Happiness Toolbox Summer Program
Happiness Toolbox is rooted in positive education and was co-designed by BRIDGE founding staff trained in positive psychology, holistic psychology and diversity leadership. This year we will be learning about resilience, building a growth mindset, and using your voice and creativity to find your place while make a difference in our world. The research-based Character Strengths & Virtues we all possess as a global community show our internal diversity and we will be exploring how to spot those and also how to fill the personal buckets we all hold with happiness!
Happiness Toolbox Summer Camp (Ages 5–12) — August 3–14
Happiness Toolbox is our signature evidence-based summer program rooted in positive psychology, cultural competency, and resilience-building. Children explore diverse cultures, develop multilingual literacy, practice mindfulness and self-regulation, and build communication and conflict resolution skills — all while having fun through field trips, lake days, sports, circus, arts & crafts, and more.
The program is designed to bridge the summer and ease the transition back to school. We have an 8-year partnership with Gideon's Garden at Taft Farms, where students connect to nature and learn the seed-to-harvest cycle. It's a beautiful, enriching experience for kids of all backgrounds.
We take an income-sensitive approach to registration, assessing each family's financial circumstances individually to determine an affordable contribution. Our goal is to meet families where they are and ensure no child is turned away due to cost.
Space is limited — families should register by July 1st. Transportation is available!
To register: [email protected]
For more info: [email protected]
WANT TO JOIN THE YOUTH CORPS?
We are looking for two or three teens (15+) to join our Youth Corps, who are interested in:
Leadership & Youth Mentorship Support our Happiness Toolbox Summer Camp — an affordable, enriching program for underserved families in the Berkshires. The camp weaves together positive psychology, English-learning, social justice, and classroom-readiness skills with classic summer activities like field trips, lake days, sports, circus, and arts & crafts.
Media & Storytelling Collaborate with local journalists and outlets — including the Berkshire Edge — on real, ongoing projects and develop your voice as a storyteller.
Arts & Culture Engage with world-class programming through partnerships with Tanglewood and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, alongside Zumba, African Dance, and studio art collaborations.
Community Outreach Get hands-on experience across BRIDGE's wide range of community-facing programs. Learn more at our website.
Public Health & Wellness Learn directly from two on-site doctors and explore community wellness through partnerships with local hospitals and practitioners in chiropractic care, Reiki, herbalism, and more.
Food Justice & Sustainability Work on BRIDGE's solidarity farm and garden — harvesting produce, caring for our flock of chickens, and supporting our mutual aid program, which provides fresh, healthy food to over 200 families across the county. We partner with Gideon's Garden, Three Sisters Farm, Greenagers, and others.
Civic Engagement & Advocacy Participate in racial justice work, financial literacy, English classes, and Pride events throughout June as part of BRIDGE's ongoing LGBTQ+ community initiatives. We are deeply committed to supporting immigrant communities, including two affinity groups — one for Latina women and one for women of the African Diaspora — offering dedicated spaces for connection, advocacy, and mutual support.
Events & Service Projects Contribute to BRIDGE's year-round calendar of events and service projects. Members receive a running list of opportunities and regular communication about how to get involved. We also host community dinners in our on-site solidarity kitchen, where we partner with local restaurants or community members come together to cook and share cultural meals.
Career Exploration & Workforce Skills Explore a broad range of fields through all of the above — and get direct support in resume writing, cover letters, interview prep, GED attainment, and post-graduation planning. We partner with MassHire and can provide transportation and mentorship to help you access any workforce readiness program that fits your goals.
This opportunity is part-time. We are willing to discuss further engagement if they are interested. Our Youth Corps has the opportunity to choose from the aforementioned list of focus areas and experience a wide variety of community engagement and social and economic justice work.
At the beginning of August, we run a summer camp, Happiness Toolbox, focused on positive psych and cultural competency, where they have the opportunity to serve as mentors and role models to the young, diverse group of children who attend. For this two-week program, their schedules would be full-time. As summer ends, these two weeks include bonding activities such as boat outings, food truck nights, field trips to amazing sites around the Berkshires, and more. These teens would be compensated on an internship level.
Have a student who's 13 or 14 and eager to get involved? We welcome younger teens to join us as Leaders-in-Training. To apply, they should send an email to the email on the flyer introducing themselves, and we'll follow up with next steps from there.
A few things to know about the LIT role:
Full transparency- we are filling up for this summer so they would have to be in touch before the end of the month. However, we have opportunities for our youth corps year round if they are interested and welcome new faces every year!
To apply, write: [email protected]
Happiness Toolbox Summer Camp (Ages 5–12) — August 3–14
Happiness Toolbox is our signature evidence-based summer program rooted in positive psychology, cultural competency, and resilience-building. Children explore diverse cultures, develop multilingual literacy, practice mindfulness and self-regulation, and build communication and conflict resolution skills — all while having fun through field trips, lake days, sports, circus, arts & crafts, and more.
