Funding from the Idaho Out-of-School Network helped sustain a YMCA summer program in Nampa all summer long. Without this funding, the program would have only had funds through the State Department of Education for a one-week summer camp.
“The students and families definitely benefited from this opportunity since there are not many options for summer programs in this area,” said Nicole Pratt, YMCA Child Development Area Director for the Treasure Valley YMCA. “It provided a safe and stable environment for their children all summer long.”
The Nampa Y Kids used funding from the Idaho Out-of-School Network to provide free summer childcare including transportation and food costs for roughly 60 students. The program operates at Central Elementary, Endeavor Elementary, Sherman Elementary, and Snake River Elementary during the school year.
Pratt said this funding helped the YMCA with wages for teachers, transportation to and from the summer program for families, activity supplies, morning and afternoon snacks for all participants, and educational field trips throughout the summer.
Students benefitted from the summer program in many ways, explained Pratt. Whether they were making new friends, learning new skills, or enjoying more physical activity, the students looked forward to seeing their friends, going on field trips, and sharing experiences that they would always remember.
Some students had the opportunity to attend Horsethief Camp in Cascade for three days, some of which had never left Nampa, never gone camping, and never roasted a marshmallow over a campfire.
“These experiences that we are able to bring to a community are valuable,” said Pratt, “and those that participate will remember those memories forever.”
Families benefitted from the summer program too, said Pratt: “It gave them peace of mind knowing that their child was safe and not at home alone.”
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