Summer Experiences
Summer Experiences at Daystar are an opportunity for boys and girls to build friendships and to learn social & self-regulation skills in a small, supportive peer group environment. Registration will open January 28, 2026!
Turn in application by emailing to susan@daystarcounseling.com or handing to the front desk. For general questions about summer experiences please contact Mary Spencer Veazey at maryspencer@daystarcounseling.com or 615-298-5353 ext 3222.
2026 Dates
all sports week
5th-6th Grade Girls
Led by Richie Presley, Boys’ Counselor
June 1-4 (10am-3pm)
$500
We will focus on developing a strong mindset through sports, games, and competition, teaching boys how to compete at their best while staying focused and regulated. This week is for our hyper-competitive kids as well as our kids who don’t enjoy competition. We will learn to compete with compassion, fostering personal growth and sportsmanship.
the way out
5th-6th Grade Boys & Girls
Led by Don Logan, Boys’ Counselor
June 8-11 (10am-3pm)
$500
Centered on problem solving but with an outdoor twist: Here is where it gets wild: Each day we will embark on a 4-5 mile hike to "get out" of the same place (a different way) each day. Before and after each hike there will be times to work on problem solving skills and build friendships.
jedi powers
2nd-4th Grade Boys
Led by Don Logan
June 15-18 (10am-3pm)
$500
We will spend the week focusing on self-regulation skills and discover how (similar to a Jedi) we have abilities that are already within us. It will be a fun 4 days filled with activities, games, and adventure, problem solving, and building friendships.
boys to men
7th-8th Grade Boys
Led by Sherman Bucher, Boys’ Counselor
June 15-18 (10am-3pm)
$500
Being a boy in middle school can be full of tough and challenging obstacles. On top of that, learning how to say “goodbye” to being a boy and “hello” to being a young man can be tough and challenging as well. As a group, we will spend 4 days learning new skills such as grilling, tying a tie, healthy competition, using tools, etc. We will also be learning how to talk with each other and form deeper connections. Field trips included!
ALL SPORTS WEEK
2nd-4th Grade Girls
Led by Brooke Hull, Girls’ Counselor & Richie Presley, Boys’ Counselor
June 22-25 (10am-3pm)
$500
We will focus on developing a strong mindset through sports, games, and competition, teaching girls how to compete at their best while staying focused and regulated. This week is for our hyper-competitive kids as well as our kids who don’t enjoy competition. We will learn to compete with compassion, fostering personal growth and sportsmanship.
all sports week
5th-6th Grade Boys
Led by Richie Presley, Boys’ Counselor
July 6-9 (10am-3pm)
$500
We will focus on developing a strong mindset through sports, games, and competition, teaching boys how to compete at their best while staying focused and regulated. This week is for our hyper-competitive kids as well as our kids who don’t enjoy competition. We will learn to compete with compassion, fostering personal growth and sportsmanship.
CRITICAL CONNECTIONS
7th-9th Grade Girls
Led by Blair Baird, Girls’ Counselor
July 13-16 (10am-3pm)
$500
This week we will focus on building confidence and how that impacts our friendships, especially girls! We will use art therapy and other creative activities to practice making better connections with others and ourselves. This will be an interactive camp! We will practice, learn, and share what it means to show up in friendships and quiet the voices that get in the way of connection to others.
What to Expect
Our summer experiences involve lots of play, creating and discussing “as we’re going along…” Each day will include various indoor and outdoor activities, lunch and a time of sharing.
What to Bring
Staff ask that you bring a sack lunch and wear comfortable clothes you can run around in. You will receive an email with final details one week prior to your start date.
What You’ll Learn
This time gives kids the chance to take healthy risks and empowers them to support, challenge, and encourage each other toward maturity.
The Heart of Summer Experiences
"Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the Gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become very dear to us." 1 Thessalonians 2:8 (NIV)
A "typical day" at a Daystar Summer Experiences can be anything but "typical." Sure there are activities you would expect to see: art projects in the art room, 4-square tournaments on the basketball court, laughter and giggling over a meal in the dining room or a van full of boys returning from an action-packed day around Nashville. Those are the things in plain view. However, if you could look a little closer or listen a little longer, you would begin to see and hear more than just kids and activities.
You might hear 3rd grade boys learning the art of complimenting and encouraging each other after a game of "Daystar Tag." You might see a high school boy grinning ear to ear because he finally found a friend to share lunch with. You would probably see a girl working hard on a painting she would eventually give away to a friend; learning the gift of giving. It's these moments and these interactions that we see God using Daystar to reach kids who need the gift of seeing that their life matters.
Daystar has the privilege of hosting Summer Experiences for elementary, middle, and high school students. These week-long intensives have been safe places, stretching places, and restorative places for kids. They have also been places where "typical" would not describe the effort, care, concern, and sacrifice made by Summer Experience Leaders. Paul's message to the Thessalonians is the same message that could be seen in the relationships of kids and leaders. Leaders who wanted to share more than just a week of fun, but also a week of listening, praying, hoping, and strengthening.
If we ran the numbers, we could probably calculate the total number of pizzas we ate, miles we drove, art projects we completed, and popsicles we consumed. In the end, what we hope and wait to see, but can't measure or add are the lives that are changed and the impact made by "one life touching another."
