Neighbor News
BCD Travel and Rediscover Center Bring Imagination to Life for Five Acres Youth
Skills reinforced during the summer at this event can benefit children and lessen the impact of learning loss.
Children and youth living at Five Acres’ Residential Program continue celebrating the summer season with an afternoon of hands-on creativity. Planned by BCD Travel in collaboration with the Rediscover Center, the interactive event, designed for residents in foster care ages 8–14, featured four maker stations that encouraged self-expression, problem-solving, and ingenuity while promoting sustainable reuse of everyday materials.
According to the National Summer Learning Association, “the summer slide is what often happens to disadvantaged children during the summer months. They tread water at best or even fall behind, while higher-income children build their skills steadily over the summer months.” Skills reinforced during the summer at this event can benefit children and lessen the impact of learning loss.
“Our children and youth thrive when given opportunities to explore their imagination and discover new skills,” said Jennifer Berger, chief advancement officer at Five Acres. “We’re grateful to BCD Travel and Rediscover Center for creating a memorable and enriching experience that inspires confidence, sparks joy, and provides learning benefits.”
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The four stations consisted of:
- Characters & Costuming: youth transformed into original superheroes and other imaginative characters, crafting capes, helmets, and emblems from recycled fabrics and fasteners.
- Modelmaking: Budding architects constructed miniature houses, airports, and stadiums using up-cycled cardboard, recycled materials, and creative ingenuity.
- Color Shakers: Dowels, mylar, and vibrant paper became pom-pom shaker toys—while older youth tried their hand at intricate paper flowers.
- Puppetry: Three distinct puppet formats empowered children to bring imagined characters to life.
Throughout the event, BCD Travel and Rediscover Center volunteers provided snacks, lunch and beverages, and guidance at each station, ensuring every child felt supported and seen. Event food and refreshments were generously provided by Tamra Scroggins, Regional Executive Chef at Guckenheimer.
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“At BCD Travel, we believe in fostering collaborations that connect us,” said Yipin Lu, senior project manager and analyst at BCD Travel. “Partnering with Five Acres and Rediscover Center aligns perfectly with our commitment to embracing change and foster innovation. Our creativity and drive are positively contagious, and we want to share that value to the next generation of creative thinkers.”
Rediscover Center brings hands-on STEAM education to youth across Los Angeles County through camps, school programs, and community events. They equip makers with resources to transform discarded materials into art and functional tools.
“Seeing the kids light up as they realized a cardboard box could become a spaceship or superhero shield was incredible,” said Jonathan Markowitz Bijur, Rediscover Center executive director. “Their creativity underscores the importance of open-ended play and exploration at all ages.”
To learn how you can support Five Acres, visit https://5acres.org.
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About Five Acres
Since 1888, Five Acres has protected the most vulnerable members of our community: children. Serving nearly 7,000 children and family members annually across six counties, Five Acres now strives for permanency—a permanent, loving home—for all children in their care. The three pillars of safety, well-being and permanency provide the framework for its programs and guide the steps as the agency develops even more effective means of caring for children and families in crisis.
About BCD Travel
BCD Travel helps companies travel smart and achieve more. We drive program adoption, cost savings and talent retention through digital experiences that simplify business travel. Our 15,000+ dedicated team members service clients in 170+ countries as we shape a sustainable future for business travel. BCD’s leading meetings and events management and global consultancy services complete our comprehensive suite of solutions for all aspects of corporate travel. In 2024, BCD achieved US$22.9 billion in sales. For more information, visit www.bcdtravel.com.
