About 80 kids a day are taking part in a summer camp program at The Boys and Girls Club of Thomson - and there's camps scheduled through the rest of the summer.
"The summer camp program has an emphasis on education over the summer," said Club Director Tim Daniels.
The summer camp program began May 22 and will end July 28 - running Monday through Friday for students ages six to 18. The program costs $150 per child, with discounts for multiple children from one household participating.
"The first two weeks were good weeks," Mr. Daniels said.
Children from ninth to 12th grade are participating in a survival skills training course in cooperation with Augusta Technical College. In addition, the camp is also inviting guest speakers to come throughout the summer.
Also, every other Saturday there is an enrichment program for the high school students to aid in college preparation, focusing on SAT and other special tests. Another goal is to increase test-taking skills and confidence in taking standardized tests.
For the younger children, there is a daily reading time. Foster grandparents come in daily from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m to encourage reading. The children read to the adults and the adults read to the children. The children are also issued library cards from the McDuffie County Library. A reading club has been organized with the younger children to keep them engaged.
The summer camp also has weekly field trips. These trips include such educational destinations as Fort Discovery. They also have entertaining outings such as Planet Xtreme and Carowinds.
"This is a good, safe place for kids during the school year and in the summer," said Mr. Daniels.
