.jpg)
BGC Foothills is offering a variety of programs to keep youth in southern Alberta entertained this summer.
Summer camps are offered in Diamond Valley, High River, and Nanton for youth between six and 12 years of age.
Throughout the summer, the camps will feature activities and field trips with individualized themes, such as math and science, the great outdoors, water adventures, and baseball.
“Summer camp is quite different from out-of-school care, it's more fun and play-based,” said Nicole Van Langen, BGC Foothills director of operations.
The program includes hands-on activities that aren’t typically offered in a traditional learning environment, activities in the community, and in-depth arts and crafts.
“It's a pretty fun day for those kids,” Van Langen said. “We want education to be fun. Our focus is that the summer camp is a fun time for everybody involved.”
A key component of the program is to maintain school readiness and ensure there is no reading or skill loss over the summer months.
“It's to keep kids safe and engaged in appropriate activity. It's really important that kids have activities that keep them engaged,” Van Langen said.
Another important aspect of the program is to offer a safe space for youth.
“We really want to make sure that those young people have safe places where they're included, accepted, and engaging in things that they love to do,” Van Langen said.
There is an allotted amount of space for each location, but space is still available.
“People just need to reach out to those individual camps to see what’s available,” Van Langen said. “Sooner is better just because they do fill up.”
Once residents sign up, they are asked to commit, in order for BGC Foothills to staff the programs properly.
“It's really important that we're maintaining appropriate ratios for kids involved in the camps,” Van Langen said.
Depending on the location, the summer camps run Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.
For more information on the program, or to register for the summer camps, click here.