Get an early flavour of new summer camp programs this Saturday at Pickering College

May 4, 2023 · 0 Comments

As parents and their kids weigh camp options for the summer, families are invited to Pickering College this Saturday, May 6, to get a flavour of new day camp programs designed to suit just about every taste and interest.

This year, the Newmarket-based independent school is set to launch expanded summer camp options to include middle school-age students. The new program will focus on arts, active living, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math), building on their success in offering day camps for younger kids, Kindergarten to Grade 5.

“We have had a lot of enquiries from parents about programs for middle school kids. We know they have different needs over the summer and they don’t want to feel like they are lumped in with a younger group, so this is more about the things that are really of interest to them,” explains Julia Hunt, Pickering College’s Executive Director of Strategic Innovation and Partnerships.

“We split it into three streams so they have the opportunity to choose what’s really of interest to them. This gives them the chance to focus on one area that’s really important and makes them feel like this is the program for them.”

At the Open House, which will take place on Pickering College’s Bayview Avenue campus between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m., different stations will be set up for arts, active living and STEM, with an instructor at each station to talk more about the programs – and indeed the possibilities. There will also be activities for younger children whose families might be interested in learning more about the summer day camp program for Kindergarten to Grade 5.

“It is going to be a really fun afternoon out for everyone in the family and the opportunity to see the campus, where your child might be during parts of the program,” says Hunt. “For the arts group, they will go see our radio station and our art studios. For the active living group, they will get to go and see both our outdoor spaces as well as the indoor spaces for our gym and fitness centres. The STEM group will see our makerspace and other tech areas they might be working in.

“Another thing that people are really excited about is our wilderness survival piece. We’re on 35 acres and have a forested area on the south end of the property, so they will be able to see our outdoor classroom space. Come and see how your child can have a really engaging opportunity to be at an activity that really suits middle school age students to get them away from their devices, make them creative, make them productive and give them purpose to their summer.”

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter