summer camps

Imagine a place where Genesee County families could find a clearinghouse of details about summer activities for students. It would be a one-stop-shop for locating camps, dance classes, and various other activities with the dates, times, target age group, and registration information. 

Imagine no more, Community Schools Coordinator Julia Rogers says. Partnership Task Force — a collective offshoot of the Community Schools program — worked last summer to develop a list of priorities for the Community Schools Advisory Board. A key goal was to answer what would help to break down barriers for children and families, Rogers says.

“So as part of that work, it came out that we really needed a calendar for that, for families to see what was out there so that they could become engaged and see the opportunities that were in the community,” she said during an interview Friday with The Batavian.

The initiative began by reaching out to “anyone we could think of,” Rogers said, and casting a wide net to catch as many local camps as possible. Families were always having to go to all of the different sites — GLOW YMCA, Business Education Alliance, the City of Batavia as a few examples — and without a solid direction for where to go, they may have missed a registration deadline for a summer camp, she said. 

“So that was one of the things from the advisory board that they said would really help,” she said. “There's no one main housing place for all of the camps to be listed for parents to have easy access to. So the partnership task force looked at it and we started building it and reached out to anyone we could think of that had summer camps. There’s never been one of these in my lifetime.“

The calendar has all of the pertinent information and a link to access the organization directly for registration and class details. This is to reduce the steps parents have had to take in the past, she said and will have a larger, more inclusive offering of the myriad activities happening in the county.

Once families began responding to the summer calendar idea, the task force expanded that to include year-round activities, such as GO ART’s creative camp for April break, which for city students begins Monday. 

“So we've expanded it even before we could publicize it that it's going to be for all days of the year,” Rogers said.

Not only will this clearinghouse help families with their future planning, but it can also assist organizations with scheduling events by being able to have a big picture of what’s going on throughout the year, she said. So if July seems particularly flush with camps, an agency may opt to schedule something for August or another time of the year when there isn’t as much going on. 

She urges parents not to print out the calendar, as it’s a fluid document that is constantly changing with updates of added events. The task force will eventually conduct a needs assessment to find out if all of the bases are covered, or if there’s still something that students and families would like, she said. 

“We want to know what can we do to help kids be successful,” she said. “And we’re working with the health department for its community needs assessment.”

Community Schools is already planning an upcoming event to help meet the financial, physical, social, mental, and emotional needs of city school district families. A wellness fair has been scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 30 at the Robert Morris building at Union Street and Richmond Avenue. More information will be provided as details are confirmed, Rogers said.

For more information about the calendar, go to: https://www.bataviacsd.org/page/community-schools-home-page

For questions or additions to the calendar, email Rogers at: jrogers@bataviacsd.org

Photo: Partnership Task Force members Kelly March of Richmond Memorial Library, Julia Rogers of Community Schools, and Jaylene Smith-Kilner of Habitat for Humanity get ready for summer with a newly launched online activities calendar. Other members not pictured are Bill Schutt of Genesee-Orleans Youth Bureau, Shellye Dale-Hall of GCASA and Charitie Bruning of YMCA. Photo submitted by Batavia City School District.
 

Press release:

As with the Liberty Center for Youth, the Batavia City Youth Bureau and Genesee County YMCA are partnering once again to provide a safe child care option for the families of Batavia.

Due to the cancellation of the Batavia Youth Bureau's Summer Rec program until the 2021 summer season, The YMCA will be hosting summer camp at their branch beginning Monday, June 29th through Friday, Sept. 4th.

The YMCA offers a variety of care options to fit each families needs. Thanks to the United Way, the YMCA’s Annual Strong Communities Campaign, and personal donations, the YMCA has the opportunity to offer scholarship assistance to those who qualify.

The YMCA Scholarship Program provides confidential financial assistance for memberships and programs. Additionally the YMCA also accepts child care payment plans through the Department of Social Services. No one is denied services because of inability to pay.

Just as with Summer Rec, participants will still have free access to the summer feeding program being provided by the Batavia City School District with breakfast and lunch daily. Batavia School Nutritional Services is committed to providing well-balanced meals efficiently and effectively, while promoting healthy lifestyle choices, in addition to supporting a nurturing environment.

When a child has access to good nutrition, it empowers students to grow in body and mind. By supporting each building administration’s goals to serve students and staff professionally, we hope to support excellence in nutrition promoting lifelong health and wellness.

For more information on the Summer Feeding Program, please contact School Lunch Director Susan Presher: (585) 343-2480, ext. 1007.

