themselves with the tools needed to turn those dreams into reality. Through education, he is determined to show his people that “there’s a way” beyond crime or mere survival.

Fueled by this vision, Dener founded Instituto Familia Chegados, an NGO that provides youth with opportunities to expand their knowledge beyond the traditional classroom and meet the pressing needs of their community. Taynara, who serves as the social organizer and coordinator for the NGO, explained the idea behind their projects.

These projects have brought fashion, poetry, hip-hop, live music, and theater to the streets of Vila Margarida, revitalizing sidewalks, establishing community gardens, and addressing urgent health needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, among many other initiatives.

Dener and Taynara’s work is a testament to the transformative power of education and community engagement. They are not only creating a safer, more vibrant environment for the youth of Vila Margarida but are also empowering them to envision and pursue a future full of possibility.

Dener, Taynara, and the many volunteers at Instituto Familia Chegados live by a powerful creed.

This philosophy is evident in every aspect of their work in Vila Margarida, where they are committed to uplifting their community through compassion, creativity, and education.

Lily Mercogliano, Director of Camp Wa Wa Segowea in western Massachusetts, where Dener and Taynara spent their summer, praised their incredible impact, saying, “Dener and Taynara have been a powerhouse at camp this summer. They excel at building a positive cabin and camp-wide culture, sharing their experiences and extraordinary talents with our campers. Both are gifted artists and have enriched our camp with songs, dance, and crafts from their home country.”

But their mission extends beyond the boundaries of Camp Wa Wa Segowea. Dener and Taynara are planning to bring the spirit of American summer camp to Brazil in December 2024, hosting their first-ever camp in Vila Margarida. This week-long event will foster deep connections and friendships among the youth in their community, using the model of “edutainment”—education through entertainment—that they experienced in the U.S. They aim to recreate the same atmosphere of joy, learning, and togetherness that they helped cultivate at Camp Wa Wa Segowea.

This is Taynara’s vision, one that she and Dener share deeply, one that drives their efforts to bring the transformative experiences of their BridgeUSA summer back to Vila Margarida. Through their dedication, they hope to inspire the next generation to dream big and pursue lives of meaning and impact.