NECC offers virtual summer program for youth who have few other options

MILLERTON — Now that the 2019-20 school year has ended and summer is in full swing, the North East Community Center (NECC) is prepared to offer local youth four weeks of free summer programming to keep them engaged during the season through its Virtual Summer Enrichment Program.

When local school districts closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic back in March, NECC rose to the call, continuing to offer opportunities for children to stay connected through its After-School Connection program. Based on what NECC observed from that program, NECC Youth Program Director Kathryn Atkins said it found that the children really missed being in each other’s company — especially with classes, sports and other activities canceled and much of the state shut down.

“It’s important for us to give them the space to talk and have conversations,” she said, “and we want to make sure we give them the environment to do that comfortably, safely and easily.”

This summer’s program runs from July 20 through Friday, Aug. 14. Employing two NECC staff members and two teen interns, there are two counselors and two counselors-in-training.

By hosting the virtual summer camp, Atkins said NECC is trying to keep children engaged without having them stare at a screen all day, adding that they’re excited to offer ways to engage area youth. To that end, themed programs (or cabins) are being offered each week. For the program’s inaugural week, NECC hosted a Paper-Mâché Madness Cabin, which began on July 20 and will run through Friday, July 24. Coming up, the program will feature a Crafter Camp Cabin for the week of Monday, July 27, through Friday, July 31; a Geo Caching Cabin for the week of Monday, Aug. 3, through Friday, Aug. 7; and a Coding Lab Cabin for the week of Monday, Aug. 10, through Friday, Aug. 14.

After registering for the program, Atkins said its staff will send participants a list of supplies they might find around their homes in order to join in the fun. This might include a measuring bowl, a bottle of water, salt and other everyday materials. As for the supplies participants might not otherwise have lying around the house, supply bins with materials have been assembled and will either be delivered to campers’ homes or campers will be offered contactless pickup. Other than that, all participants need is a working iPad to log on to the program.

The link to NECC’s Virtual Summer Enrichment Program website can be found online at https://sites.google.com/view/necc-virtualsummercamp2020/home. By clicking on the link, families can access the online registration form to pre-register their children for as many weeks of virtual summer camp as desired. Because space is limited, NECC encourages early registration. 

Atkins clarified the program isn’t a virtual drop-in programming as NECC needs to arrange for supplies for each child in advance. She added that NECC wants to make sure it has an opportunity to check in with campers and their parents the week before to make sure all of the technology is set.

Registrations for each week will be accepted up until the Wednesday of the previous week, and the program will be organized using Google Meet as the virtual platform. Depending on the week, Atkins said the program has room for three to five children around the ages of 8 to 12 or who are enrolled as rising fourth- through seventh-graders. Though NECC has been focusing on children who are already enrolled in its programming, Atkins said its summer program has a couple of spots available, and the community center is excited to see if others will join in the fun.

“We do have a limited number of supplies, so that’s the defining factor,” she said, “and we want to make sure the kids have a great time with the program and get the individualized attention they need. 

“We want to make sure we keep the numbers small,” she added. “We also want to make sure the kids have fun and get to know each other and socialize with each other.”