Families may sign up for one week or multiple weeks. Care is offered daily 7 a.m. - 6 p.m. (half-day option runs 7 a.m. - 12 p.m.) for children ages 3-15.

• Five Day Option, YMCA Member Rate $175, Non-Member Rate $220
• Three Day Option, YMCA Member Rate $132, Non-Member Rate $165
• Half Day Option (7 a.m. - 12 p.m.), YMCA Member Rate $70, Non-Member Rate $95

Weekly themes, activities and registrations packets can be found under the summer camp tab at:   www.glowymca.org

For further information on camp programs, membership or financial aid, please reach out to Charitie Bruning, Child Care Director at cbruning@glowymca.org

Space is limited and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The Genesee County Business/Education Alliance (BEA) is holding the first of what they hope will be an annual summer camp this year. It's called the "MST Explorer Camp," and will engage middle-schoolers in hands-on activities related to careers in math, science and technology.

This is a first for BEA, which hosts a "MASH (Medical Academy of Science and Health) Camp" and a "Culinary Camp" every summer (see last month's announcement for more details on these and for pictures).

BEA Coordinator Melinda Chamberlin started planning the MST camp in the spring, along with Debbie Dunlevy, who works with GCC's Tech Prep Program, and Bob Hollwedel, a technology instructor at Alexander Middle School.

Clay Maderer, a technology teacher at Batavia Middle School and a member of the MST camp's development team, said that the idea arose, in part, from the success and popularity of GCC'S Tech Wars.

"We wanted to see that type of activity carry over into the summer," Maderer said.

Current job market trends, both in the Western New York area and in the nation as a whole, were also a factor.

"We hope this brings home to students the relevance of these subjects in the real world," Chamberlin said. "We also hope it shows them that math, science and technology can be cool and interesting."

All of BEA's camps are geared toward middle-schoolers. According to Chamberlin, those students are at a stage of development at which they can start to become passionate about certain subjects and find out what they like.

"They're at an age where you can really start to influence their career interests," she said. "That doesn't mean forcing them into anything, it just means that we can, and should, help them to become more well-informed about career choices (before they spend a lot of money on college)."

Although the MST has not been done before, the MASH and Culinary camps have both gotten great responses from students.

"They love it," Chamberlin said. "Some of them will even go from one camp to another."

The MST camp will include presentations given by professionals in a variety of different fields, exposing the kids to specific math, science and technology-related careers. For instance, representatives from Time Warner Cable will do a session on how the company delivers information to the world.

Additionally, a middle-school-age race car driver (along with others) will be there to help teach them about aerodynamics.

But these "instructors" are not just going to be feeding kids information, like in a stereotypical classroom setting. All of the planned activities are hands-on, so the students will be able to learn by direct, personal engagement.

Charles "Chip" Malone of Cornell Cooperative Extension will be in charge of an energy exhibit where the kids will try to activate various appliances -- including cell phones, lights and kitchen appliances -- by peddling stationary bicycles (thus generating an air current)...

"...which is really cool," Malone said. "They'll have a lot of fun with that."

The idea, according to Hollwedel, is to help them gain an "appreciation of how much energy the things they own use."

The kids will also work at designing their own bridges, modifying/adapting CO2 cars to run more efficiently and racing them to find out whose is the best.

MST is a one-day camp. There will be two sessions -- one on July 20 for boys, and another on July 21 for girls. Both sessions will be at Batavia Middle School, at 96 Ross St. in Batavia, and last from 7:45 a.m. until 4 p.m.

The decision to devote one day to each gender group was based on the observations of middle-school teachers and made for the benefit of the kids.

"Girls tend to be resistant in technology class," Hollwedel said, "because boys are stereotypically more inclined toward technology, tools, etc. So with guys around, the girls can become intimidated and afraid to try things on their own."

"If the camp were co-ed, the girls would be more likely to just go along with what the guys say," said Samantha Lippman, a science teacher at Alexander Middle School and a member of the MST development team. "This way they can work independently, pitch in and come up with their own ideas. And with all the hands-on activities, they'll be able to see that they can do it."

"What we want to do for both boys and girls," Chamberlin said, "is give them an opportunity to excel and to work without having to worry about intimidation or pressure."

The MST Camp is open to all students in Genesee County who will be entering grades 7, 8 and 9 in the fall. There is room for 11 more students, and registrations will be accepted until July 2.

There is a $25 admission fee to cover operating expenses and lunch for the students.

For details, call Chamberlin at 343-7440, ext. 25, or e-mail mchamberlin@mail.geneseeny.com.