MARINE CORPS AIR STATION YUMA, Ariz. -- Each year the Station Youth Center organizes various activities for children that exercise the mind as well as the body, and helps beat the summer heat.
One of those activities is a summer day camp. Service members' children are given a summer vacation from school each year, although the parents generally maintain the same work schedule each day. For this reason, the youth center provides children ages 6 through 12 with a fun-filled summer camp beginning June 6 through Sept. 2, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. The center also offers an open recreation program from 2-6 p.m. for children ages 10 to 18 who are enrolled in school.
This year the camp kicks-off its first day with a "Summer Lock-In," which is an event where the children participating remain in the youth center from 7 p.m. until the following morning. The event offers 12 hours of activities with a staff chaperon.
On average the camp has about 60 children each year, but this year, for the first time, the camp has a waiting list and is expecting about 75 children to join, said Pat Carson, Station Youth Center director.
The camp's increasing popularity may be attributed to the caring staff and abundance of activities planned for the children each year.
"We have a great staff here," said Carson, a Jacksonville, N.C., native. "They love the kids here, and it shows just walking through the center. They get very involved, and that's what the children love."
Carson said the children will be divided into groups of 15, and in addition to having the opportunity to socialize with other children, they will also have activities like cooking, science projects, swimming and field trips.
"This is going to be a very fun program," said Carson. "It provides the children with a safe place to spend their summer. For example, we had a child that went home from school and his parents weren't home yet. The first place that child came was to the youth center. This is because he knew this is a safe place to come. We contacted that child's parents and said 'Hey, we have your child here.'"
She said the new station youth center, scheduled to open this summer, may also be a reason for the increase of children joining the camp this year.
"We know the new youth center is going to be better than what we have here," said Carson. "The new center has a game room, a computer room, and it has a lot more than what we have here to offer the children."
One of the staff members, Alia Kinsler, youth center program assistant, spends more than six hours each day working closely with the center's children.
The Pensacola, Fla., native said she thinks these programs are important for children because it gives them the opportunity to use their summer time constructively instead of getting into trouble or harm.
Kinsler said according to the children, their favorite activities include playing games like "Capture the Flag," going swimming and attending the dances. The "Lock In" is also one of the most popular activities."
Along with the regular recreation activities offered at the center, there are education activities like "Power Hour," which is an incentive program held each day. Each time children complete their homework, they receive a sticker on their chart; once the chart is filled the children receive a prize.
There are also leadership programs called "Torch Club," and "Teen Supreme." The children volunteer in the community and organize youth center activities, and the teen club plans to attend a teen summit in Hawaii this summer to discuss issues on military installations.
For more youth center information, contact the center's staff at 269-5390.f-i
Station Youth Center children play Monkey in the Middle at the station pool May 27. The center provides station children with activities like this throughout the summer. Youth Center staff also takes the children places such as the gym and bowling center.