The program is designed to bridge the summer and ease the transition back to school. We have an 8-year partnership with Gideon's Garden at Taft Farms, where students connect to nature and learn the seed-to-harvest cycle. It's a beautiful, enriching experience for kids of all backgrounds.
We take an income-sensitive approach to registration, assessing each family's financial circumstances individually to determine an affordable contribution. Our goal is to meet families where they are and ensure no child is turned away due to cost.
Space is limited — families should register by July 1st. Transportation is available!
To register: [email protected]
For more info: [email protected]
WANT TO JOIN THE YOUTH CORPS?
We are looking for two or three teens (15+) to join our Youth Corps, who are interested in:
Leadership & Youth Mentorship Support our Happiness Toolbox Summer Camp — an affordable, enriching program for underserved families in the Berkshires. The camp weaves together positive psychology, English-learning, social justice, and classroom-readiness skills with classic summer activities like field trips, lake days, sports, circus, and arts & crafts.
Media & Storytelling Collaborate with local journalists and outlets — including the Berkshire Edge — on real, ongoing projects and develop your voice as a storyteller.
Arts & Culture Engage with world-class programming through partnerships with Tanglewood and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, alongside Zumba, African Dance, and studio art collaborations.
Community Outreach Get hands-on experience across BRIDGE's wide range of community-facing programs. Learn more at our website.
Public Health & Wellness Learn directly from two on-site doctors and explore community wellness through partnerships with local hospitals and practitioners in chiropractic care, Reiki, herbalism, and more.
Food Justice & Sustainability Work on BRIDGE's solidarity farm and garden — harvesting produce, caring for our flock of chickens, and supporting our mutual aid program, which provides fresh, healthy food to over 200 families across the county. We partner with Gideon's Garden, Three Sisters Farm, Greenagers, and others.
Civic Engagement & Advocacy Participate in racial justice work, financial literacy, English classes, and Pride events throughout June as part of BRIDGE's ongoing LGBTQ+ community initiatives. We are deeply committed to supporting immigrant communities, including two affinity groups — one for Latina women and one for women of the African Diaspora — offering dedicated spaces for connection, advocacy, and mutual support.
Events & Service Projects Contribute to BRIDGE's year-round calendar of events and service projects. Members receive a running list of opportunities and regular communication about how to get involved. We also host community dinners in our on-site solidarity kitchen, where we partner with local restaurants or community members come together to cook and share cultural meals.
Career Exploration & Workforce Skills Explore a broad range of fields through all of the above — and get direct support in resume writing, cover letters, interview prep, GED attainment, and post-graduation planning. We partner with MassHire and can provide transportation and mentorship to help you access any workforce readiness program that fits your goals.
This opportunity is part-time. We are willing to discuss further engagement if they are interested. Our Youth Corps has the opportunity to choose from the aforementioned list of focus areas and experience a wide variety of community engagement and social and economic justice work.
At the beginning of August, we run a summer camp, Happiness Toolbox, focused on positive psych and cultural competency, where they have the opportunity to serve as mentors and role models to the young, diverse group of children who attend. For this two-week program, their schedules would be full-time. As summer ends, these two weeks include bonding activities such as boat outings, food truck nights, field trips to amazing sites around the Berkshires, and more. These teens would be compensated on an internship level.
Have a student who's 13 or 14 and eager to get involved? We welcome younger teens to join us as Leaders-in-Training. To apply, they should send an email to the email on the flyer introducing themselves, and we'll follow up with next steps from there.
A few things to know about the LIT role:
- Commitment: LITs are asked to attend at least three events in the aforementioned focus areas between June and July, plus a discussion regarding their level of involvement / participation in our two-week full-time summer camp, Happiness Toolbox, in August.
- Compensation: The LIT role is unpaid on an hourly basis. Individual events will include compensation through gift cards and we'll always communicate which ones are exempt ahead of time. LITs who go above and beyond with their engagement are eligible for a $100 check.
- LITs who complete the Happiness Toolbox camp will receive a stipend at the end of the two weeks.
- Transportation: We're happy to provide transportation to events and to Happiness Toolbox. For any additional office-based work during the week, we're unable to guarantee transportation, so please plan accordingly.
Full transparency- we are filling up for this summer so they would have to be in touch before the end of the month. However, we have opportunities for our youth corps year round if they are interested and welcome new faces every year!
To apply, write: [email protected]
For more information: Fill out the information form or call 413-274-8142. Email [email protected] for the sessions your children would like to participate in and we will confirm the times you have.
[email protected]
We ask that students attend a full week, if possible. We welcome young people of all age 5 through 13.
Youth Leadership ages 13-17. Program Support and Activity Leads. Summer '26!
[email protected]
We ask that students attend a full week, if possible. We welcome young people of all age 5 through 13.
Youth Leadership ages 13-17. Program Support and Activity Leads. Summer '26!