With kids and teens out of school for the summer, finding summer programs that keep them engaged and physically and mentally active is vital to ensure they’re on track for the next school year. At Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana, the Summer Kidstop Program provides a fun, enriched environment for kids to enjoy and get the most out of their summer.
“A lot of people think we are just a summer camp, but we really are a lot more than that,” said Stephanie Letic, director of marketing for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana. “We have field trips and walking trips, enrichment programs, themed activities, and a lot more that keep kids active throughout the summer.”
Throughout the summer, each Club emphasizes the importance of continued learning in an effort to curb summer learning loss while kids aren’t in school.
“Our educational activities, field trips, and academic programming helps us to keep students on track,” Letic said. “This way, they don’t go months without learning anything; it keeps them in the groove and in that school mode, without fully being in school. They’re not just sitting in a classroom, opening a textbook, and listening to a lecture. Instead, they’re doing fun projects and focusing on the fun side of learning.”
During the school year, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana staff are helping students with homework and tutoring them in different subjects. When summer rolls around, members can expect fun, innovative projects and activities to do at the Clubs or around the area.
“We recently did an organization-wide art project where the kids who participated painted their COVID-19 experience,” Letic said. “This was a way to help them process the emotions they were dealing with because of COVID-19. It was a weird and difficult year for them so, for example, our older kids were painting themselves with their graduation caps and a mask on since they weren’t really able to have a regular graduation.”
Letic feels that this activity in particular offered an outlet for kids to express their frustrations and shine some light on a topic that they may not realize was and will continue to be an important part of their lives.
As the Clubs continue to open back up for the summer, they have enjoyed specialized programming, like the organization-wide “Too Good For Drugs” and flag football programs.
“For ‘Too Good For Drugs,’ we learn about how to build up resistance to peer pressure and the negative effects of drugs and alcohol,” said Dylan McKee, director of external affairs of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana. “We do activities that reinforce a lot of the concepts that they learn in the program.”
“And flag football has been a huge hit this summer,” Letic continued. “It’s especially fun because it’s all the different Clubs competing against each other at the Field of Dreams in South Haven, and we actually partnered with Valpo Parks this year. They had a team in the league, so it was a fun community activity that got kids up and moving.”
Members also have the chance to attend field and walking trips around Northwest Indiana. This summer, members enjoyed trips to Mascot Hall of Fame in Whiting and Washington Park Zoo in Michigan City. Clubs even have specialized field trips for the older teens to enjoy.
“These trips are more focused and age appropriate,” said McKee. “We have trips to college campuses like Indiana University Northwest for college readiness as they begin their college careers.”
“Their next trip is to the Air Zoo Aerospace & Science Museum in Michigan,” Letic added. “We want our teens and older members to have experiences they will enjoy and remember.”
As part of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana’s core values, the Summer Kidstop Program continues to provide kids access to a healthy, well-rounded lifestyle, no matter the time of year.
For more information about the programs available at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Northwest Indiana, including membership costs and more, visit the website at www.bgcgreaternwi.org/summer.
