Camp Skillz Philippines 2025 in Review | Welcoming Children for a Meaningful Summer

This summer, our GOD International staff and volunteers at our campus in the Philippines were able to host three weeks of Camp Skillz. Camp Skillz is a program of GOD International hosted in Nashville and at our international campuses. The three different camps this summer were the following ages: Camp Skillz Jr for Kindergarten-2nd grade, Camp Skillz Elementary for 3rd-6th grade, and Camp Skillz High School. Over all 3 weeks, our team had 45 total participants.

Each camp runs a week, with specific skills incorporated each day. Each year, our team uses 3 categories, with two skills per category that make up the structure of the camp: Actives, Creatives, and Pensives. This year's Actives skills were Athlete and Gamer, the Creatives skills were Chef and Artist, and the Pensives skills were Scientist and Detective. Each of these skills has multiple sessions throughout the week, giving every participant the opportunity to learn a variety of skills. Whether it is learning how to cook different foods, playing in different games and activities, participating in different science experiments, these kids have had a special summer getting to learn different skills and be with one another.

One highlight of the summer was that Camp Skillz Elementary was able to go on a field trip during camp. They were able to go to a local science museum and get to see firsthand different science experiments. This was a highlight for all participants, as they all enjoyed the field trip opportunity.

Camp Skillz gives children in the community a meaningful and structured way to learn and grow during the summer months. Beyond academics, it provides a safe environment where camp leaders invest personally in each child—something many youth rarely experience. This is especially important in the Philippines, where children face serious developmental challenges. During the 2023–2024 school year, an estimated 53 days of classes were canceled due to extreme heat, natural disasters, and other causes, worsening the issue of “learning loss.” At the same time, screen use continues to rise: a 2023 study revealed that 76.4% of preschoolers exceeded the World Health Organization’s daily screen-time recommendation of one hour, while children ages 6–14 averaged nearly three hours a day. With so few structured opportunities available, Camp Skillz met a critical need in the community. Out of both compassion and obedience to Jesus’ words, our team joyfully served dozens of youth this summer. Through learning new skills, sharing meals, and joining together in song each day, the children not only learned but also experienced a genuine sense of belonging and love.

“But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side, and said to them, “Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest.” (Lk 9:47–48.)