By Klieon John
Plans for summer programmes for children are already underway in various communities throughout the island.
First is the Irish Town Primary School with various summer activities for children in the Irish Town community.
Elvis Charles, principal of the school has organised a number of programmes to take place during the summer that will challenge the children on an academic and social level.
Programmes include an agriculture camp organised by Victoria Baucom and Sidney Berkeley. Also there will be scout and reading programmes where 32 volunteers from the International University of Nursing will come to the school and teach reading. Also, there will be a computer programme that teaches students computer competence.
In addition, the department of youth, in collaboration with the Naismith International Basketball Foundation will host their annual residential camp at the Beach Allen Primary School from the 20th to the 31st of July. The camp will offer disciplines to attendees such as basket weaving, music, dance, wood and metal craft, cooking, drumming, computer and art and craft.
PANSKAN, the programme that teaches children to play the steel pan is scheduled to run this summer from July 16 to August 25. Sessions begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Dr William Connor Primary School.
The Ministry of Tourism, Sports and Culture, in collaboration with the police force, the defence force, the coast guard and the National Sports Association is having a sports camp that will run from the 16th to the 27th of July. It will be accommodating persons aged 9-16. The camp will begin at 9:am and end at 12:00 pm and will feature various sport disciplines such as boxing, archery, basketball, golf, swimming, table tennis, softball, kayaking and tae kwon ko.
The cost is EC $25 and registration has already begun. Ministry busses will pick the children up at Warner Park at 9:00 am and transport them to the sites of their various disciplines. Snacks will be provided upon the children’s return to the park at 12:00pm.
Another event this summer will be courtesy of ‘The St. Kitts Sea Turtles Monitoring Network’. This is an organisation with an interest in sea turtles and their protection. They will be having a two-day camp on the 27th and 28th of July at the Cayon Community Centre. There will be educational activities, games and craft activities. On the second day, the children will take part in a sea turtle nest excavation on the beach. Buses will pick the children up at the primary school nearest their homes at 8:30 and drop them off at 4:30.
Religious organisations are also on the scene this summer with various camps and programmes.
The Antioch Baptist Church is holding its annual vacation bible school this summer. It was the first church to hold a bible school during the summer and has kept it going for nearly 41 years.
Lincoln Connor, the current pastor gave his views on why having a programme like this during the vacation is important to children.
“Vacation Bible School is very critical to the children’s development. It creates a sort of association that, if administered properly, I believe can have a lasting effect.”
One of his intentions this year is to involve the parent as it is essential that they be a part of their children’s development.
“We hope this time around to be able to engage the parents to appreciate the lasting impact that Vacation Bible School has on their children.”
The school will be held this year from the 8th to the 21st of July and will run from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The school will be admitting three hundred persons this year.
Other churches including the Seventh-day Adventist, Anglican, Methodist and Catholic will also be having camps during the summer vacation.
The island’s youth do have much to look forward to this summer no matter their interests and parents can rest easy knowing that their children will have something constructive to do over the next three months.
