Buoyed by success of afterschool program
By Jeff Simms
The Beacon Recreation Department in July will launch two new children’s summer camps, while a multi-sport camp returns for its second year, along with the long-running tennis camp.
South Avenue Park Days will be offered free on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at the Recreation Center and a weekday program, Camp@the Camp, will run for five weeks at University Settlement, the 100-acre former residential camp site on Route 9D.
Funding for both new programs was recently approved by the City Council.
Nate Smith, the city’s assistant recreation director, said that feedback from the department’s elementary afterschool program introduced last fall led the agency to consider the new summer programs. The afterschool program averaged about 50 children per day, receiving high marks from Beacon parents for its affordability and quality programming.
Similarly, Camp@the Camp will have weekly themes such as archaeology, woodland dwelling and ecology. The camp, which also will include swimming, hiking, storytelling and other “classic” camp activities, will run weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
The first week of camp begins July 10 and the final week begins Aug. 7. Registration begins Monday, March 20, for children ages 5 to 11 at cityofbeacon.org. Each week costs $175 per child until April 30, after which it will increase to $195. Tuition assistance is available and an extended day (until 5 p.m.) is available for an extra $50 per week per child.
The South Avenue Parks Days program will run for eight weeks beginning July 3 and is open to younger children as well as teenagers. It will be held rain or shine from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will offer “come and go as you please” arts, crafts and athletics, as well as free lunch.
